News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-08-06

sesped and clashed III dismal chorus.
Brewster knew the meaning of the ac-
tion. How many times had he seen
some poor fellow reduced to the last
limits of inantion, falter and fall by the
Way on a forced march. His reflections
exploded in two words, each possessed
of three syllables, and followed by an
exclamation point. The first was "star-
vationn: the second differed only in the
first syllable, and represented very es-
sential article of faith In the orthodox
creed. He supplemented the remarks
with an imperative order to the watch
man, who forthwith seized one of the
vagrant's arms. Half leading, half sup
porting him, ignoring his faint protests,
they took him up the path to the Office,
and placed him on chair before the
fire.
As ths5 progressed on their Shiny
path, Brewster inconse9uently recalled
the battle of Shiloh, when Lenoir, badly
wounded and thrown from the saddle of
horse, had bcen led to the rear,
essting and fghtine e..S.s Ktsp If Lbs
way. As he came fnT5o 9ne light of the
Office windows, he accounted for the SEN
sation by the discovery that the man
wore cheap overcoat Of military cloth
and cut, of the stamp usually affected
by the 'hay-bunkers.
They placed him in chair before the
fire and he sat there mutinous captive,
his felt hat; with its battered brim drawn
down. over his eyes and partially shad-
ing his face. The first glance of the
stranger in the honest light of the Office
lamp had in measure reasSured Brew
ster, and put to flight his absurd fancies.
There was nothing striking or uncom-
mon in the spare figure, or the old face,
with its lines of care and pain. 1t was
very ordinary face, an eminently pro-
sale face, he assured himself; of the
same type as ten thousand others in the
city, but he could not resist the crazy
at the left temple and
BAIL Back to those old memories of
the war againl So mulch for the petni-
cious effect Of the afternoons associa-
tions. Well; what was it, after ala
Only young fellow, his blue suit in tat
ters, crazed with fever, crawling past
the dead line, strong hand stretched
out to save him, dull report, a bullet
leaving bloody track across the temple
and along the scalp of the rescuer.
And why had he lost sight of the gal
liant old soul all these yeafsa Confouid
1t! Lenoir was just the one to sneak off
from his friends if the world used him
ill, to live in dugout and dine on
scraps rather than ask charity. Yes,
and to Jest and to flash out with q daunt-
less spirit in a moment of humiliation
and shame that held worse terror to
proud soul than the bravest soldier ever
faced on the battle field. Could pow
erty, and despair, reduce the high-souled
gentleman and soldier to the likeness OF
that old scarecrow9 Brewster stepped
impulsively forward, reaching over for
chunk of firewood, awkwardly brushing
the strangers head with his arm and
knocking off the slouch hat.
He hesitated just long enough to OBJ.
serve white track across the temple
and through the sparse gray hair, then,
with his brain in a whirl, secured the
stick of wood, laid it carefully upon the
blaze, took out pencil and notebook
and scribbled few lines to his wife. A
close carriage, fire in the best room,
warm dinner; his pencil checked off the
items at lightning speed. He called the
watehma1s and iisgptchad hiw>ssith the
note, meeting the mans look with one
of stern decision. As the door closed
behind the messenger, and his depart
ing footsteps echoed fainter and fainter
in the distance, he turned to find his
compulsory guest arisen from his chair
and confronting him with white face.
tTThe almshousa2 I'll die first %
''Never while live, Colonel Lenoir."
Having uttered this blunt assurance,
Brewster sat staring at his old friend
through mist of tears. The old man
answered with startled look. He drew
the slouch hat lower over his eyes. His
chin worked convulsively.
Old, and thin and gray, overtaken by
reverses, crushed by misfortune, the
Colonel was found out.-San Francisco
Ia0leside,