Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-12-16

He nearly screwed hinsf up tc
the point of putting his loa lngs on
| paper, when a chance fell in b. way
which was as good one as any man
could ask fOr-to play tie brave
knight and win lady's heart. if she
had one to win.
( 1T was one morning late in Novem-
Der, and Aliens turn on detail 10 visit
the wood camp and report progress.
for at Benton there was, in those days
an unusually good tree crop. and we
supplied the two forts abesb with
Winter firing.
Just as he turned cut of thsftock-
ade gate-not very cheerfalk. for
half days absence. even.' sss more
than he could face complscently-
whom should he see before him but
the pretty lady of his thoughts her
self, apparently out for a morning
ride, and, greatest wonder of all, alone,
with only an orderly behind her.
The good black horse and the pref
ty brown one were great friends them
selves-their boxes were side by
side in the officers stable-so it
was not at all unwillingly that Black
Felix paced up to the side of the pref
ty Fantina; and no doubt he said
'Good-morning to her, and What
happy chance has brought us togsth-
err with a toss of his glossy head
and glance from his kind eye.
"'Good-morning, Miss Elsie?' his
master found courage to say. Going
riding? And all alone p
Yes, size laughed. Every one
but yourself seems to be on the court
martial.
al am going to the wood camp.
Would you care to let me have the
pleasure OF your company
He said it awkwardly, as usual,
almost hoping, yet dresding, to be re-
fused; slid down in the depths at her
look of indecisicn, and leaped at once
to the other extreme, when, with a
sweet smile, she accepted, and the or
derly was sent back on his rejoicing
way to the quarters.
The two trotted briskly up the
river road, and at the foot OF low
hill, round which the road ~oaad,
turned to look back. They were about
two miles from the post. On their
right was the river, broad just there,
and at that season shallow; between
them and the fort the ground lay al
most level as a house floor, and was
covered with sage bushes and cactus.
The fort was in plain sight, even
the sentinel on the stockade, and the
fash of his bayonet in the sun, caught
the eve, and the children about the
'tepes by the liver stood out clearly
as silhouettes against white back
ground, in the wonderfully clear air
Before them, as they turned the bluffs,
the ground grew more broken for a
mile or more, though the road still
was level with the river, fringed here
and there by few willows and rank
grasses.
After that the ridges sloped away
from the river, the road rose aid the
bank grew steep, the bluffs were high
er and higher, and mile further on
when the two drew rain in the wood.
camp, they stood in a large grove oI
cottonwood trees, and up the blun
side crowded the pine trees that nc
amount Of chopping seemed to thin.
I've been descriptive because you
must bear in mind how the ground Law
to understand what followed, and how
that, at certain points. as the road
wound in and out among the bluffs
the riders were equally hidden from
both the fort and the wood camp.
What they talked about. on that
ride | don't believe Allen ever right
ly remembered there was a confused
sense in his mind Of feasting on smile:
having no one to share the glance,
from the beautiful eyes, or the sweet
tones Of her voice, and being in heav,
en- generally, that mus: in some way
have affected the black horse, fol
never, in all the days of his military
life, did he step more proudly
or daintily than when, that morning
he kept pace with the brown mare
and cast sidelong looks at her, while
she threw them back again with 4
toss of her pretty head.
The camp was reached before A!ier
had mustered up courage to speal
his love, and there was such a whirl
wind in heart and brain that he never
quite knew what the orders were b,
gave to the sergeant in charge OF th'
detail, but they must have been some
thing remarkable, for over the wood
t.na L., ..n,a s.,ch lnnL ~