Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-03-10

information he could CLEAN in the neigh
borhood was that the ladies and their
household had gone South-where, the
informant could not, OF would not, tell
him. This was disappointing to both
Southerner's brilliant charms had set
their imaginations aflame.
For three weeks they lay in Kansas
City, each day expecting the order to
march.
It was here that young Besant re-
ceived his first letter from home-a
Grace Brentwood, which went far to
dispel the glamor of Mary Lascelles'
destinations. What old soldier does not
remember mothers first words to him
In the battle-feld-the tender messages
of affection-the garrulous records of
home events, so insignificant, yet so
dear to him-the gossip about neigh
bors, for whom he cared not one jot
while he lived near them, but who now
seemed woven into his life with re-
newed interest-the silly, but womanly
admonitions to take care of himself, as
though her darling's primary duty was
! to run behind tree as soon as he heard
the hiss of a rihe-bullet-the warnings
against damp socks and bad compan-
| ions-the prayers-the little stains on
the paper he knew too well were tears
! and the mute misery which would
show itself despite its strained air Of
cheerfulness.
! All this Frank appreciated to the
full, and it did him good to sit down
and write to those loving women at
home long rambling record of his adj
ventures by flood and field, though,
strange to say, he forgot to tell them
any thing whatever about Mary Las
celles and her projections, which was
iUexcusable when we consider that up
to that time he had hardly thought of
any thing else.
This budget of home news warmed
his heart so that he thought he would
share his qualification with James Law
son, who, he guessed, had no kind
} friend to keep him posted on the doings
J of Meltonburg, but to his surprise he
found that worthy young man sitting
on the tongue of an empty baggage
! wagon with a corn-cob pipe in his
: mouth, leisurely perusing a letter
which, judging from its bulk, contained
} twice the matter Of his own, while a
heavy roll of Meltonburg Weekly Ad'
: vertisers lay at his feet.
$50 you have heard from home too
J Jim, see," he said, pleasantly. "Who's
, your CORES pondent?"
Lawson looked up, apparently ill
: pleased at the interruption and the
, question.
: Nobody you know" he said, gruhiy
= thrusting the letter into his pocket
Then, as if an afterthought brought ;
: change of mood, he added, more pleas
3 antly:
: -"There's lot of Meltonburg news
> papers-you can have them if you like
. they're no use to me-"
? Frank thanked him, and, picking tn,
i parcel up, was about to leave the surl,
3 fellow to himself when Lawson callel
him back.
9 "Say," he said, ''you were in Dodsol
o & Green's law Office for six month
e before we got into this internal scrape
It SO it's just possible you might be abb
Q to give me a bit of advice"
g "I am sure I will If cam" was tn
pleasant reply; ''but am afraid I dom
= know much more about law than 20
y do" s,
Q "Well, the case is this-a chap
o friend of mine, you lnow-at least
2 fellow whose acquaintance I've made
d hassgot into kind of fix, and he don
e quite see his way out. Now, just to Sc
O. his mind at rest, can you tell me what
n the law about married men enlisting