Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-11-27
A HIDDEN HERO.
- %. -
By j. S. WINTER,
Author Of 'Bootles' Baby Etc.

when he Glanced to meet with
Marcus Oxford.
His way lay through a poor and
forlorn-looking district, LAID out in
small and narrow streets of ugly
little featureless houses, built in
rows to the cultivation of nothing
but certain air of crushed and
melancholy meek neatness, and
situated about midway between the
barracks and the town of Warne-
clille. 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
regiment.
Marcus Oxford was laughing as
Lord Archie approached him, and
he felt his own face expanding in.
to a broad smile instantly.
'What are you laughing at" he
demanded.
Il found yesterday the other an
swered, that Arnitt was down
with a severe attack of con gestiOn
of the lungs-a very serious case,
his wife told me the doctor had
pronounced it. | sent him bask-
ct 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 oyer
his shoulder to Indicate a row OF
s0ualid little houses behind him
'and Moore brought back word that
he was very bad-as bad he could
be. SO I thought I'd come round
and hear how he is to-day. Tls a
tidy little place, but terribly bare
and cOmfOrtless, and found half a
dozen youngsters all sQuatting
about the doorstep, and evidently
expecting every minute to hear
that the end had come. 'HOllo, my
man. said l to the biggest boy, a
lad Of seven or eight, 'are you, one
of Arnitt's boysF Yes, sir we're
ali his'n,' he piped out. 'Oh, are
you? l said, thinking Arni.t may
well look as hungry as he gener-
ally does. And how is your faith
er this afternoon ? very bad, sir
mortal bad-as bad's he can be,
the youngster piped ont in reply.
'An' the dOrctOr's says if father
lives till morning there'll be some
'Opes but if he don't live till NOR
ming, he won't have no 'Opes at ALL"
Lord Archie LAT ghed outright,
and Marcus Oxford continued. But
l don't believe Arnil t will live till
morning, poor chap; and il not,
what his wife will do with al, those
youngsters is rather a had Ques-
tiOn.'
Yes, decent fellow, Arnitt, | had
him with my horses for time
Pity he married without waiting
for leave, it's such a drag on man
unless the wife happens to have
some business of her own, and Ar
nitt, poor begger, is so OverliddeT
with children, and his wife's lin'
of business not of much use to her.
'What was it p
'Oh, she was circus.rider, anC
a ripping smart girl, too. | remem
Der seeing her the year joined
She had pretty little face, and &
pretty little figure too, and lot OF
light crinkling fair hair that seemed
to wave all over her mead in shining
fieeks Of light; ever saw such
Jolly hair
She's pretty little woman now
Marcus Oxford rer marked. well
I'VE were all m ore or less gon,
on her. Lord a rchle continued
The little favOrt :, we used to cal
her. Her circus name was Made
mOiselle FavOTt a her own, Co
knows! HOwev er, none of the fe
lows could max any impressio
upon her Whatever, not the yer
smallest, and orIe afternoon, abOu
six o'clock, | IN ct her going dow
/ to the circus with Arnltt-and the
| knew why. And, sure enough
very shortly afte that she ami a
o nit got married. If he'd put j
for leave, aud wal ted till he got i
which he would have done, the
might have got on very we'll br
he married her straight out Of han'
0 and there they have stuck evt
since. Arnitt ought to have g
on, for he's gentlema IA 'Varsit
Nd an too; but he's deem unluck!
} unlucky all round
you don't mean it, Oxford erie
in huge surprise, that he's a ge
. tleman-and a Varsity man z
!, 'Oh, but l do, thOugh-a.n o
Is ford man. remembered his iat
distinctly as man of Braz enoi
ID when / was at PauPs, but for Il
very life / couldn't then, and hay
20 never been able since to put
II name to it. And yet | almost fame
and / think of 1t every time | g
es a fair look at him-that I've see
the face with a tuft above itv
he "a tuft yon don't mean it 2 O
ford cried.
D' yes, I do. l get back to &c
b. tain poilt, and then [ seem to cor
to dead.wall, which blocks Il
ng completely
oh, you mustbe mistaken, or
ed, mixihghimup with somebody els