Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-31

/ certain pretty cousin of the fifth or sixth
| degree had 80 many remembrances, /
began 10 feel sure the old family habit
Of intermarriage was again in force.
Next morning. in the chill of early
| day-dawn. the regiment was drawn up.
prepared for marching. / had risen.
like Mrs. Major O'DOwd. to give my
! Colonel his cup Of coffee; or rather. like
that model soldiers wife. had not gone
90 red. but had n sOrrowful night Of il
over bright cottonwood fire; for home
going loses its charm when one leaves
/ the largest share of life's interest be-
hind one. But now the regiment was
marching out. dejectedly enough,
though the band was playing cheerful
" "Thc girl left behind me. The
wives We're ON the porches-many of
\ them with red watching the de
parturc. On the porch next my own
stood Mrs. Captain O'Brien, very red
: in the face. and more dishevelcd even
than usual.
! noticed that pretty Kitty was not
with her mamma, and for a moment
/ pondcred over the omission. Only for
a moment, for the command came with
pleasant sharpness: Halt!-break
ranks and the stiff military line broke
"a il formed by merry school-boys. 1t
b was only for n moment, but in that
/ brief space Frank Stanley nearly took
/ away my breath rs nc whispered, dur
/ ing his hastv hand-shaking:
Congratulate me. l was married
: last night And then he added, with
vcritablc cloud on his young face:
MAKE the best of it with the home peo-
pie. please
" Married?'
But there was no use in asking ques-
tiOns, for others were crowding round
I for q leave-takIng; and then they
marched away by the dullest of all dull
tun's: Home, sweet home
If Frank was really married, Kitty,
the little Irish girl, was the only availa-
/ bic person for the matrimonial romance.
But 1t was difficult To realize the fact,
and still more difficult to decide when
the marriage had taken place. Could
| Frank have been n married man when
he was sending soft, somewhat senti.
mental messages To his cousin? What
Z would his mother say? And how could
] make the best of Kitty TO the Stanleys?
! began 10 have guilty feeling. rs if an
aCcomplicc To the bond.
/ ! learned the whole story piecemeal.
rs il were. and then put il together in IS
| fair whole as possible. for / was sure I
/ would undergo n severe cross-question-
/ ing when ! got home. And this is the
/ true history. Frank was not n Benc-
/ dict when be sat on nv sofa the night
/ before the march; indeed, he was n
7 fancy-frcc as man cut of from all
marriagcablc girls could be. After
I leaving my quarters he saw n light in
/ the parlOr next door. and suddenly re-
m mbcrcd his breach Of courtesy i'm not
/ saving goodbye 10 his Captain family.
| lie found Captain O'Brien. his wife.
and pretty Kitty in the parlor. They.
J too. had had friends to part with-or.
nj least, lie women had-and one of
them was lingering in the hope of
I another visit. Mrs. O'Brien was pro-
fuse and hearty in her good wishes. and
said enough for both OF them, for Kitty
was mournfully silent.
Frank ma L. his visit brief. not ONLY
! on account If the late hour and his I'M
/ preparedness for the early march. but
also an kindly thought of the Captain /,
own arrangements. The farewell over.
/ he closed the parlor door on himself.
and CROPPED his way toward the door
knob in the fecbly lighted hall. Then
he was conscious that some one had
followed him. IL was only Kitty, To
give him the final parting. But such n
| parting! Frank made some foolish.
sentimental vow of keeping her ever
near his heart, and the girl. instead of
answering his badinage i'm her usual cav
way. broke down completely. Poor
| Frank. i'm utter CONSERVATION, saw "A lit
Tie calico heap upon the floor, not that
the girl had tainted, but there she was,
her face buried in her lap, rocking her
sell to and fro, and giving forth plain
tive little sobs, as hurt child might
do. Frank was at first bewildercd. and
then. man-like. touched. What had he
Gone To set the girl weeping? Surely he
was in fault. He ought To have meant
something if he did not. He did not
/ dream that il was his handsome face
and gay, chivalrous manners that had
| captivated Kitty. Instead. he blamed
/ himself. lie should have remembered
that she was young aud more I'M
| sophisticated, so of course more truth
ful than society women. IL he had
made her permanently unhappy he
would never forgive himself. And so
/ he took the role of comforter. and
| knclt besides poor disheveled, unhappy
little Kitty; and finding that her sobs
increased rather than diminished. he
/ Wen, To shorten my story. Frank
offered her the one bunbon that men
thin X will comfort hapless- NTOmen situ-
ated n Kitty was, and that was to mar
\ ~ her. But IL was the parting Kitty
was crying over. and a lover on the
march was held by the slendere,t of
bonds. And Frank. recklessly bent ON
appcasing her, whispered II IL would
comfort her To bear his name. the
/ padre was luckily in camp. and could
/ at once be sent for. And so was den
/ uted To be friend of Kitty's, and 10
do what | could for both the foolish
children with the home people
thought IL would be best, on Franks
account. to show myself friendly To
/ kitty; and So. before | packed up NV
household gods, / sent out Invitations
Tor the weeping widows to meet the
/ bride ut ian evening" at my quarters.
did this very simple act with some
fear and trepidation. for Mrs. Stanley
might hear | countcnanced the match
and did not know how far she might
carry her resentment. However |
knew how necessary il was Tor Kitty 10
make friends with the wives Of Frank :
brother officers. aud / intended 60 set
the example rs the Colonel's lady. But
had my trouble rs well as my misgiv-
ings for nothing; for before evening
came little ill-written. iH-spelled not
from Kitty. very grateful for my kind
ness. but rs she had nothing To wear be-
hitting bride. Mamma O'Brien thought
she had better stay at home.
IL was my first visit 10 Mrs. Stanley
after my return home. She had not
been well, and had sent her daughters
To call. aud begged would dine with
her that day "a topnikic, which meant 1
was to tell her Of Kitty. Tortured my
self during my toilette thinking now
l.. Il. a. IL - a