Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-12-30
STORY OF ~NIsS ANNA

Ian, was filed with smoke. and tina
.s,;al aiter-gIow of pleasant, reminis
-. talk that always follows a good
s;;,,ner where old friends have met, ole
-.,~;es told. These men had beer
.a.,rades in war, had served under
me same flag, held the same politica
oo;nions and suffered the same losses
Il seemed pleasant now, alter th'
:s,se OF wears, to exchange experienc,
ton, AN easy chair. with the best o
-;..rs m or e's mouth and a bottle o
IA wine st ones elbow. They III
;oved II keenly in their sober, mid
s,s-sred fsshion, told their storie.
w;sl, r,sto, drank their toasts with
enthusiasm and listened to eaet
ather's tall; with an eagerness of at
tentioa and freshness of sympathy
a once as novel as it was delightful
Innunerable changes were rung upon
! three them.s, viz, "before the war,
atbe var and ''since the war. =
Ne OF the new generation can easily
Imagine the style of talk.
Each had told his story, when oul
hist turned toward me and said:
.Well, Hlrrison, We are waiting fol
your story
Harrison smiled deprecatingly, gazed
s:.so the fir. and then began the fol
aowinp. in his soft, Southern drawl:
Well, my story happened when We
we're in Gee rsia, Just outside OF Mar
ietta. and our mess consisted of six
men two tieorgians, one Alabamian,
ayirsinian, myself, and a Creole, with
beautiful lace and q tenor voice that
would charm the birds from the trees,
named, silgularly enough, 0rphee.
We became very tuneful set under
his inspiration, and exchanged mus.
icai lnformition vito much generosity
Cur iavorite air was that famous
ramp song, "Tenting on tine Old Camp
Ground You should have heard us
sing il. orphee's tenor, my barytone.
and the thu &c other fellows Ginning in
softly, until the very pine trees stop.
ped whispering to listen and the tire
burned softly in admiration, and war
somehow did not seem so hard and
cruel. Well one dark night we were
sitting arolnd the fire, discussing with
nnwearied enthusiasm the prospects
Of the cause, when we heard irregular
footsteps outside, and paused in our
talk to listsn.
you car turn in here until further
orders, said our hsutenant's CHEEKY
voice and 4, minute afterward short,
thiek-set man entered. He made an
apologize little bow, shook himself
like dog and, taking off his large
i sideawake disclosed dark; square
tacs. with shy, dark eyes, blue black
iair. and "a wide, firm mouth. He
smiled tenderly, giving an air OF great
sweetness Il, an otherwise somhre face.
He sat down on blanket, Turkish
fashion. quietly hoped he was not
disturbing us. and then dropped his
eyes meditatively on the ground. ST.
lenea reignel. We were too disconso-
late to be polite, and so listened I'M
easily to the slow, indefinite stirrings
Of the win.l through the trees. when
Suddenly n new sound arose, as oil
sfealthy, Uncertain footsteps coming
nearer and nearer. The newcomer
pricked up liis ears. and his face wore
an expression almost approaching
guilt. n spy" was my first illogical
conclusion SIS rose 10 my feet and
saited expestantiy The flap OF the
teut stirred slightly. cautiously; the
VINO rose lind swept the darkened
landscape; the rain poured down wit
q rush, as If to give a tragic signifi-
eanoe to whit was about to happen,
ior-something did happen--the flap
was suddenly pushed aside, and a
scat walked IN and went straight to
ne stranger, who received her with an
understandable tenderness of look and
gesture
aArum go said the yirginian under
Las breath.
We all sqeea, but eontented our
rsiyes witns Iaring at the strange spec
tacie ofaman and aeoat fondling each
other with uneouth marks ofaffection.
After awhile We resumed our old lazy
/ positions and silently awaited further
developments. The little man signed
the goat to- d, remote spot, where she
iay down, and then turning toward
&c said, as II taking upan unrepressed
thousht: .i'ou see, boys. Icould not
seip y IT Nainie would follow me.
nare been good to her and she remem.
bsrs IT. l had to leave home secretly
10 escape her, and all through the
,aosney felt like q scoundrel, and
now-weil, here she is"
he stoPP;sf abruptly without wait.
ing Tor comment, and lay down with a
short good night. lay awake several
hours after the Others, wondering idly
as to the probable tie which bound
Ire new conner to the goat, but arriv.
60 at no ISOLATION. From that night
PARSONS and his goat became a sub
sect OF never ending speculation to the
nless. de was very quiet and unob.
sfusive never resenting. although con.
irving TO evade impertinent questions
ana bearing everything with a good
eure amounting to stupidity. As
.or the goat she became the hapless
QUIT OF the whole division. We called
ner derisiyel,r "Miss Anna" treating
hef with an amount of mock consid.
era,ion, that made Parsons eyes fair.
y ensten with appreciation. The sec.
opa night after their arrival we be.
gan to sing, us usual, when the Virgin.
,an rose, anc in speech the delicate
nunor OF Which / shall not attempt
70 reproouie, begged that "Miss
annas" rest should not be broken
oy our rude chanting. Ishall never
,otget the broken. tender, deprecatina
aee,e reply that came from Parsons,
anu now he consented at last to sing
nss lace was so rapt as he sat beating
time with hui forefinger and occasion.
4ny quayerii,g out an effective "Dying
.o-hlght, dying tonight" which We
:s'lg as Il thu very life blood were ebb.
Ie away, that / began to realize the
ssointe cop'ardice of ridiculing a r,er.
10y innocent, unconscious man.
10 Try and shield him from
ne nun mixers, and was finally
!osoed by Crphee who became his
more ardent and eloquent partisan
= Ior Pnisons, ne grew almost
20 worship the handsome sweet.
voiced lad.
one luekL,ss afternoon Parsons
pnee and i strolled off together,
MSS Anna" to the mercies Of
ou1 mess, Int tormented by some
vague presertiment of evil. ind iced
ny companion to return little EARL
i .nan they intended. As we neared
ns tent my ear caught the sounds o.
llson that came first from our yir
s. .an, and we're then finally caught up
2 me Others and ended in peal after
"a Q, laugh ter. We pushed eagerly
~ Alas, Hiss Anna decked oat in
;.s most ridiculous forgery, had been
- oetween four stakes driven into the
he.