The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-08-16

her feet. Only day had their en-
gagement been made known when the
summons Tom expected came. Viva
was almost frantic. 1t was the first
time in her life that her will had been
useless; but now it beat against rock.
Tired with the vain struggle, repeat
et until Toms heart ached to its
depths. she at length recognized that
his strength of character must domi-
nate ncrs: and after long, wild flood
of tears and q CONFUSION of sobs she
said at last:
If you will go-if you must
promise me to live, to come back"
Il promise to come back if do live,
Viva. How can l say l will liver
That is the chance Of war and the will
of God"
Promise, promisew she shrieked.
You must promise me to livel l
shall die here, right in your arms, I'M
less you dow
Her pallid face, her streaming eyes,
the sobs that seemed to rend her slight
shape, the piteous curve of her red
lips, took him by storm. The lovely,
unreasoning, willful creature, torn by
Il passion of love and grief all for him,
shook his strong soul to its center.
What man ever resisted such over
whelming passion, or thought it fool
ish when he was its object9 Tom
Creighton's soul blazed in his eyes as
he held that tiny figure close to his
breast.
Il promise" he said.
So he went. and she stayed. The
fortunes of war befell him; but in bat
tie he seemed to dodge the bullets that
rained about him, manfully as he
fought, for he felt Viva's imploring
eyes upon him. ''Creighton's luck"
was the jest of the decimated regiment;
but no man charged him with cow.
ardice. The thrill and splendor of this
new life swept off his conservatism;
the war justified itself by its dash and
valor. He rejoiced in the clangor of
trumpets, the roar of its guns, the rush
of its charges; and when the miasma
of the marshes where he lay encamped
defed his will and scared his flesh with
fever, when he lay half conscious for
many week in the hospital, the will
to live, the intent to keep his word to
Viva, saved him. The nurses Won
dered to hear but two words in the low
mutter of his delirium: Il PROMISE
promisew but those words were his
talisman.
Once in the field he became a won
der of alertness; hairbreadth escapes
seemed to be his forte. One day,
when the battalion were entrenching
themselves, and the commanding gen
eral, weary with the march. had dis
mounted and thrown himself under a
tree for moments rest, Col. Creigh-
ton-for he had been promoted
dashed up on his black mare and sa-
luted
General" he said, "shall ride out
beyond the lines and reconnoiter the
lay of the land?"
do so, said Gen. B., springing up,
land I will go with you"
AS they both trotted past the in
trenchments colonel in command
called out to them:
THE evening is not far off. Do not
risk your life, general"
The general smiled and looked at
Creighton, who laughed, and on they
went Soon the pickets were passed.
but no enemy was sighted, and, led
on by the beauty of the way, as well
as q desire to grasp the situation, they
trotted fast down wood road, turned
a short corner, and behold! twenty or
thirty men, picket guard, or rather
a reconnaissance of the foe. Quicker
than a lightning flash, no pause to
think, no word said, except that II
PROMISE" branded on his inward ear,
Creighton's saber flashed from its
sheath, and whirling it round his head
he looked over his shoulder and shout
ed, Forward Charger
And putting spurs to his horse, flew
forward, the general instantly second
ing his ruse and close behind him,
rushed upon the startled enemy, who
fled like sheep. Once out of sight, the
two men turned and ran their horses
back to the lines; but that swift ma
neuver saved q general to the army
and her lover to Viva.
So it was in the prison where scores
of men died of untold agonies; for in
those dreadful depths Tom Creighton
lived. When his heart and flesh fail
ed he seemed to see Viva's upturned,
woeful face, and he said to himself,
II promise" with fresh strength each
time; for he had learned faith in him
self. At last the war was over; but
thoroughly welded to a soldiers life,
and become a proverb among men for
courage and quick resource, he was
transferred to the ranks of the regular
army, given furlough of six months,
and flew at once to Viva.
Poor Vival the war had spared her
Tom, but both her parents had died
during his absence, and she was quite
alone. To describe their meeting
would be sacrilege; it was even as the
meeting of those who arise together at
the rising of the dead and look at the
dawning of that heaven which they
shall spend together. Naturally, Tom
desired to hasten their marriage, and
Viva did not refuse; for, except a
salaried chaperon, she was quite alone
in that loneliest of positions, the in
mate of fashionable boarding house.
She did not care to waste her time or
her strength on an elaborate trousseau
she left all that to Mrs. Merwin; it
seemed to her that she could not exist
out of Toms presence. Yet one day