Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-01-28

~ SoLuTdde only few tlays iefore
heaIthy and s'roEg a...t itch. with eI
Iile knowledge tLat schoolnrasters anf
learned dons could iEstil into me-thir
.y-two years old, and this little cross q,
bronze is all that | can show AS the re
SUIT OF my LIES work o teynoorG {
n'oreS J" And then the half-l.urhipc
sigh. f'eS''''
Nevertheless his comrade looked al
MN with envious eyes. He would havc
given hiS ears almost for that !:ttIc cross
Win It's simple wor,ls "For Valor." All
Itlat nc could show for his LIES WORT
was an injured constitution and a nile
Of bills. i>
captain Lrcas's Colonel was proud O,
ms subordinate oficer-had set hin
often, In DAYS gone by, in the post OF
Danger and honor, aud now, in the pip
ing times OF peace, did his best to pro,
cure Tor him his well-merited promo
ton; but still the kindly old ma
looked at his fayCrite sometimes with
anxious eyes.
What makes Lucas laugh 80 in that
hard bitter way ~ he would nuse
sometimes over the walnuts and be
Wine. "What made him fight in that
mad way too, wien We had the trouble
with the hill-men in India And there's
recklessness in those blue eyes of hi,
sometimes that 1 don't like at all. |
wish the man would marry and settle
down. -
There was pretty much the same feel.
ing about Lucas among all his brother
ofilcers and friends; and he himself ac-
k1owledged in his own mind that there
Was something wrong in his life. Even
When the mirth and gaity were at their
highest. when his pulse beat fast IN re-
spnnse to the music and the motion of
Somo delightful dance, or when the song
was ioudeSt and the champagne rau like
Water, a sense of something lacking
would creep into his unwilling mind.
Ay, and when the autumn sun was
bright, and the autumn winds were
Keen and invigOratIEg, when the hounds
made deep music in the uplands. and
Woien bore him with tireless stride
over the dewy fields, even then black
Care Sat grImly behind the horseman.
Two years before he had met Lord
Dacre. Earl of Wolstenholme, and his
family in Norway, whittier he himself
had gone for the fishing. The Earl's
family was one well worth knowing,
Lady Dacre. for ali the pride which had
come down to her undiminished from
a long line Of noble ancestors, was a
sensible lovable woman who brought up
her family in a wise affectionate way
which left nothing to be desired. Her
four tall daughters were renowned for
their beauty and sense far and wide,
and her only son, young Talbot DIcre,
a large. iimbed yellow-haired yOungster
at Oxford, had not done badly. The
two eldest girls, Lady Mary and Lady
Grace, were engaged /; the third was
Lady Isabel, whose sweet grave face,
with Its wild-rose flush, violet eyes, and
hair of sunny brown, had brought Cap
tain Lncas to her feet almost without a
struggle.
He was thirty then, Lady Isabel one
and, though they never
entered into any binding engagement,
it was understood by their respective
families that the ''young folk" were
well content with each other, and would
bring matters to more definite cOndi-
ton when they pleased.
Captain Lucas never cared then what
his future fate might be; he was quite
content 10 live in the golden present
and let all other thoughts go unheeded
to the winds. What was all the rest of
the world TO HIM, with It's cares and
troubles. as he wandered towards tue
hills which lay around the little Norwe-
gian vilIageg His arm was round his
love and her sweet voice was In his ear.
the grass was green aud soft beneath
their feet, the chestnuts were bursting
into fragrant bloom on every side, and
the springtide breezes were abroad.
He had not seen her for more than
two years; and now, in the bitter WIN
try weather, when he came down to
Wolstenhoime for a day or two, she had
him of his old VOWS to obey
her slightest wish, and called upon hIm
"a prove his truth by giving up all
thoughts of wedding her, give back the
few short letters he had received from
ler. and forget all the fond words that
,hs had spok-n under the chestnut
.rees.
Two wears before he would not have
;food thus. awkward and angry. with
,wo or three feet of space between him
md Isabel his arm would have been
-onnd her waist and her small sunny
,ead upon his shoulder But now times
var. changed ard he thought sadly Of
he shadow that would come over his
ife now that the greatest brightness u
was to be taken away. Ii
vas only In Lady Isabel's presence that
40 felt ouite at rest it was only the
houpht of her matchless face With It's
II. adj last fearlesSness of expression that
,astr.ined him sometimes from drink
no deeply or SHINING I'D some grosSer
way. t1,i, tbat
ra;abed most heavily upon him just
,ow without this tie to hold MIN pack,
here was no knowing to what end ne
night come. and he turned to the girl
rho held his fate In her hands Tor one
asst appeal r.ohaI for
no wor,, that sends me away a bllghted
INV reasons have weight enough Tor
no CAPTAIN Lucas, though yeu VIII
arion nv not giving them. 1 nave
,ondered this step for long time now now
nd am sure that it IS for the OeS..
DON'T trouble for me, Dick, Tor really
I'm not worth thinking about, she
aid with a momentary return TO the old
badness of manner. ou hIo" NC
vare reyer really engaged and you
vii, soon forget all about me, WOE eyou'
Knit there was look upon Captain
ucas's face which she had never Seeu
bare before. He was standing erect
atino no heed of his surroundings
',1;ns % ont AS is to pierce the fast gain
r,ns darkness. The blue eyes that
ad given back her smiles so brightly
! that by.gone spring were as olaek as
iqht now. his dark straight 6rows were
Mt and his face was deathly pale, eA,
1T % where the tulwar wound showed
al from ear TO throat: his hands were
Ienched till the nails pierced the neSn,
10 n all that she said he answered not
word. ,,o,, Dict, |
81 nave one thing to ask you, DICE,
fora ~ we part she said. laying her
and once more upon his arm. III Is a
1,i..-, on ~ mine that [ should like 70 nave