Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-01
SANS DOT.

At the generals receptions, when she en-
tered the great ball room, radiant, young.
her pretty shoulders bare, q murnur Of ad- +
miration ross from the groups Of ofiicen
posing in the doorways Behind her, her
mother stately in toilet suggestive Of the
provinces. her white curls vibrating with
emotion as Of one who says, Behold my
daughter
Retiring. soft. modest, the father, colonel
Of the One Hundred and Twenty third. fol-
lows at a distance intent on keeping bis feet
OF my lady's train
As soon as they are seated a squad Of leu
tenants and captains, the elite OF the garri-
sou OF Versailles, laced into their full dress
uniforms, mustaches BLONDES or brown. eyes
deferential or bold. advance quickly to the
assault and claim place on her list OF dances
Then in the golden light Of the crystal chan
deliers she beyins to dance lightly and grace
fully to the music, borne up by the arms OF
her fathers favorite officers, each eager to do
her homage For them her wishes are orders,
her whiIns are law The daughter Of the
colonel
At that time it was true Of the One Hun
bred and Twenty-third as Of all other regi-
ments, that an officers advancement de
pended more upon bis address IN the salon
than MS courage the battlefield From
time to time as selections were made for pro
motion. it was enough 10 decide mans
whole career TO have the colonei's daughter
carelessly say word OF praise.
All. Lieut. So-and So, what a charming
officer, and how well he dances"
And So she kept them all en- dress parade
with little air OF command at once imperi-
Gus and coQuettlsh She had thus reached the
age Of - in this somewhat nomadic life,
jouIueying from garrison to garrison, color
flying, hand play ing, and existence con
tinual round OF gayeties About this time
her mother began to show signs of uneasiness;
she wished to see her daughter married
But between the pretty creature and her
suitors a frightful barrier existed 1t il
written in four words, she had no dot-and
the officers flirting, laughing, dancing sp
parently never dreamed Of asking her In
marriage
To please the colonels daughter TO receive
possible advancement through her infiu-
ence, certainly To push forward in the
matter Of marrying, ahl that was another
song and one that no one seemed disposed to
sing
Among them none, at least no one worth
naming, ever whistled that tune. But within
the last year the young girl had had not an
admirer but lover tiInid and trembling,
and one whom she openly sighted. He was
big fellow, with reddish brown mustache
and blue eyes. a native OF Lorraine, he had
graduated from the school of St Naixeut
and had seen service He had been wounded
at Coulmlers and wore a medal of honor. But
as he was not a graduate of the arlstocratic
school of St Cyr his brother officers treated
him with a certain amount of condescension.
A farmers son he was robust and rosy,
poor hand at talking, though well Informed.
Brilliant at drill he completely lost his foot
ing in drawing room His dancing was
atrociOuA
The fear that he might be lacking in proper
pclteness to the colonels daughter was the
only thing that ever tempted him to ask her
to dance. And he had so mixed up the figures
of the cotillon on that unhappy occasion that
even the most expert failed to recognize them.
This deplorable trial had sufficed him and
after that rather than face again those mock
ing ey, he would gayly march against bat
terry firing grape and canister. Banished
thus To the friendly shelter Of a window, he
regarded for hours the girl he adored, dane
ing with radiant vivacity.
He followed her pretty Eighty head in the
whirling crowd and caressed her white Shout
ders with his eyes Sometimes he had the
audacity to approach the mother and cere-
moniously pay his court to her These were
his boidest advances
He saw with envy his brother officers fut-
terins about the young girl, bending their
straight backs low i'll their efforts to make
obeisance and show their own figures to ad-
vantage
In the midst of his gloomy thoughts be
said to himself One OF these days l shall
hear it whispered through the mess that che
is engaged to marry one of those fellows, and
all will lie over He touched the depths Of
despair In the icy silence of his barrack room
He tried 10 bring himself to reason What
fool be was To think of that spoiled child, ft
only for pleasure and luxury She was In
tended for some rich young aristocrat, rather
than for poor soldier OF fortune. But, alasi
for him, his thoughts revolved continually
around that smiling, hooking face He saw
her always during the long, sleepless night,
always turning, radiant and hight, In the
transports of the waltz. She seemed to
beckon him with irritating coquetry, and hs
thought Who knowsf She may accept
me peut
Then his heart gave great thumps within
his strong frame and he felt suffocated One
morning he could stand it no longer Life
had become unbearable He sought out the
major. who had always shown him some con-
sideratou, and begged him to see the colonel,
and, without distinctly putting the question,
to discover what sort of a reception an offer
of marriage would receive.
He passed th.t day in the park watching
the carp in the little Swiss lake as they dart
ed about in the sunlight. He already re-
GREETED this bold step and saw the future
wholly hung in black. That night in the
barrack court the sjor took him aside end
said shortly:
Il have seen the colonel. He took your
proposition in good part Here is his an
swer:
Your protegc hasn't sou, my daughter
has no dot, That would be marrying hunger
to thirst He is right Confound it, Don't
think of her another moment If you have
any regrets console yourself with tactics'n
The lieutenant thanked him, but he did not
try to console himself and as they needed
officers to send to Tonquin he volunteered and
the next week embarked at Brest. And while
be, heavy hearted. was sailing away, tossed
vi VI elhthdous waves, iAe young Rul,
thoughtless and gay, continued to dance un-
der the brilliant chandeliers, while the fow-
ers breathed forth their perfume and tho
band played always wal.zes
Later the general. In bis handsome house,
receives usual, but at these brilliant mill.
tary balls the charming girl who, in the old
days, turned all heads, appears no longer
The colonel of the l43d is dead He died sud
denly, on the point Of receiving the stars Of q
general After this the gay and dissipated
life of the two women was succeeded by an
existence dull and uneventfuL All the gal
liant young officers who had futtered so grace
fully about them iu the old days had gone
with the pleasure and the gayety.
The new colonel OF the regiment had also .
wife and daughter To them the powers Of
the moment, all the attentions. ell the CO.
q 90 H." departing sovereigns, a pre-
',' o., ivi t~6"h 81 t!,H cap in the street, and
thsh TIE rut direct with dn air as if one said.
NY good woman, you mistake don't
know you
lheu The orphan and the widow exchange
bitter smile and slowly go their way.
They sumter about the park. close to the
green lawns, and languidly try to enjoy the
beautiful autumn sunshine which gilds the
marble of the statues and glorifies the leaves
If the grand old trees They sit all in the
black OF their deep mourning, with the sound
IL the band playing in the distance. It comes
JACK TO them ike CLEAN of their old happi-
less linen for a moment nothing seems
'nanSed In their lives and the colonel's voice.
orusque and sonorous sounds in their ears az
he stood behind them saying, Good morn
IL