St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-23
THE GALLANT COLONEL.
His Long Absence, Final Return
and an Exciting Wedding Scene.

merciful than the more fatal ones, leave the
recipient to drag out miserable existence,
disabled or disfigured, for long compile
ment of years. And, singular to state, it is
more particularly the rich and better classes
of the people upon whom these tell with the
greater hardship. A man accustomed TO
life of hard physical labor will make the pest
of his infirmity and tune himself to what
ever kind of work is still within his capable
tiles and exc out bare living with the as
sistance of the trifiing pension which CRATE
full government bestOwS upon its wounded
heroes. To the man of high social standing
and wealth there is no such possibility. OF
more sensitive organization, he suffers
keenly at the mere idea of public commlsera-
ton. and for him the pension has no healing
virtues A simple loss of arm or leg by nm
is borne with honorable pride, but to suffer.
as many have, warped and distorted limbs
and hideOus designations, is an intolerable
torture. to which death would have been
preferable.
About year after the close of the war
the inhabitants of the little village which
lay at the foot of the hill upon which stood
the Penrose mansion noticed that the long
closed house was again occupied. The
time was winter, and from two or three of
the many chimneys of the house columns of
smoke were slowly rising in that steady,
white stream that tells of burning wood and
open tireplaceS. The colonel must be home.
Soon the local dealers in the neceSSarieS OF
life began to receive moderate orders, argu-
ing a small household. These orders were
always brought by short, gray-haired man
of Soldierly bearing, who carried everything,
TN,n lot
When it was necessary to send them, the
messengers said that they were always met
at the kitchen door by the same servant,
who took their parcels and carried them into
the house himself. A woman went each
week to wash and iron, who saw no one
but the same man, and who did her work
and took her meals in a small clubhouse at
die rear. She saw no sign of any other ser
want about the place. Her meals were
brought to her on a tray, were well cooked,
substantial and plentiful, and she was paid
each night, when she went away, by the
one servant, who was imperturbable i'll his
reticence, Enough was said by the village
postmaster to tell them that the colonel was
ut home and that the servant was named
Amos Turner, since he called for letters in
that name, and answered when so addressed
by the inquisitive villagers-but to all their
questions gave short and unsatisfactory re-
plies.
In the surrounding country were many
houses and villas, occupied by those who
had been nelghbors and friends of the col
onel before the war, and they called upon
him and sent invitations to dinners, balls,
tea parties, croquet parties, boating parties,
every form of polite dissipation then
known to the fashionable world, but
without effect. The colonel was
never seen. No hermit in his cave,
no leper of the fifteenth century, was ever
more rigidly secluded from the eyes of his
fellowmen. Speculation was rife as to the
cause of this singular behavior, but as time
passed without any solution of the mystery,
it was finally unnoticed, save for an oc-
casiOnal query by some visitor to the neigh
borhood, who, observing the house and
grounds, felt and expressed curiosity as to
their owner.
Perhaps two years thus elapsed, when
the whole country side was electrified by in
vitations to grand ball, issued by the col
onel. Mrs. Flint, handsome, elderly lady,
who had been a most intimate friend of his
mother, received in addition to the ordinary
cards of invitation, courteously worded
note, in which Col. Penrose asked her to
honor him by assisting him to receive his
many friends on that occasion. Gratified
by the compliment, she ordered her carriage
and drove at once to accept in person the
task he had imposed upon her, only to learn
that he had left on the late train for New
York the day before, whence he was to send
full corps Of servants and decorators, who
were to make all the preparations for the
coming festivities and that he would not
return until the day itself. Pc.tponing her
curiosity. she wrote to the address given.
assuring him of her great happiness in do
ing all that could be done in welcoming him
back to society, and received an answer
thanking her and giving her full authority
to alter or extend any or all of the arrange
ments, which were to be on magnificent
scale.
News travels fast in country places. and
when ii became known what proud position
was assigned to Mrs. Flint she held an in
formal reception every day and all day long.
beSet with eager inquiries to which she
could only reply that she knew as little as
themselves. my dear" she would say.
81 only know that up to the time of his
mothers funeral, which occurred shortly be-
fore the close of the war, he was everything
that was nice. Since then / have never
seen him, and know no more about him than
you do"
The eventful day arrived, and the guests
assembled from every part of the country
within radius of eight miles. Everyone
who had any claim to position in society
was invited, and all attended. Dire would
have been the necessity which would have
kept any one at home. The element OF
curiosity was too strong to be resisted bv
anything short of a sudden and unexpected
calamity. The house was brilliantly lighted.
and the many windows cleaned welcome
tho C1lQSfS drove fh rOuUla tba wi, liz
avenue.
Upon entering the house they passed
through banks and columns OF flowers into
the large drawing-room on the right. where
the colonel stood with Mrs Flint and greeted
each arrival with courtly grace. Still Young.
handsome, witty, with pleasant easy man
ner and softly modulated voice. what
wonder that younger girls before the ball
was over, We're wildly raving in his favor.
Or that one enthusiastic schoolgirl. allowed
to participate III the pleasures of society for
this occasion only, was heard to declare
that he was ''too perfectly delicious for any,
thing"
His features, conversation, and manner
disclosed no reason for the seclusion OF the
past few years, and though curiosity was
still unsatisfed, there was about him quiet
dignity that distinctly forbade impertinent
inquiry.
The ball was a grand success, and it is
needless to say that from this time the col
Onel was fairly launched into the whirling
maelstrom of social dissipation. No matter
how small or how select the gathering, he
was always first on the list of invitations.
was desevedly popular, proving himself an
adept in all the many methods of pastime
employed by the rich and idle. and winning
golden opinions from the older members of
society by his sterling traits of character as
evinced by his conversation and general