Griggs courier., 1889-05-24
near by; this gave me the chance to ask a

near by; this gave me the chance to ask
question:
II suppose over there is your headquar-
tiers most of the time, Saln?'
NO, sir! There's just where you don't
hit it, There has not been drop of that go
into my mouth since the day promised
her."
1t was a neat house. with good, old col
ored servant, was taken to and I enjoyed
my supper with the old sergeant and the
boy, and then, in the moonlight, on that
Memorial Day, he and I sitting alone,
enjoying our pipes, old Color-Sergeant Sam
told me his story:
when we left the service, Colonel,
having neither kith nor kin, came out here
with Leftenant Foster, he needed me to
help hold him up in one way, and surely
needed him TO hold me Off from some of my
ways.
''Well, he'd been married, as you may re-
member, on his leave of absence about
year before we left, so we both went to
work to fix up this place for the wife and
little one, and worked square and honest,
though still took my grog mighty regular,
and was mighty fond of it, too.
when we got all things here ready for
inspection and review, then the Leftenant
he starts down to st. Louis to get his
back pay and final settlements and to bring
the wife and baby home. He had some
money of mine, and before he started he
gave it to me, and all that money and most
of my time spent at that tavern you see
over there.
"You know what am, Colonel, when I'm
on the loose, and guess I got that time
worse than ever, having no commanding
officer whatever, and kept it up, day and
night, until was crazy as a boss in q barn
a.fire.
Leftenant was coming home, and SO one
night as came rolling back here, full
as could hold to my back teeth, spied
through the window man moving about
in the front room: 'twasn't an instant be-
fore was in there and had him in my
grip l raised him UP and was just about
to bring him in one smash on the floor
when something somebody all in white
kind of floated to my side and laid hand
on my arm.
"'Sam, Sam, it is your Leftenant!' that is
what heard, and child could have fin
ished me then.
you've heard men say, sir, how they
sometimes wished the earth could swallow
them that's how felt So little, so brave,
SO quiet-I didn't dare to look at her.
just laid the Leftenant down and turned to
go away forever.
Sam, come here with me-come to your
room she said. obeyed better than ever I
did even your orders, sir; but didn't dare
to look ut her. You see she knew me from
what he had told her, and her grand heart
could forgive all that.
my tea and soup, made by her own hands
and she sat by me and talked to me as no
one else ever talked, nor could talk to me
neither preach nor scold it wasn't-honest
friendly, loving falkland she told me how
L had saved her husband for her, and how
he loved me and she loved me-and,
Colonel, it fetched me bad, fetched me ev-
cry way and she went and brought in a
wee bit OF a babby, and she says: Sam,
want you to look after and care for this lit
tie Sidney IS you did for his father, and you
must promise me that you will, for trust
you. Sam
''And, sir, did promise her then and
there, and put myself on special duty to
carry the eolors before that boy, to carry
them up and square to the front-and
that promise have kept and will keep to
the end Of my lie, SO help me, God!
1--WE were very happy and well-content
here-all but me- Isee that she was wearing
her life out for her boy and husband, but
what could do? Itwas not for me to speak
Love her? did love her-but not in the
way that men talk of loving women. What
could be to her, but Sam? Inever touched
even the skirt of her Dress Love was not
the name for 1t.
''She was fading and fading away; no one
but me seemed to notice it, but could see
it every day and hour, and did not know
if Id feel glad or sorry. She did not be-
long here, she was kin to God and to His
and her place was above.
'One night we were sitting right here,
where we are now, and she heard little Sid
give whimper from his cot
''I'm called she said and got up and
went in.
''An hour after heard the Leftenant CRY,
and jumped; we found her white and love-
" as ever, with the baby in her arms,
stretched upon her bed; but she had gone
home to che GOd that loved her-to the God
she loved.
ut wasn't long before he went, too; he
didn't seem to care to want to live after
that and nothing could rally him, not even
the tricks of little Sid, that was the peart-
est baby you ever see, just as he's the
brightest boy in the world now.
Zone night, the little chap was in the cot
with me, and heard the Leftenant call in
his weak voice:
Sergeant, the boy, quick!'
II had just time to raise the child so his
father could put his lips against the baby
cheek when zee IL was all ovor with INV