New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-04-04
a HIDDEN HERO,

j. s. Winter, in Harper's Bazaar.
Lord Archie Falconer was keeping
MS hunters-to the tune Of a. modest
couple-out of barracks, and was or
MS way to see them, when he CHANGED
TO meet with Marcus Oxford
His way lay through apoor and for.
aorn-looking district, laid out in small
and narrow streets Of ugly little feat
gIreless houses, built in rows to the
cultivation Of nothing but q, certain
a1r of crushed and melancholy meek
neatness, and situated about midway
Between the barracks and the town Of
Warnecllffe. 1t was peopled chiefly
doy such of the Benedicks among the
Ear1k and file Of the Black Horse as
were not on the strength Of the regi.
gnent.
Marcus Oxford was laughing as Lord
Archie approached him, and he felt
<hls own face expanding into a. broad
smile instantly.
"What are you laughing at?" he de-
,Enanded
II found yesterday" the other an
ssWered, "that Arnitt was down with
81 severe attack of congestion of the
1ungs--a very serious case, his wife
6otd me the doctor had pronounced it..
I sent him a basket Of things down
6ffs morning-ice and grapes and Jelly
and SO on, you know-for, poor devil,
1t must be hard lines to be i'll insuch g.
hole as that -jerking his stick over
his shoulder to Indicate row ofsuual-
I'D little houses behind him-"and
Moore brought back word that hewas
very bad-as bad as he could be. So I
thought I'd come round and hear how
The is to-day. TITS tidy little place,
Ebut terribly bare and comfortless, and
Il found half a dozen Youngsters all
ssquatting about the doorstep, and evil
IDENTIFY expecting every minute to hear
that the end had come. 'Hollo, my
man, said to the biggest boy, a lad
of or8, ARE you one of Arnitt's
boys?" Yes, sir, we're all his'n,' he
piped out. ooh, are your I said,
thinking Arnitt may well look as hun
CRY as he generally does. And how is
your father this afternoon?' VERY
bad, slr-mortal bad-as bad's he can
De, the youngster piped out in reply.
RI San the doctor says if father lives till
morning, there'll be some 'opes; but if
ne don't live till morning, he won't
have no 'opes at ALL"
Lord Archie laughed outright, and
Marcus Oxford continued: "But I
don't believe Arnitt will live tillmorn-
Sng, poor chap; and if not, what his
wife will do with all those Youngsters
is rather a hard question"
eyes; decent fellow, Arnitt; had
him with my horses for time. Pity
he married without waiting for leave;
its such q drag on a man, unless the
wife happens to have some business of
her own; and, Arnitt, poor beggar, is
so overridden with children, and his
wlfe's line OF business not of much use
TO her"
FfWhat was it,"
ooh, she was a circus-rider, and a
ripping smart girl, too. [ remember
seeing her the year joined. She had
a pretty little face, and pretty little
figure too, and q lot of light crinkling
fair hair that seemed to wave all over
her head in shining flecks of light; I
never saw such jolly hair"
"Shes a pretty little woman now"
Marcus Oxford remarked. "Well?"
owe were all more or less gone on
her" Lord Archie continued. E"The
Et5le favorite, we used to call her. Her
CIRCUS name was Mademoiselle Favor
ita-her own, God knows! However,
aone Of the fellows could make any
impression upon her whatever, not
Sale very smallest, and one afternoon,
about 6 o'clock, Imet her going down
TO the circus with Arnitt-and then I
knew why. And, sure enough, very
shortly after that she and Arnitt got
married. Il he'd put in for leave, and
waited till he got it, which he would
nave done, they might have got on
very well, but he married her straight
out OF hand, and there they have
stuck ever since. Arn1UU ought to
nave got on, for he's a gentleman-a
Varsity man, too; bu. he's been I'M
lucky, uniucky all round"
"You don't mean it," Oxford cried,
IN huge surprise, ssthat he's a gentle
.manand Varsity mani"
'1Oh, but | do, though-an Oxford
t1nan. [ remember his face distinctly
SIS q man of Brazenose when I was at
.Paul's, but for the very life / couldn't
then, and have never been able since,
&c. put a name to it. And yet [ al
most fancy-and think of it every
time get a fair look at hin-that
I've seen the face with a tlft above
it"