Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-14
strong" Ronald said. as he went up to the bed,

4
| and took the thin hand in his own.
God Dless you, my boy" the wounded mai
replied; lit Is to you owe my recovery. for hal
you not brought Mary back to me should be
dead man now, and would have been glai
of it."
II am very glad MrArmstrong, to have beel
able TO be OF service to your daughter and II
you; but do not let us talk about it now an
sure you cannot do SO without agitating your
self and the great point at present with US al
is for you to be up and about again. Do you
wounds hurt you muchr'
mot much; and yours, Blunt?'
'Oh, mine is a mere nothing" Ronald said
cheerfully, tits healing up fast, and excep
when / forget all about it, and move sharply,
scarcely feel it. feel something like the pro
verbal man who swallowed the poker, and
have to keep myself as stiff as if lwere on In
spection. This ward is nice and COOL much
cooler than they are upstairs. OF course the We
randall outside shades you. You will fndit very
pleasant there when you are strong enough tc
get up. am afraid that by that time shall be
| off, for the troops are all on their march from
up the coast, and in another ten days we ex.
pect to begin operations in earnest"
Il don't think the doctor ought to let you
| 60" Mary Armstrong said You have done
| quite your share, l am sure"
Il hope my share in finishing up with these
scoundrels will be a good deal larger yet:
been creeping and hiding. except Just in that
last brush. and there, if l mistake not your
| share was as large as mine. | only fired three
shots, and think heard your pistol 60 four
| times"
"Yes, it is dreadful to think of now.n the girl
said; but somehow it didn't seem so at the
time. feel shocked now when recall it"
There's nothing to be shocked at Miss
| Armstrong; it was our lives or theirs and if
your hand had not been steady, and your aim
| true we should neither of us be here talking
| over the matter now. But think my visit has
been long enough. l will come in again. Mr.
Armstrong, tomorrow, and hope each day to
find you more and more able to take your
share in the talk
In another ten days Ronald rejoined his
troop, and the next day received an order to be
ready at o'clock to accompany Colonel Son.
erset to the Generals.
Now, Sergeant, take seat" the General
said, ''and tell me the full story of your ad
ventures"
Ronald again repeated his story. When he
had done, the General remarked:
'1 our report more than bears out what I
heard from Captain Twentyman. 1 have al
ready talked the matter over with Colonel Som
erset, as we consider that such an action
should be signally rewarded. Colonel Somerset
Will at once apply for commission for you in
your own corps or if you would prefer IL, l
will apply for a commission for you in one OF
the line regiments. may say that the applica-
uon under such circumstances would certainly
be acceded to-"
Il am deeply obliged to you for your kind
ness, sir, and to You, Colonel Somerset; but l
regret to say that, with all respect, must de-
Decline a commssionr' the General said. in
surprise why should have thought that it
was just the thing that you would have liked
a adashing young fellow like you, and on the eve
OF serious operations. lean hardly understand
you,"
Ronald was silent for moment
MY reason for declining it, sir, is purely
personal one. Nothing would have given me
greater pleasure than a commission so be-
slowed, but there are circumstances that absc-
lutely prevent my mingling in the society of
gentlemen. The name l go by is not my true
one and over my own name there is so terrible
a shadow resting that SO long as it is there
and have little hope of its ever being cleared
off must remain as am"
Both officers remained silent for moment.
~ ou are sure you are not exaggerating the
case, Blunt?" Colonel Somerset said after a
pause. Il cannot believe that this cloud of
which you speak can have arisen from any act
OF yours. and it would be pity indeed were
you to allow any family matter to weigh upon
you thus"
Ronald shook his head. SIT is a matter in
which am personally concerned, sir, and 1 do
not in any way exaggerate it. 1 repeat, must
remain in my present position"
III it must be so. it must" the General said,
Though am heartily sorry. At least YOU will |
have the satisfaction of seeing your name in
tinguished bravery"
"Thank you sir" and Ronald, seeing the con- |
was at an end, saluted the two Off |
GERS, went out and rode back to his quarters
|
ments that had been dispatched from England |
had nearly all arrived upon the spot and the |
against the Kaffirs in the Alnatolas |
we're to begin at once. Some of the troops, in
cIuding two squadrons of the Rifles, were to |
march next morning.
Ronald went about his duties till evening,
and then turned out to walk to the hospital
AS he passed through the streets he saw a |
group round one of the Rifles, who had Just
come out from drinking shop and was en-
gagged in fierce alteration with Fingo The
man was evidently the worse for liquor, and
Ronald went up to him and put his hand on
his shoulder.
You had better go off to the barracks at
once" he said sharply; you will be getting
nto trouble if you stay here"
The man turned savagely round.
"Oh, it's you, Sergeant Blunt? Hadn't
I'm not committing any crime here. haven't
ort."
Ronald started back as if struck. The sip.
lificance of the tone in which the man spoke
howed him that these were no random words |
'ut shaft deliberately aimed. In a moment
le was cool again.
IF you do not return to the barracks at
'nce," he said sternly. Il will fetch a corporaTs
guard and put you in the cells''
The man hesitated moment and then NUT
ering TO himself, reeled off toward the bar
acks. Had the blow come month before
Ronald Mervyn would have felt it more. Alb.
orbed in his active work on horseback the
.reater portion of his time. the remembrance
s.
mt had occupied all his thoughts. 1t was only
that he had looked back to the |
lays when he was Captain Mervyn, of the Bor-
lerers. But from the hour he had BROUGHT |
Nary Armstrong safely back to her father the
,ast had been constantly in his mind because it |
dashed with the present
Before, Ronald Mervyn and Harry Blunt had
lmost seemed to be two existences, uncon- |
lected with each other; now, the fact of their
IDENTITY had been constantly in his thoughts. |
The question be had been asking himself over
In NTl,,n |,
separation between them whether |
e could hope to get rid of his connection with |
Sonald Mervyn. and to continue to the END of
he chapter as Harry Blunt. He had told him. |
elf long before that he could not do SO. that |
onner or later he should certainly be recop-
iZed; and although he had tried to believe
hat he could pass through life without meet
No anyone familiar with his face, he had been
bliged to admit that this was next to impossi. {
lie.
Had he been merely a country gentleman.
nown only to the people within a limited | .
ange of distance. it would have been differ
Mt; but an officer who has served ten years in | I
he army has innumerable acquaintances t
very move he makes brings him in contact | I
18th men of other regiments, and his circle | q
oes on constantly widening until it embraces
o small portion of the officers of the armv.
hen every soldier who had passed through /
is regiment while he had been in it would | ,
now his face; and go where he would he | !
new that he would be running constant risks | y
detection. More than one of the regiments r
laL udQ uOW aITlftu dL mig w lllamSCOWn i
ad been quartered with him at one station or
lother, and there we're a score of men who v
ould recognize him instantly did he come t
noHg them in the dress of an officer. This
nexpected recognition therefore by a trooper
his own corps did not come upon him with SO
ldden a shock as it would have done month
,eviously. I
~ knew it must come" he said to himself o
tterly, land that it might come at any .
oment. Still it is a shock Who is this man
wonder. 1t seemed to me, when he first came
4lrufT Coz. ,11-o,,
zee, though where, l have not the least idea
WAS not in the regiment for he knnUs moth L