Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-08-19

! father"
1t was the little sergeant who had come
mp quietly while Jack was talking, so l
gladly left to him the task Of comforter.
AT the gate Con was waiting for me to
say goodby; but was so provoked with
her that pretended not TO see the little
outstretched hand. and couldn't resist say
ing:
"Jack is worth six Of your fine lleuten-
ants, Con; you're a fool not to marry
him"
Really, was the fool-to expect girl
to love the man she ought TO- Con was
only following the law Of nature-or what
seemed to be-
For nearly two months circumstances
prevented my going to the fort; when, one
day. WIS exceedingly surprised to receive
visit from the surgeon.
When he came In he seemed TO be strug-
! Cling between intense excitement and a
desire to retain military composure.
! He stopped just inside the door and
saluted.
Madam" he said, Il have come to take
Constance home with me"
/ looked at him in blank amazement.
"Constancer Irepeated "she isn't here.
haven't seen her."
My words seemed to take all the strength
away from him, and he dropped into a
chair.
Mon Dieu, MADAME he cried appeal
ingly; don't say that again; she must be
with you"
II assure you am telling the truth. ser.
geant. But what has happenedw
What has happenedf Alasl ma petite
Con has left me. It happened thus, mad
am; three days agoT called TO her in the
morning. she did not answer 1 knocked
at her door, still noanswer. | went into
the room; she was not there.
Everywhere | searched for her. The
man who had been on duty at the gate in
the early morning said that about an hour
before sunrise she went out and walked
toward the city. That is all the clew
have to find her, for she hasn't any friends
outside the fort | went to Jack, but he
had seen nothing Of her.
Ike loves her, madam, yet he says hard
things OF my little girl. Things that
have ordered him out of my sight for say
ing" the old man added proudly.
"Then, madam. ] thought os you. Per-
haps Con had got tired of the fort and her
old father, who's duh company at best, and
had run away TO pay You visit for little
holiday. 1t has taken me three days TO
find you, madam. Il wasn't dupiful OF her
to leave me without "A word"
Then he suddenly remembered that he
had not yet found her, and he got up with
groan.
WYATT" said. what are you going to
do nowf Has she no relatives she might
have gone tor"
He looked at me sadly and shook his
head. The tears were running down his
cheeks and be seemed incapable Of speak
ing. He evidently knew nothing Of Cons
love affair, but ! began to have a grave
suspicion that the brave lieutenant was at
the bottom OF the mystery.
After moment he took a. newspaper
from his pocket and laid it on the table.
Il found that on her bed, - he said Il
noticed It because Cons not much at read
ing"
The paperwas a week old and one OF the
marriage notices had been cut out. knew
it was the notice that had been wanted, be-
cause the reverse Of the column was the
middle OF a political article. made the
sergeant sit down and take a glass Of wine,
while sent for another copy Of the paper.
He waited in patient silence, his eyes fixed
on his cap. which he held tightly clasped,
and his hands pressed between his knees.
After waiting an eternity-as it seemed
the paper came, and there was the notice.
just what I had feared, yet expected to see;
Warwick Wilburn. -On Tuesday, July
10. at Rochester, by the Rev. Dr. Cotton.
Henry Warwick, U. S. N, to Catherine
Merritt Wilburn."
Poor little Con had seen that notice and
gone at once to find out II it were true.
knew from my talks with her that hei
ideas OF places and distances were Of the
vaguest, and that she was capable of start
ing on her quest for the lieutenant with
nothing but her love to guide her.
All that knew and all that guessed
had TO tell the sergeant IL was no easy
task It was very difficult to make hin
believe that his little Con had had /
sweetheart and never told him. When hI
did he wanted 10 go at once. to send 1
challenge 70 the lieutenant. Then he re
membered it was more important to dnC
Con, and he sat down again, feeble an'
heartbroken.
At last made him go back to the fort
and promised at once TO get detectives +
look for his daughter.
We hunted for weeks without fndin
her, and in the end she came back herself
as quietly and mysteriously as she had dis
appeared.
: Her father found her ghost, as h
thought at first, stretched across the door
way Oh MS AiuAiAEIs Oht tNtuAhEs
, She was burning with fever and out @
her mind. No one could find out whei
she had been OF what she bad done. A
though she talked necessarily, it was a
about beautiful dresses and a prince.
such a handsome prince" she woul
cry, with shining eyes, land he Is going
marry me-to make me princess--an
then shall have my kingdom"
q Poor little Con In the cheerless light
daybreak she went 70 inherit her kingdo
the kingdom Of heaven.
II =
: II is November now and the leaves al
beginning to fall on Cons grave. ! wei
to the fort today for a little talk with q
e sergeant. All his brisk little movemen
,, are gone, and he seems twice as old
e. when first saw him. Even his militai
d air has vanished, though occasionally
70 makes an effort TO straighten up and S
e Lutte.
II He lives with Jack. Jack is very goo
TO him. but every day the old man com
back TO the fort and sits basking IN Z
sunshine, for we are far enough south
1t have plenty Of warm days, even in Mover
at Der. Con is not dead TO him; she is alwa
Ia with him, living presence that he tai
TO by the hour--his little girl whom
IN loved and lived for-"Ma pauvre petite
he fondly murmurs.- Charlotte Rogers
ID New Orleans Times Democrat.
n. "
One Way Of Getting Out Of a Lie.