Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-08-04
"Miss Anna

room was nlleu with smoke ana tnat
genial after glow of pleasant reminis-
cent talk that always follows good
dinner. and especially dinner whore
old friends have met old friendships
been revived and old stories told.
These men have been comrades in
war. and served under the same flag,
held the same political opinions and
suffered the same losses Each had
told his story, when our host turned
toward me and said:
well Harrison, we are waiting for
your story"
Harrison smiled deprecatingly gazed
into the fire. and then began the
following. in his soft Southern drawl:
Well my story happened when we
were IN Georgia, just outside of
Marietta and our mess consisted of
six men-tWO Georgians, one Ala
bantam Virginian. myself, and a
Creole. with beautiful face and a
tenor voice that would charm the birds
from the trees, named, singularly
enough, Orphee. We became a very
tuneinl set under his inspiration, and
exchanged musical information with
much generosity. Our faVorite air
was thai famous camp song. 'Tenting
on the Old Camp Ground" You
should have heard US sing it. Orphee' 5
tenor, my barytone, and the three
other fellows Ginning in softly, until
the very pine trees stopped whispering
TO listen and the fire burned softly in
admiration. and war somehow did not
seem SO hard and cruel Well, one
dark night we were sitting around the
fire. discussing with unwearied en-
thusi2sm the prospects of the cause
when we heard irregular footsteps
outside, and paused in our talk to
listen
lyon can turn in here until further
orders" said our lieutenant s
CHEEKY voice, and minute afterward
a short, thicGset man entered. He
made an apologize little bow, shook
himself ike a dog, and. taking off his
large Wideawake, disclosed a dark,
square face, with shy dark eyes, blue
black hair and wide firm mouth. He
smiled tenderly, giving an air of great
sweetness to an otherwise sombre face.
He sat down ON a blanket Turkish
fashions, quietly hoped he was not dis
turbing US and then dropped his eyes
meditatiyely on the ground. Silenea
reigned. We were too disconsolate to
be polite. and so listened uneasily to
the slow indefinite STRINGS of the wind
through the trees. when suddenly a new
sound arose. as of stealthy, uncertain
footsteps coming nearer, and nearer.
The new conner pricked up his ears,
and his face wore an expression almost
approaching guilt "a spy was my
first illogical conclusion as / rose to
my feet and waited expectantly.
The flap of the tent stirred slightly,
cautiously; the wind rose and swept
the darkened landscape; the rain
poured down with rush. as if to give
tragic significance to what was about
to happen, for-something did happen
the flap was suddenly pushed aside,
and goat walked in and went straight
to the stranger, who received her with
an indescr bable tenderness of look and
GESTURE.
"a rum GO" said the Virginian
under his breath.
We all agreed, but contented our
selves with staring at the strange spect-
acle of man and goat fondling each
other with uneouth marks of affection.
After a while we resumed our old law
positions and silently awaited futher
Developments. The little man signed
the goat to remote spot where she
lay down, and then turning toward us
said, as If taking up an unrepressed
thought: ''You see. boys, could not
help it if Mamie would follow me- |
have been good to her and she remem.
bered it. l had to leave home secretly
to escape her, and all through the Jour-
ney felt Ike a scuondle, and now
well, here she is p"
He stopped abruptly without waiting
for comment and lay down with a
short good night lay awake sever
nj hours after the others, wondering
idly as TO the probable tie which bound
the new conner to the goat, but arrived
at no solution From that night Par
SONS and his goat became a subject of
never ending speculation to the mess.
He was very quiet and unobtrasiye,
never resenting, although contriVlng to
SVade impairment questions and bearing
everything with a good nature amount.
ing to stupidity. As for the goat she
became the hapless butt of the whole
division, We called her derisively
''Miss Anna =" treating her with any
amount of mock consideration that
made Parsons eyes fairly glisten with
appreciation The second night after
their arrival we began to sing, as usual,
when the Yirginian rose, and in a
speech the delicate humor of which l
shall not attempt to reproduce. begged
that Miss Annals" rest should not be
broken by our rude chanting.
shall never forget the broken, ten
der, deprecating little reply that came
from Parsons, and how we consented
at last to sing His face was so rapt
as be sat beating time with his fore
finger and occas onally quavering out
an effective dying Tonight, Dying
Tonight" which we sang as if our
very likelihood were ebbing away, that
began TO realize the absolute cow