St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-25


pages and softly pushed the spray of faded
flowers against its soiled surface, to pour
forth its plaintive tale. There was all air
Of resignation about the letter which en-
listed the boutonner'S sympathy at once
and, feeling this tacit tenderness. the letter
made final effort to straighten It's RULED
folds and began its monologue
Yes" it said, lit is rather an ignoble
ending for one so delicately nurtured as |.
Ali, was fair enough to look upon when
he bought ME eleven years ago. All, me.
how times does fly If it were not
for the date June oath. 1876.
upon my first page L could not be
made to believe it did not all happen yester-
day. He had just graduated from
West Point then, and was ordered to i'm
mediate duty with the company to which
he was assigned in Montana. Even the
usual furlough was refused him, so urgent
was the need for every officer to be at his
post 1t was rumored. as l afterwards
learned, that the Indians were in force and
likely to give trouble. and every man was
needed.
He bought me with some dozens of my
companions at the stationers i'll big city
on the way to his post, and hurriedly
thruSting the pretty box in which | was
ney. l did not see him again until that
last night in camp. one year later, when we
were but days march from the valley OF
the Little Big Horn, where the treacherous
Indians were supposed to be encamped.
l was lying towards the bottom of the
box on the makeshift table i'll his
tent when the courier arrived from the post
with the last mail. How his eyes Shone
when the orderly came and handed him
letter. He lighted cigar that he might
more luXuriously enjoy its contents. AS
he cast the eagerly torn open envelope on
the table | stole sly glance at the super
Scription. 1t was written in that fashiona-
bic, angular hand with which so many of
my companion sheets in the stationer's
had from time to time become covered, and
that it came from a lady was plainly indi-
Gated by this and the family eXhaled Od0r
Of mgnonette.
Here the spray of faded flowers family
sighed as though it, too, remembered, but
the letter, unheeding the interruption, wtnt
on.
l was so absorbed in my contemplation
| of the dainty envelope that it was only
when heard one deep, heart-rending sob
that l glanced up. l was surprised to see
the change that had come over the usually
gay anu lduSUIllS features Ol Tile lieutenant.
His face had become ashy pale and the
lines were deep-drawn, as though he We're
suffering intense pain.
Hastily he turned over the pages of the
letter once more and then crushing it in his
hand, hurled it from him and began
pacing up and down, while every now and
hen muttered words which sounded
strangely like curses came from his white
and compressed lips.
1t must have been an hour that he thus
| paced up and down, when suddenly check
,ng himself he took out his travelling ink
| stand and drew me toward him. 1t was
| then that he made me his confident and
9ade me carry 1900 miles the words he
Gould not say to her in person,
| was to tell her he had received her let
| Ter that night in camp That first stunned
| md daZed by the blow which the announce
ment of her coming marriage had been t.,
| aim, he did not realize the full purport OF
ler words. Reflection had shown him TIN,
natter in its true light. She had never
| loved him as she said.
Those glorious June days at the Point
| we're too near heaven to last.
| He felt then when she said she loved
| aim above all others and turned her Win
| some face willingly and responsibility to hi
| .lrSt kiss that such happiness was not foI
| nortalS. When too, on the eve of her de
arturo with her worldlywiSe mother fo
he city they had taken that memorabI
moonlight stro