The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-11-09

the air
At last the meal was prepared. The
rustic table looked very tempting.
The hOmespun linen which covered is
was to the full as white, if not as ex-
| quisitely fine, as the choicest product
of the Irish looms; and the glasses of
| creamy milk, plates of biscuits, golden
| honey in the comb, and the crisply-
\ Drowned bacon thanked with delicately
/ pOached eggs, looked every whit
worthy the praise of an epioure.
Dame Brandon and Freda stood ready
| to wait upon them, while the good old
4 tailor, whose needle had to keep up
! its incessant travels in and out of the
! garment which was to grace yet an
other festive board, caught up the
merry strain of a stirring English war
/ song as the party filed in and took
/ their places around the table.
That's right; give us some more;
/ it makes ones blood thrill in ones
veins to hear that song in this out-of-
the-way place"
The old man laughed a merry glee-
! some chuckle.
''No, my lords, my old throat is too
cracked to keep it up. Thought may
hap it would do in place of a band,
such as the quality's used to at meal
time. Freda. lass, what is thee star
ing atP''
Freda flushed crimson at the old
mans implied reproof, and withdrew
her eyes hastily from the face which
/ had, in spite of herself, so attracted
1 - r.
mysterious feeling of agitation, as un-
/ accountable as it had been sudden, as
she had met glance from one of the
! strangers, tall, fair young man, whose
! blonde hair and skin proclaimed him
to be Of a purer Saxon type than most
| Of his comrades.
! Her face in turn was proving a sub
! iect of absorbing interest to Colonel
| Maynard, the one in command, though
/ Freda had scarcely noticed him.
He also seemed strangely restless
and i'll at ease, not partaking of the
food he had been instrumental in get
ting for his party, and peeriug rest
lessly around the cottage.
At last his spirit of unrest conquered
him completely, and he rose from the
table and commenced walking about,
keeping time to his steps by humming
an air which is as dear to every En-
glish heart as is the ''Star Spangled
Banner to an American.
As the dame caught the notes, she
gave startled look at the singer,
and then. mindless of her guest, she
sank agitatedly into a chair, and put
. T. 1, To 40
sob violently. All turned in great
surprise to see what was the matter,
with the exception of Colonel May
nard himself, the immediate cause of
her emotion.
He went to her and said:
''Why do you cry, my good womanP"
ooh, Shiny lord, mean-please
excuse me; but can't help it. l was
struck all of a heap when you sung
that song. l never can hear it with
out crying. 1t brings back my poor
little Bobby so plain. He was always
a singing of it before he was drowned,
and it cuts to my heart-it do"
''Who was Bobby? Your son,
should Judge, from your loving him so
dearly"
''No, not my own flesh and blood at
all; but l loved him Just as dear. l
thought I'd die the day his little boat
drifted back with the tide, with moth
ing in it but his little old jacket and
his fishing net, II it hadn't been for
Freda here, then n weeny bit of a gal,
being left on my hands to cheer me
up, I'd have surely died afOre this"
THAT you would, mother" chimed
in the old tailor, heartily. He had
dropped his work and FASTENED to his
wife ut the sound of her sObs, and
stood beside her now in silent, if
rather awkward, sympathy.
There was a mixture of emotions
apparent on Colonel Maynard's face as
he drew the simple story from Dame
Brandon's lips of the bright little lad
she had taken into her childless home,
only to be made the lonelier by his
young life being thus suddenly cut off.
After an interval of silence, he said,
with an odd sort of q tremOr vibrating
through his manly tone:
$50, nanny, you are sure little
Bob was drowned; but l am not quite
so positive, for the best of reasons.
When you have a tombstone put up
for me it III be at the head of a mans
grave
Dame Brandon rose to her feet in
mute astOnishment, trying to wipe
away the mist from her eyes, and see
if they corrobOrated the wonderful
words She had just heard. Could that
tall, elegant man really be her Bobby
tho nicer do well'' of the village?
As she looked a merry twinkle stole
into his light brown eyes, and he COM
menced singing an old ballad which
she had crooned to him many a time
when he had tOddled after her, holding
on to her gown to steady his uncertain
baby footsteps. Then she forgot his
grandeur-forgot all but that it was
indeed her Bobby-aud threw her arms
about him and kissed him.
1t is indeed my boy whom have
mourned as dead all these years"
The group of officers had been inter-
ested spectators of the scene.
$50, Maynard" said one, that is
why you would come this way, and no
other, on our holiday trip. Well, I,
for one, congratulate you on the sue
cess of your plan to surprise us ALL
And IT, and IT, came in hearty
tones from the rest.
Robert Maynard was the only one
among them who was of humble ex-
traction All knew that he had risen
from the ranks to his present COM
mand through his intrepidity and
bravery on several trying occasions;
, and he was withal such a fine manly
fellow that his rapid advancement had