The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-05-12
"Oh, soldier. Aunt says that any fel
low she cared"

low she cared
"Steve," said his aunt with sweet severi.
ty, ''don't speak with your mouth full"
at isn't" Indignantly. 81 never do,
since you told me l looked like pig in a
hurry. OF course, I'm going to be a
soldier, though Uncle Sam is angry and
says its only an excuse for being idle and
dressing up! But then he doesn't know
one end of a gun from the other"
"Uncle Sam-Mr Samuel Dale of Min.
cling Lane-has 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 if he would ever catch me sit
ting on it y
''But still Uncle Sam is wise man
He knows what makes life comfortable
l think you ought to follow the legs Of
that stoolT
''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 twC
months ago 1 found you crying
"Steve, there's your friend reckoning
you. Go and see what he wants. Boys
do chatter so = she said irritably to the
Major, as Steve dashed off, cor else they
don't-with sudden recollection which
she as hastily put away. "Have you been
long in England?
"Qnly ten days, | am leaving again in
week"
"Leavingit again ?" 1t seems as If her
breath caught little. "Have you been
at home much during the last fifteen
yearsP"
"Not once. | came this time be-
cause" - He colored and glanced down
at his disabled arm.
"Oh, yes KNOW" she exclaimed, her
face flushing into such 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. II read all
about your splendid deeds -
"Such a duffer as that fellow is ~ ex-
claimed Steve, at her side. Gle has
eaten more cakes than he can pay for"
She broke into laugh. 1t was little
hysterical, but the Major, utterly confused
at her allusion to anything 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 unfor-
tunate gastronomical difficulty. Her
thoughts had gone back to the days when
this man--this hero with his grand sim
plicity 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 1t seemed as if, even
in those days, he had not treated her as a
child, so courteous, SO kindly, SO gentle he
used to be. He would leave her brothers
other guest to ride, or talk, or walk with
her.
She had grown to look forward to his
visits, careless and light-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
then. 1t 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, aud he had looked down at her in
different way to what he had ever done
before. He grew very pale as he told her
how his battery had been ordered to India,
and had Just begun 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 bat
terry week later, and did not even come
to say good bye.
She had never quite forgiven her bro
Their for breaking off that sentence until
the day he died, some ten years ago. She
was then married to rich city merchant.
This marriage had been her brothers
wish.
Thomas Dale was good man, and had
been kind husband to her. He had
been dead now three years, and she was a
rich widow and free again.
But the man who had begun that SEN
tence so long ago had never shown any
wish to finish it.
All these thoughts, flashing through her
brain, hardened her heart against him.
She would not ask him to call on her.
"Do fly to that wretched victim of buns
and tea, Steve" she said, putting her
purse in his hand che looks wild and des-
pairing; and then settle our own account.
You can join me in the drug department
afterwards. Goodbye, Major Huddle-
ston."
1t was awkward shaking mans left
hand, so she only bowed and turned away.
The Major stood, pale and upright, look
ing after her, as if he never expected to
see her again. She had not given him an
opportunity of meeting her again. Then
he suddenly remembered the boy. Steve
had Just finished settling his friends ac-
count, and was rapidly returning to dis
charge their own. The Major looked at
him. The boys face was honest, and his
yves xerallindly and true; and he seemed
= though he had done his
of her life.
mr2x. he asked.
The boy .. sauiradlc-
tory, suspicious. He had 7agueiaea
this might be the preamble to request %
relinquish his beloved profession. He was
accustomed to this form of address when
any virtuous and therefore unpleasant
sacrifice was to be asked of him.
at depends" he said, with a defiant
negative in every feature.
The Major pulled out card-case, blush
ing red as a girl.
''Look here" he said, awkwardly, "the
next time you come here l want you to
drop me line to this address, and tell me
the day and the hour you will be here"