The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-11
A HIDDEN HERO.

J. s. Winter, in Harper's Bazaar.
Lord Archie Falconer was keeping
his hunters-to the tune of q modest
couple-out of barracks, and was on
his way to see them, when he CHANGED
to meet with Marcus Oxford.
His way lay through poor and for
Iorn-looking district. laid out in small
and narrow streets of ugly little feat
ureless houses, built in rows to the
cultivation of nothing but q certain
air OF crushed and melancholy meek
neatness, and situated about midway
between the barracks and the town of
Warnecliffe. 1t was peopled chiefly
by such of the Benedicks among the
rank and file of the Black Horse as
were not on the strength of the regi-
ment.
Marcus Oxford was laughing as Lord
Archie approached him, and he felt
his own face expanding into q broad
smile instantly.
"What are you laughing att" he de-
manded.
81 found yesterday" the other an
swered, "that Arnitt was down with
q severe attack of congestion of the
lungs-a very serious case, his wife
told me the doctor had pronounced it.
4 sent him basket of things down
this morning-ice and grapes and jelly
and so on, you know-for, poor devil,
it must be hard lines to be i'll in such a
hole as that''-jerking his stick over
his shoulder to indicate row ofsqual
i'd little houses behind him-"and
Moore brought back word that he was
very bad-as bad as he could be. So
thought I'd come round and hear how
he is to-day. 'Tis a tidy little place,
but terribly bare and comfortless, and
I found half dozen youngsters all
squatting about the doorstep, and evi-
= IDENTIFY expecting every minute to hear
that the end had come. 'Hollo, my
man. said l to the biggest boy, a lad
of or s, ARE you one of Arnitt's
boys?" Yes, sir, we're all his'n,' he
piped out. 'Oh, are your 1 said,
thinking Arnitt may well look as hun
cry as he generally does. And how is
your father this afternoon?' Very
bad, sir-mortal bad-as bad's he can
be- the youngster piped out in reply.
<An' the doctor says if father lives till
morning, there'll be some 'opes; but if
he don't live till morning. he won t
have no 'opes at ALL"
Lord Archie laughed outright, and
Marcus Oxford continued: ''But ]
don't believe Arnitt will live till morn
ing, poor chap; and if not. what his
wife will do with all those youngsters
Is rather hard question"
sFYes; decent fellow, Arnitt; had
him with my horses for time. Pity
he married without waiting for leave;
it's such drag on q man, unless the
wife happens to have some business OF
her own; and, Arnitt, poor beggar, is
so overridden with children, and his
wife S line of business not of much use
to her."
@'What was it?"
s'Oh, she was a circus rider, and a
ripping smart girl, too. I remember
seeing her the year joined. She had
a pretty little face, and pretty little
figure too, and a lot of light crinkling
fair hair that seemed to wave all over
her head in shining fetks of light;
never saw such jolly hair"
"She's pretty little woman now,'
Marcus Oxford remarked. "Well?"
"We were all more or less gone or
her" Lord Archie continued. ''The
little favorite, we used to call her. Her
circus name was Mademoiselle Favor
;ita-her own, God knows! However
none of the fellows could make any
impression upon her whatever, not
the very smallest, and one afternoon
about 6 o'clock, Imet her going dowr
to the circus with Arnitt-and then
knew why. And, sure enough, very
shortly after that she and Arnitt got
married. If he'd put in for leave, an6
waited till he got it, which he would
have done, they might have got OF
very well, but he married her straight
out of hand, and there they havt
stuck ever since. Arnitt ought tc
have got on, for he's a gentleman
Varsity man, too; but he's been un
lucky, unlucky all round"
1sYou don't mean it," Oxford cried
in huge surprise, "that he's a gentle
man-and a Varsity man?"
ssOh, but do, though-an Oxfort
man. 1 remember his face distinctl.
as man of Brazenose when was a