Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-05-09

sympathetic bond Of that laughter seemed
to draw them nearer each other. The
brilliant GOODNESS Of her society manner
vanished. .~.>i. u
"Sit down in that chair and talk to u.s."
she said, genially, ''if you are not in q
hurry"
It was hardly likely that he would be in
. hurry when he had not seen her for
fifteen years; but as he had never been
gifted with eloquence when his deep feel
1ngs were concerned he could say MOTH
Ing now, and simply sat down on the
third chair at the little table. He found
1t easier to look at and talk to the boy.
land SO you are going to SCHOOL," he
said. "What are you going to learn to
be?"-
"Oh, soldier. Aunt says that any fel-
low she cared''-
"Steve," said his aunt, with sweet Sc
verify, "don't speak with your mouth
1T isn't" Indignantly. ~ never do,
since You told me looked like pig in q
hurry. or course, I'm going to be q
soldier, though Uncle Sam is angry and
says it's only an excuse for being idle and
dressing up! But then he doesn't know
one end OF gun from another"
"Uncle Sam-Mr. Samuel Dale, Of Nine
1ng-lane-has q large tea warehouse, in
which Is waiting stool, its three legs
pointing to wealth, consideration and tur-
tie soup unlimited" said his aunt, in ex.
PLANTATION to the Major.
"Just as il he would ever catch mo sit
ting on it?'
but still Uncle Sam is wise man. He
knows what makes life comfortable.
think you ought to follow the legs Of that
stool!''
"There now!" in derisive and hurt
scorn, ''that's just like girl. When you
know that you've always been talking to
me of the brave things soldiers do, and
only two months ago found you cry
ing''-
"Steve, there's your friend beckoning
you. Go and see what he wants. Boys do
chatter sop she said irritably to the
Major, as Steve dashed off, s'or else they
don't"- with q sudden recollection
which she as hastily put away. "Have
you been long in England?"
"Only ten days. am leaving again in
week"
Leaving it again." 1t seemed as if her
breath caught little. "Have you been
at home much during the last fifteen
years?"
"Not once. came this time because''-
He colored and glanced down at his dis
abled arm.
"Oh, yes! know" she exclaimed, her
face flushing into such a lovely color and
eagerness that the shadow of fifteen years
vanished from it, and it was again in his
eyes as the girl-face which had been so
fair to him fifteen years ago. 81 read all
about your splendid deeds''-
''Such duffer as that fellow isW ex-
claimed Steve, at her side. "He has eaten
more cakes than he can pay for"
She broke into laugh. It was little
hysterical, but the Major, utterly confused
at her allusion to any thing so personal as
his late proceedings, did not perceive the
false ring, and Steve was too much bent
upon getting his friend out of his unfortu-
nate astronomical difficulty. Her
thoughts had gone back to the days when
this man-this hero with his grand
simplicity and modest gentleness-used
to come to their house to spend his leave
with his friend, her elder brother, under
whose care she was. She was only in the
school-room then, but it seemed as if,
even in those days, he had not treated her
as child, so courteous, so kindly, SO
gentle he used to be. He would leave he1
brothers. other guests to ride, or talk, OF
walk with her.
She had grown to look forward to his
visits, careless and ight-hearted and
thoughtless as she used to be in those
school days. And then her thoughts went
backward suddenly to the last time she
had ever seen him. She was grown up
them. It was her seventeenth birthday,
and that day she had been presented,
Major Enthusiastically Captain then
had come with some other friends in the
afternoon to see her in her court dress,
But in some way it happened that they two
found themselves at last apart from all
the rest, and he had looked down at her in
a different way to what he had ever done
before. He grew very pale as he told he1
how his battery had been ordered to India
and he had just begun a sentence when
her brother came up and stood between
them, making some foolish, trivial remark
The sentence had never been finished
She had never seen Major Huddlestone
from that day to this. He had sailed with
his battery week later, and did not ever
come to say goodbye.
She had never quite forgiven her brother
for breaking off that sentence until the
uay Ao uAeu, sOue uen years ago. She was
| married then to q rich city merchant
This marriage had been her brothers
| wish.
Thomas Dale was a good man, and hal
been Lind husband to her. He had beer
dead nov 'nree years, and she was a ricl
widow and free again.
But the man who had begun that sen
tence so long ago had never shown an,
wish to finish it. All these thoughts, fash
ing through her brain, hardened her hear
against him. She would not ask him t.
call on her.
"Do fly to that wretched victim of bun,
and tea, Steve" she said, putting he]
| purse in his hand; che looks wild and de-
| spairing; and then settle our own account
You can join me in the drug department
afterward. Goodbye, Major Huddle
| stone"
1t was awkward shaking mans lef
hand, so she only bowed and turned away
The Major stood, pale and upright, look
ing after her, as if he never expected tc
see her again. She had not given him al
opportunity of meeting her again. The1
ne suddenly remembered the boy. Stevt
had just finished settling his friends &C.