Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-08-17
CHAPTER XVII.
orr TO THE W A RS


orr TO THE WARS
Quite crowd was gathered at the sta
tion the following morning to see the gal
liant Blankshire regiment 60 of to the
wars There was Mrs Barnes with all
her children and little Mrs Seton AS
brisk and Us bright as bee. laughing as
loudly as If parting with her major was
one Of the best jokes in the world. though
to more than one who knew her best the
laughter had all uncommonly suspicious
ring about it and had quiver through
it's rippling thrill which told Of tears not
! very far away And there were he Char
terhouses and the Stantons and the Mar
Gus Orfords. oil come to do the last hon
ors to their friends. husbands and wives
alike profoundly thankful that the for
! tune Of war had not called upon them to
leave home and all they loved behind and
go out to fight for queen and country in
the tropics And there was the handsome
dean. chsery and full OF good wishes. and
lovely Aileen. holding fast by Nancy
Earle's hand. as II she was afraid she
should break down If she did not hold it
tight enough
Nancy understood SO well what the
pressure meant. and once or twice turned
her sweet doves eyes upon her friend
Just to show her that there were no tears
there. and that she need have 10 fears for
her composure And last of all there was
Mr. Earle. tall and straight and command
ing In presence. with his handsome old
face set like mask and his white hair as
well brushed and spruce as ever All
but it was terrible wrench for him.
parting with his only son on such an er
ol NJ b,
thought flashed into the minds of Nancy
and Beautiful Jim alike. thought
which said. "Alasl he is SO old. SO frail.
and his belief in his only son is SO great
am SO glad we kept silence. for though
1t is pang for us-knowledge would have
held the bitterness of death for him"
Alnlost uuconsciously Nancy slipped
her hand within his arm and clung to it.;
but the old man mistook her meaning
Don't give way. my dear, he whispered.
''lct them see the Earles can give up their
best for queen and country-even the
heir,
lie had forgotten her interest in Dcau
tiful jim; he only remembered that his
boy. his heir. the last of his name. was
of for the wars. and might never come
back
Nancy dropped the arml She forgot
nothingi
Not that the old man noticed anything
He WIS intently watching for the last
glimpse of the. handsome young face Of
his only son. and as tho train moved
slowly out of the station amid cheers and
the frantic waving Of handkerchiefs to
the gay and jolly strains Of The Girl !
Left Eehnd Me. he gave great gasping
sigh which melted Nancys momcntary
anger and made her clasp his arm tighter
than ever
And then little Mrs Seton who had
jokcd and laughed and cheered and waved
with the best us long Us her faithful
MAJORS head was thrust out of the car
riagc window, suddenly created diver
tisement by breaking down altogether
into such passionate torrent of tears.
that even the dullest Of those who had
wondered at what they called her ''spirits"
but few moments before. wondered no
longer, but said among themselves. as
they wiped their own eyes. what brave
little woman she was, and what treas
urc the big major possessed in her
"Oh, am going out at once. the little
woman was saying brokenly at that mo
ment to the sympathetic woman Oh whose
breast she had poured out oil her long
pcnt up feelings lie said | wasn't to,
Out "uys uo ut NC NOuuuCu
out there. or ill. and who would nurse
him. | wonderl lie never can bear any
one but me about him. II he's only got Q
headache. But, oil the same. when you We
never done anything for yourself in all
your life. and never even gone long
journey alone. it's no joke TO face going
out to India or still worse to Eurmah.
without soul to help you to do thing
Nancy Earle. who was standing by.
took her hand MY dear" she whis
pered. "bcieve me, it's for harder when
you are so placed that you cannot 60 out
whatever happens. when you know that.
even IL you hear the worst and you feel
you are wanted ever so badly. you are
boupd at home by ties and restrictions
which you cannot break Obi it Is moth
ing to let ones husband go. compared
with the one who Is everything aud yet
nothing to you"
Mrs Seton dried her eyes and looked
up Yes. he told me good deal about
1t. dear" she said, kindly. aud with
scarcely more than faint sob catching
her breath. land be suiv II he Is in need
of my help he will have it. Id do any
thing for him for his ovn sake. but LII Go
it for yours as we'll now. promise you.
"uow good you arc. !" Nancy whispered.
fervently. small wonder he is 30 fond Of
you. Mrs. Seton. Some day, perhaps,
shall bs able to. do something for you. and