The Penn's Grove record., 1888-01-07
A SOLDIERS SWEETHEART.

"Good-byl" 1t was a madness oil
farewells. The two stood looking into
one another's eyes with blanched faces.
Would he ever come bockr Her wide
eyes grew desolate as she looked at
HIM. Then the lashes dropped OveI
them and she, lay motionless against
his breast for a second, as though the
spirit had died within her.
"Jeannette-is this the girl fitted to
be a soldiers wife7 Have you no re.
gard for my honor2" His Inns Guiv-
cred, but his eyes looked down upon
her proudly.
eyes" She reused herself bravely.
"Your duty is at the front. / would
not hold you back"
She placed her hand on the bunch OF
pansies at her throat; royal beauties
they were, with great velvety hearts of
purple and gold.
"They are my colors. " she whispered.
Wear them, my knight, and be true
to your lady always"
Her trembling fingers pinned them
inside his coat.
"God be with YOU" She kept the
tears back. smiling in.his face, though
the drum.beat sounding in the street
below seemed like a death-knell. 1t
was the signal to start. The signal
for the volunteers, the brave men who
we're off for the Indian war-the dread
full war that had come like a blight
upon her beautiful Western home.
"Good-by, and God bless you! The
pansies will be my talisman.
A last look in the dreamy, lifted
eyes, and he was away. riding down the
street with q dash and a CHATTER into
the mid4 Of the excited men vino were
armed to the teeth, well mounted and
equipped, ready to meet on his own
battle-ground the Indian Chleftain and
his war-like band.
The most intense excitement ragged
in the mining camp. Ever since the
news had come that the old chief was
on the warpath, and the call had been
made for volunteers to defend the
settlers on the frontier, the town had
been alive with men anxious to Obtain
| the scalp Of the blOodtEirsty redskIn.
Two days before the militia had been
ordered out, and Just as the sun was
illuminating the red buttes in the val
ley, the strains of the martial music
sounding sadly in tbs cay. of those who
had loved ones in the RAILS o';s And now
| these plucky volunteeyAeIe to follow.
A determined set leyy We're; most of
them hardy mountaineers. as well
trained to the saddle as cowboys, and
as reckless of life and limb.
Among them none was more fearless
! or more brave than Ned Ashby. He
was one Of the young pioneers who had
| struck q bonanza In the mines. More
than that ito use the phraseOlogy OF
the mining campl, he had located a
claim on the prettiest girl IN town and
located tia stroke of good luck that
had made him nor envied among the
boys than even his mining shares in the
"May Queen"
He shared the universal feeling OF all
people upon the frontier that the red
man must become civilized or ''go.'
| Too long these untamed citizens had
committed their lawless deprodations
and their f1endlsh outrages. The white
settlers felt that their wrongs must be
avenged. If the Government had
handled these savages with gloved
hands, all felt assured that the State
would not. Hence this call for volun'
teers to defend the isolated ranchmer
and their families.
Jeanette, standing at the window.
Razed with q dumb despair at the horse
men riding down the valley. Among
them none looked 80 handsome or 81
dashing as her own lover, he who's
warm kisses still fingered on her lips.
The tears rose slowly in her eyes a:
she looked after him. The world wa!
80 beautiful, why should it be marred
by such a thing o. war2 Her eye!
wandered away from the horsemen nov
lost In a cloud OF dust to. the fail
mountain that hemmed her in.
1t was September in Colorado, ant
the beautiful queen, Summer, wa
looking backward over the mountain,
leaving her smiles on the blossoms ant
the green slopes that turned to golt
and crimson as she passed.
The next three days we've days o
suspense and almost agony TO thu
patient ones left at home. What if thu
brave little band should be ambushed
as were Thornburgh's companies
The Meeker massacre was too fresh IL
the minds of all concerned for t.oI
not to think OF the terrible fate tina
might 'befall these courageous men
and when news came of their SAT,
arrival on the Indian battle-ground
there was a rejoicing which was uni
versal.
And with the good news came a lette
for Jeanette from Ned-so full O
tenderness for her, so fall Of courag
and hope for himself. He expected Il
60 on . scouting expedition the mex
day with Major R., a dangerou
affair, but his words were full o
bravery and enthusiasm.
She trembled a little as she read, fo
she knew his reckless, self-willed ma
ture, SO ready to risk life and limb il
the service Of others.
Then passed many weary days an,
nights in which no word came might
which she spent in prayer in the prett
chamber overlooking the vine-shadowe
porch; nights when she looked bu
upon the silent. moonlit world. it
shadowy, approaching mountains a
most piercing the dim stars, with
dark foreboding Of evil in her heart
trying in vain to still the tumult tina
fevered her brain. Outlines it SCENE