The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-10-01
A RED MITTEN.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
1t was the afternoon of clear, sharp Jan
uary day of 1861, and tho company mum
bered fully two hundred : there were men
and women, boys and girls, flying and cir
cling about, in masses, singly, by dozens,
and by twos and thrrcs, over the frozen sur
face of the beautiful Silver Lake in Rock
dale, suburb of the flourishing city of
b. New England is dotted with these
small bodies of water, aud it is astounding
to recount what n surprising number bear
the name of Silver And SO on Silver Lake
this goodly company was disporting itself
with all the gayety and zest the keen, brac-
ing air and exhiarating sport combined to
produce.
Among the crowd were many lads aud
lassies who imagined they were fond of skat-
ing, and came to Silver Lake for no other
reason. II was singular, too, to note how
much more gracefully the outward roll :"
backward or forward, can be accomplished
by joining hands or being linked together by
walking stick. These sticks In some in
stances proved no non-conductorS to the
sympathetic thrill that pervadod the mag
nets at either end.
The positive and negative conditions were
fully realized in the case of brawny John
Horton and rosy-cleeked Abbe Latham, the
81 Tue squire. Wltl Dtr
plump, comedy figure and fresh, handsome
face, lit up by pair of laughing blue eyes,
could have led awkward John, on or of
skates, anywhere with an apron string or n
thread for a conductor. Not 80 with John.
lie could lead her nowhere and the more
the girl could ball< and tantalze him the
more she seemed to enjoy the skating and
his company. Many u ludicrous figure he
cut, and many an awkward fall he endured
by her sudden and unaccountabe turns and
shiftings, and her mirth and glee were at
the highest at Johns repeated failures Ia
follow her difficult and tortuOus windings.
John was Overgrown and massive, his twenty
years of existence not having yet served to
properly knit together and round out the
proportions of his frame. She was little and
quick, and az graceful as she was skillfu in
the use of skates.
Apart from the throng this afternoon John
espied little red mitten lying on the ice
where il had been dropped by some one oil
the numerous children. Miss Abbie saw it,
too, and as John, by one of his graceful
movements, essayed to stoop and captur,
the article she refused to release his hand
but just as he went forward she gave
wicked pull, and John, unbalanced, was sent
sprawling rod or two beyond. A peal o
slvery laughter was her sympathetic com
ment, as, with graceful curve, she turned
and caught tho tiny thing in he. hand.
John blushed at his awkwardness, ant
held out his hand TO receive the mittcn.
But the captor only held it before him ana
gently moved away.
Won't you give ii 10 mo 7" he asked. 81
will find the owner"
can find the owner more easily than
you. ] can't trust you you would fall ana
crush the poor thing in trying to deliver it. ;
And she saucily laughed again.
You mademe fall. !" said John in grievec
tone. You are always doing these things
If skated more and studied less I'd soon b,
as much an adept as your friend Joe Staples
whom you are always praiBing."
You la, ha, Ia AS graceful as Jo
Staples |" and the hilarity of the younj
maiden made John Horizons sluggish bloc,
course through his veins till his face was
red as the scarlet kerchief that encrcled hi
neck.
All the rest Of that afternoon John wa
gloomy and silent. lie moved around me
chanioally, or rather automatically, and hi
companion concluded to serve no more trick
upon him.
The sport flushed, the two wemded thei
way TO the house Of Mr.. Latham, Johns rai
companion falling to rally him into anything
like conversation. He answered her only I
lhOnosyllaDlesi ana seemed mOfoSe ana pre-
occupied.
As he was about to take his leave Johl
said seriously and little sarcastically, "Al
bic, I'm going back to college tomorrow, am
| hope you will enjoy the rest Of the skating
season in oompanionship more graceful thai
mine.n
:" hope | shall" replied she in the sam
tone. 4" You must feel bad about something
perhaps it's the milton you had better TAX
it; no, not now won't give it up. IfIeve
think enough of you to surrender IL I'll sem
il to you 10y express"
And then she smiled on John with rar
sweetness, but John had seen that smile be
fore, and felt she was only hooking him.
with solemn good night he buttoned hi
coat close 10 his chin, and with hands resc
lutely thrust into his pockets turned home
ward, resolved to waste no more time wit
skating girls, who judged young men by til
dexterity they exhibited in handling thei
heels.
CHAPTER II.
Among the earliest volunteer regiment
that left for the seat of war in the summC
of 1861 was the til Massachusetts,, wit
Lieut.. John Horton as an officer of Compan
b. Like hundreds of others he abandone