River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-11-16
4 Breech of Discipline.


"Confound the Colonel! tell you
will go. The COlonePs not dancing man
He'll know nothing about it"
"Don't you believe it. The Colonel:
thick with those Lindsay girls, ant
I'll bet you ten to one hes there Il
meet them
"On, hang it! I'll take my chance
then" was the reply, in the doggeC
tone of man who knows he Is IN the
wrong but does not choose to yield.
The speakers were two officers o
the til Regiment, which had beer
quartered for the last SIX months al
Singleborough. The subject for dis
cussion was public bail which VA
to take place that evening. The regi
ment was to be relieved in day or two
and the ball would be the last a
which the gallant officers of the til
would appear in that hospitaple town
1t had been gay season, and the red
coats had entered heartily in the festiv
tiles, and, now that their departure
drew nigh there might have beer
many an incipient heartache in gen
tie bosom here and there. The girls
indeed, of that favored district were sc
pretty that even brave soldier might
be excused if pang shot through hi;
manly breast at the thought of leaving
them behind.
Captain Kendall looked very obsti-
nate as he answered the prudent adj
monitions of his friend Brereton, who
gave a loxd whistle, and tapped the
ground ominously with his cane.
81 gave you credit for more COM
l. i
pause.
"Then you are mistaken, you see."
$50 it seems; but it is an awful pity.
You'll be cashiered, to a certainty, for
the old fellow is keen as hawk, and
is sure to find you out. say, man, be
advised; give it up; the games too
dangerous"
"Pooh!' exclaimed the other, testify /;
II tell you the Colonel won't be there,
and, if he were, trust me to do5ge
him. Why, bless you! he's blind as a
mole~
His friend looked utterly uncon-
WINGED, but remonstrance was plainly
of no use.
Its all because of that Leslie girl, :"
he said, ruefully, for he was honestly
attached to his messmate, and saw
clearly the consequences which might
be expected to follow upon his attend
ance at the ball. "Lordl what an ass
spooning makes of fellow Thank
heaven, Pm not in love-"
"Spare your eloquence, and have
done now, can't your replied Captain
Kendall, ungraciously. go | must
and will, but trust me to take care OF
myself
The two friends walked down the
rest of the street in silence till Brereton
turned into his club, while the other
went on, with q slightly anxious frowr
on his handsome sun-burnt face, and
swinging his cane uneasily. He knew
Brereton was right, but wrong Is apt tC
be stronger than right sometimes, and
the temptation in his case was power
full. He was about to commit, deliber-
ately, glaring breach Of military dis
cipline, which, if discovered, would
assuredly cost him dear, and put an
end to more pleasant hopes than one
Nevertheless, he was quite determined
to risk it. 1t was his duty to kceI
guard that night at the ROYAL Bank
and his Colonel was not man who
would lightly overlook even a trihine
offense against the military code.
What, then, was the motive which
could induce this gallant young Officer
ofher majesty's service, who had al
ready won distinction for his bravery
on the battlefield, and who had Away;
acquitted himself we'll and honorably
heretofore, to plan recklessly so grave
an infringement of duty as the aband-
onment of the post he was bound in al
honor to guard?
We offer no excuse. but the explain
alton of his conduct must be found II
his state of mind, which was abnor
NAL. Brereton was right. There wa!
a woman in the case. Before hi
minds eve there danced q lovely vision
that lured the young man from the
right path; pair of blue eyes; q swee
smile, a graceful, girlish form, to gazt
on which the foolish fellow would have
travelled miles,
I And she wac TO be at the ball, sur
rounded by admiring swains, of one o.
two of whom he was madly jealous
and who knew what might happier
while he was absent?
He might, of course, have spoken {
certain momentous little word before
and he had thought, now and then, tina
it would not have fallen on reluctan
ears. But he had gone On baskipg II
the sunshine of her smiles, to happy Ii
the present to think much of the future
and he had just heard casually that to
morrow morning early she was to leave
town for her home in the country.
oh had hrNflO ht :
certain revelation TO his heart. Til
then he had not been fully aware o
the strength OF his own feelings for tina
blue eyed charmer. On turning down
a street corner he had come suddenly
face to face with her, and IN close at
tendance upon her was Maddox, of the
til Lancers, a brilliant Adonis whom
ladies were terribly partial to. In hi,
face Harry Kendall read something tina
made him tremble for his own hopes
and showed him, too, in s stsrtlin,
moment of time, how mis- whole life
happiness was bound up in them. Tba
rapid glance OF recognition awoke
storm OF anxious fears in his breast
and left the greeneyed monster rasini
there
Was he at this important crisis o
fate 20 stand tamely aside and to lesv,
her to the wiles of that handsome Lo
thario, to be whirled away from hin
forever in the waltz during the en-
chanted hours of that festive night
while he kept lonely watch over oil,
money-bags? Ma1dening thought
And tomorrow she would be gone
Oh, why had ne not known sooner
Tomorrow would be too late
Ne; he could not let love and happi
ness 90 down the STREAM without 81
effort to hold them fast. Duty Nigh
90 to the winds for once. He woul,
90 to the ball, where ne could see he
that night And SIS to the Colonel
Surely he would not sport his stately
antiquated presence in q giddy, uncon
genial scene. And if he did-Breretol
might say what he plessed-th
Coloners shortness of sight was pre-
verbal
Alas Venus with her wicked q
Cupid had strangely bewitched thi
misguided son of Mars, as there is ev
dence enough tn prove they have be
witched many stalwart hero in ever
age and cline
The bank, great solid building {
dark gray stone, stood in an Enclosure
IL L