The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-08-10

but 1t was no use.
May SCI Katie before go?" he
says.
NO"
Thea he turned to the door, flung
il open, and walked away with never
a word.
lie come round few days after but
the ragged squall in my stupid Old
heart hadn't died down, and | refused
to alter what I'd said to him. If a
live lord from the admiralty had
come after Katie | don't believe |
should have thought him good enough
ut all events. if he couldn't smoke
cavendish and wouldn't Join in
frien lily gla S. | never knew properly
how it happene but | did find out
afterward that he met Katie and asked
her to marry him right Off She
wouldn leave me like that stupid and
cruel us was anil then young All
threatened to 60 away and enlist for
soldier. She'clung to him. and begged
him to stand by till the storm went
down but he was mad with love. |
suppose. fC- he swore she didn't care
for him and, in his love and anger. he
kept his word. and he left her and en-
listed.
Almost before we knowed what he'd
done his regiment was ordered Off
ordered to the Crimea: and away he
went.
1t was bad weather in our little
home after that. | wouldn't own to
being wrong; but, in my heart /
knowed was; and l used to sit lonely,
night after night. smokin' and thinkin'
-thinkin' about young All, with his
neat. shapely ligurehead, and bright
eye and fair hair, and straight DO ly
-thinkin Of him away N the dreadful
trenches, with the bitter snow fallin'
on the Twin. and the dyin', and the
de III. Katie said never word-never
a word; but, oh the awful look of
pain in her bonnie winsome face grow
ing so thin and SO pa'e. And one
evenin' broke down. | was looking
at Katie. sitting by the table, just
where she sat that first night young
An come in, wa, looking at her.
and thinkin' of her mother-my dear
Ai9S W nv odlltu Sdlt llltO HdT OOT 81
many years ago-and knowed by the
LOOK on her face that her thoughts
wasn't in our bright. coy, warm, little
stting-rOom. but way across the seas,
where the soldiers was, out in the cold
snow that awful winter; and l cried.
son my poor girl what have l
done"
And my darling come to me, and
threw her arms round my neck, and
laid her poor little face against the
tears on my cheek. And l said, "Oh
my darlin', I've made many mistake
as I've sailed thro' life; and now |
know that when l sent away your
bonnie lad l made Zone More"
The weeks passed slowly away, and
we got no news from Charlie or of
him, till one night Katie came into the
room with an open letter in her hand;
and all the light had gone from her
wins )me eyes and her pretty face as
she sank with Il low cry at my feet
and hid her head upon my knees. l
took the paper from her poor, little,
futtering, trembling hand. 1t was a
.
company. dated "Before Sebastopol.'
This wa, part of it: "A lie ce at
tack was made by the Russians last
night upon our trenches. The night
was bitterly cold and very dark, and
snow was falling thickly when the at
tack was commenced. The enemy
crept on us through the darkness and
the snow so sill antly that we had very
short notice. The fighting was very
desperate, and we were almost driven
out. Eventually the enemy slowly re-
tired, and in pursuing them beyond
our intrenchments, | got detached
from the gallant fellows who were fol
lowing me. Suddenly the Russians
made a steady stand, and renewed the
attack. One of the enemy disarmed
me, my sword was lying broken at my
feet, lie had seized me by the throat. l
was powerless in his grasp. and his
sword was raised high for my death
stroke, when suddenly soldier of my
company, his arms hanging powerless
by his side, for he was already sorely
wounded, staggered up to us,
and deliberately threw himself
between my barred head and the Russian
blade, and the stroke intended for me
fell W on his own noble and gallant
head. We fell together l staggered
to my feet, and help arriving, the
Russian fled. The dawn was
just breaking when l knelt beside the
man whose heroic devotion had saved
my life. He was lying in the snow,
holy with his own brave blood, ray
of the rising sun shining round his
head like halo of glory. He spoke
only once as raised him into the litter
which bore him to the hospital; and
the few words that my gallant COM
rade, Charles Hall, uttered, babe me
write to you. y
An awful mist was in my eyes, and
l could read no more. Then Katie put
her hand into her bosom and drew out
paper, and she pointed, still without
word. but with still that awful look
upon her face, to list of soldiers
deaths and the first name | see was
Charles Hall.
Nnh INV 1nrlinn my. moor 1orI;nc,