Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-04-18

which was sure to follow any revolt. She
became avaricious-some said misery
and Clancy miserable. Then began the
downward course. lie took to drink soon
after his return from long, hard sum-
mer's campaign with the Indians. lie
lost his sergeant's stripes and went into
the ranks.
There came time when the new col
onel forbade his re. enlistment in the
cavalry regiment in which he had served
so many long year. He had been q
brave and devoted soldier. He had a
good friend in the infantry, he said, who
wouldn't go back on poor fellow who
took drop too much at times, and TO
the surprise of many soldiers-ofiicers
and men-he was brought to the recruit
ing officer one day, sober soldierlv, and
trinity dressed, and Capt. Rayner ex-
pressed his desire to have him enlisted
for his company; and it was done. Mrs.
Clancy was accorded the quarters and
rations of a laundress, as was then the
custom, and for a time-a very short
time-Clancy seemed on the road to pro-
motion to his old grade. The enemy
tripped him, aided by the seedlings and
abuse of his wife. and he never rallied.
Some work was found for him around
the quartermastcr's shops which saved
him from guard duty or the guard
house. The neutrality-suspicious. and men
seemed to feel for the poor. broken
down old fellow, and to lay much OF his
woe to the door of his wife. There WAS
charity for his faults aud sympathy for
his sorrows, but at last it had come to
this He was lying, sorely injured, in
the hospital, and there were times when
he was apparently delirious.
At such times, said Mrs Clancy, she
alone could manage him; and she urged
that no other nurse could do more than
excite or irritate him. To the unspealla-
BILE grief of little Kate she, too, was
driven from the sufferers bedside and
forbidden to come into the room except
when her mother gave permission.
Clancy had originally been carried into
the general ward with the other patients
but the hospital steward two days after
wards told the surgeon that the patient
moaned and cried so at night that the
other sick men could not sleep. and Of
fered to give up little room in his own
part of the building. The burlv doctor
looked surprised at this concession on
the part of the steward, who was a man
tenacious of every perquisite and one
who had made much complaint about
the crowded condition of the hospital
wards and small rooms ever since the
frozen soldiers had come in. All the
same the doctor asked for no cXplana-
ton, but gladly awaited himself of the
stewards offer. Clancy was moved to
this little room adjoining the stewards
quarters forthwith, and Mrs. Clancy was
satisfied.
Another thing had happened to excite
remark and a good deal of it. Nothing
short of eternal damnation was Mrs
Clancy's frantic sentence on the head of
her unluckv spouse the night of the fire
when she was the central figure of the
picture, and when hundreds of witnesses
to her words were grouped around
Cores pondingly had she called down
the blessings of the Holy Virgin and all
the saints upon the man who rescued
and returned to her that precious packet
of money Everybody heard her, and it
was out of the question for her to re.
tract. Nevertheless, from within an
hour after Clancy's admission to the
hospital not another word of the kind
escaped her lips. She was all patience
and pity with the injured man, and she
Stunned all allusion to his prcserver and
her benefactor. The surgeon had been
called away, after doing all in his power
to make Clancy CONFERENCE.-The was
needed elsewhere-and only two or three
soldiers and hospital nurse still re
manned by his bedside where Mrs
Clancy and little Kate were drying their
tears and receiving consolation from the
stewards wife. The doctor had men
toned name as he went away, and it
was seen that Clancy was striving to ask
a question. Sergt. Nolan bent down:
Lie quiet, Clancy, me boy; you must
be quiet, or you'll move the bandages.
"Who did he say was burned? Who
was he going to see% gasped tho suf-
ferer.
THE new lieutenant, Clancy-him
that pulled We out. He's a good one, and
it's Mrs, Clancy that'll tell we the same.
Tell him what" said she, Turning
about in sudden interest
about the lieutenant's pulling him
out Of the fire and saving your money
Indeed yes! The blessing of all the
saints be upon his beautiful head
and"-
But who was it? What was his name,
/ sayI" vehemently interrupted Clancy,
half raising himself upon his elbow, and
groaning with the effort. What was
his name? l didn't see him."
Lieut.. Hayne, man."
"Oh, my Godw gasped Clancy, and
fell back as though struck sudden blow.
She sprang to his side. Its faint he
is. Don't answer his questions, ser
geant! He's beside HIMSELF Oh, will We
never stop talking to him and lave him
in paceI Go away, all OF ye's-go away,
i say, or yen dhrive him crazy wild
yer Be quiet, Mike! don't ye spake
agln." And she laid broad. red hand
upon his face. He only groaned again
and threw his one unbandaged arm
a ,o 1ar