Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-08-02
miss Anna"

Coffee had just been served and the
genial after glow of pleasant, reminis-
cent talk that always follows a good
dinner, and especially dinner where
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, VIC are waiting for
your story"
Harrison smiled deprocatingly. gazed
into tho fire, and then began the
following, in his soft, Southern drawl:
We'll, my story happened when we
were in Georgia. just outside of
Marietta, and our mess consisted of
SIX mcn-two Georgians, Que Ala
bamian, a Nirginan. myself, and n
Creole, with beautiful face aud Il
tenor voice that would charm the birds
from the trees named, singularly
enough, Orphec. We became very
tunulul sci under his inspiration. and
exchanged musical information with
much generosity. Our fayorite air
was that famous camp song, 'Tenting
on the Old Camp Ground" You
should have heard us sing it. Orphee's
tenor, my barytonc, and the three
other fellows Ginning in softly, until
the very Pine trees stopped whispering
IN ESta nd fro IN,
admiral on. and war somehow did not
seem so hard and cruel. Well, one
dark night we were sitting around the
fire discussing with unwearied en-
thusiasm the prospects OF the cause.
when we heard irregular footsteps
outside, and paused in our talk to
listen.
You can turn in here until further
orders" said our Iieutenant's
CHEEKY voice, and minute aftorward
short, thicksot man entered. He
made an apologize little bow, shook
himself like a dog and. taking off his
large wdcawake, disclosed II dark,
square face, with shy dark ewes, blue
black hair and wide firm mouth. He
smiled tcnderiy, giving an air OF great
sweetness to an otherwise sOmbro face.
He sat down on n blanket, Turkish
fashions, gu city hoped he was not dis
turbing us and then dropped his eyes
mpditatively Oh the ground. Silence
reigned. We were too disconsolate to
DO polite, and SO listened uneasily to
the slow indefinite STRINGS OF the wind
through the trees when suddenly new
sound arose. us of steallhy, uncerta in
The new conner pricked up his ears,
and his face wore an expression almost
approaching guilt "A spy was my
first illogical conclusion rs | roe TO
my feet and waited oXpectantly.
The flap of the tent stirred slightly,
CautiOusl; the wind rose and swept
the darkencd landscapes; the rain
poured down with n rush, as if to give
tragic significance TO what was about
to happen, for-somelhing did happen
the flap was suddenly pushed rs de.
and goat walked in and went straight
10 the stranger. who received her with
an indescr bable tenderness of look and
GESTURE.
"A rum 90" said the Virginian
under h 5 breath.
We all agreed. but contented our.
selves with staring at the strange spect.
ac!e of man and II goat fondlng each
other with uncOuth marks of affection.
After while we resumed our old lazy
positions and silently awaited futher
Developments. The little man signed
the goat to remote spot, where she
lay down, and then turning toward us
sad, as if taking up an unrepressed
thought: You sec. boys. | could not
help it # Mamie would follow me.
have been good to her and she remom.
bered it. had to leave home secretly
to escape her, and all through the jour
ney ! felt like scuondle, and now
well, here she is. "
He stopped abruptly without waiting
for comment, and lay down with 1
short good night. Law awake sever,
al hours after the others, wondering
idly as to the probable tie which bounJ
the new conner to the goat. but arrived
at no solution. From that night Par,
sons and his goat became a subject O
never ending speculation to the mess
He was very quiet and unOblras We,
never resenting, although contr,vlng tc
evade impairment questions aud bearing
everything with good nature amount
ing TO stupidity. As for the goat she
became the hapless butt of the whole
division, We called her dcrisiyely
''Miss Anna" treating her with any
amount of mock consideration that
made Parsons eyes fairly glisten with
apprec alton. The second u light aftc,
their arrival we began 10 sng,as usual,
when the Nirgimian rose, and in ;
speech the delicate humor of which
shall not attempt TO reproduce, begged
that IN IS Annals" rest should not be
broken br our rude chanting.
| shall never forget the broken, ten.
der, deprecating little rcplt that came
from Parsons, and how we consented
at last to sing. His face was SO rap
as he sat beating time with his fore.
finger aud Occas Onally quavering out
an effective dying Tonight, Dying
To night" which we sang rs if oul
very likelihood were ebbing away, tha
began 10 realize the absolute cow
ard'ce of ridcuIing II perfectly limo
cent unconscious man. | began tt
try and shield him from the funmakers,
and was finally joined by Orphee. who
became his more ardent and eloquent
partisan. As for Parsons. he grew al
most TO worship the handsome, sweet
voiced lad.
One luckless afternoon Parsons,
Orphee and strolled off together.
leaving "Miss Anna" to the mercies oil
our mess, but tormented by some vague
presentment of evil. induced nv
cOmpan Ons to return a little earlier
than they Intended. As We neared the
tent my ear caught the sounds Of de
risiOn that came first from our Virgin
ian, and were then finally caught NJ
br the others and ended in peal aftel
peal of laughter. We pushed eagerly
IN. Alas, Miss ADna.' decked ou
in the most ridiculous toggery, hat
been { eel between four stakes driver
into the ground and the men were en-
gagged in pricking her with Pine burrl
until tho poor animal fairly writhe,
with agony. In minute we had free,
her and Parsons held the poor bleed
ing creature close TO his breast. Hi
small. square figure seemed to rise an,
dilnte with a certain sense of superio
power, as he turned his blanched fac
and blazing eyes upon the crowd.
you call yourselves gentlemen.
he said harshly. 'you. who have tor
iured "a poor. dimb. deienseless crea