The Mineral argus., 1884-12-04

days and nights whose counterpart had
never shone for him, unrolled theil
brilliant panorama; when every
thicket and morass laughed back to the
laughing skies with myriads o.
strangely beautiful blossoms; when the
yellow jasamine hung its clustered drops
of scented sunshine in the deepest forest
shades; when the great magnolias,
those sylvan priests, held up to heaven
their ivory chalices filled with the wine
of fragrance, there had occurred with
in him a responsive awakening to softer
words and sweeter emotions, winch even
the rude encourage of the military camp
could not dispel. In the face of this
beautiful and munificent nature the ter
rible.expedients of war took on an aspect
of aggravated ~barbarity and though by
sheer force of Will he still held himself
sharply to his convictions of duty, he
was conscious of q certain mental relax
ing and expanding which he alternately
yielded to and strove against.
After a brief delay the servant an
nounced dinner, and the two officers
followed her to a room, where a table
was spread with a repast so bountiful
as to excite the suspicion hat the fami-
ly dinner had been diverted to their
use. ODowd fell to with appetite, his
tongue keeping time with the play of
his knife and fork, but the Major made
little response to his remarks.
AS he ate in silent abstraction, the
Major glanced from time to time at a
pleasing picture of the wide, breezy
hall, a section of the shadow-haunted
gallery, and the swaying blossom-star-
red branches of a climbing rose reflect
ed in o large mirror above the MANTLE
piece. All at once something interest
ing occurred. Upon this shadowy scene
entered q little white kitten, with sin
uous back and protesting tail, that
spoke of wounded sensibilitIes. Close
behind, running silently and swiftly
upon tiptoe, and laughing breathlessly,
a young girl, hardly more than Is
her little slim figure draped in a cling
ing gown of blue home-spun, open at
the throat, and with loose sleeves that
afforded enchanting glimpses of white
arms, her sparkling face crown
ed with IN aurlola of red gold hair;
such a vision as a watcher in an en-
chanted mood might hope to see.
Catching up the runaway pet she shook
It %reprovingly, then set it upon her
shoulder, and holding it there with a
land that showed like rose-veined ala
Oaster against its white coat, she arched
her snowy neck and seemed to listen
coward the door.
he Captains knife and fork, she began
What seemed to be a dance of defiance,
addressed to the presumably uncon-
enemy. It consisted of half a
Iozen polka steps too and fro across
he hall, terminated by a vigorous kick
f either slippered foot and a fierce
,randishng of an impotent little fist.
after several repetitiOns OF this spirited
mpromptu pas seul, she waltzed nois-
out the door, and so passed be-
iond the scope of the mirror
The Major who had fairly held his
treath during the enactment of this
,ovel and captivating %pantomime, now
stonished his friend by springing up
nd t~ip-toeing hurriedly from the room.
Following with like circumspection
he Captain found him standing on the
with a blank, bafled look on
is face.
what was it?" asked the Captain,
guerrillas ?"
mot dangerous Ones" returned the
Iaior laughing. "Come, let's be going.
were right about the place being
What have you seen ?" again de-
handed the Captain.
"The Queen of the Pixies. Come on"
"But 1 should like to see her, too"
what! you don't suppose she'd
how herself to a prosiac beef-eater like
He looked back with a little sigh as
hey remounted their horses, and turned
own the hill road. Here now wa a
ebel in whose subjugation he would
ave taken genuine delight, butthe rig
| finger of duty pointed infexibly to
rude camp near the river.
Peace was in all the air. Birds called
nd chirped. cicad@ droned their Sleep
wild bees swarmed with a warm,
umming sound in the tops of the tall
,cust trees. The atmosphere was dis
nctly realizable as a fluid, warm per-
lmed, and tinged greenish gold. War
nd all its hOrrid a-ppurtenances APP
cared TO belong to the class of unthink-
BILE things.
Suddenly from a thicket-crackl
rackl--two puffs of light blue smoke
1rled upward and melted away among
ne tree-tops two frightened, riderless
orses dashed madly into the wood, two
len lay bleeding on the ground.
Secure the horsesl" cried a voice,
nd half a dozen gray figures scudded
way in the direction the animals had