Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-10-02
MY SOLDIER.
DY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

had especially enjoined Captain Duncan
to "dcvote himself to me-"
He certainly had obeyed her. For
two or three weeks we had been walking
together, riding together, dancing to-
gether, until it was rs natural thing to
say Lucy and Captain Duncan" as
though we had been engaged to each
other.
And now, on this evening, which was
q more important occasion than usual,
he had never once left my side, nor had
l wished him to do so.
lie was best of all to me, that big.
handsome fellow, with his upright bear
ing, who had come down from the fort
On leave, and who was n real soldier, not q
makc-belicvc one for parade day, such as
we had in Edgecliff.
l forgot everything else when he was
with me, and had never been so happy
in my life; only at night sometimes, re-
morse seized upon me between winking
and sleeping, and cried bitterly, think.
ing how Dick. But no matter for
that just now. am at my aunt's ball
and we have be cn dancing, and now ms
he led Inc out upon the big vcranda. and
wrapped me well in my cloak that may
not catch cold, and has kept his arm
about me longer than necessary, in doing
so.
The great vine that drapcs the porch
throws fitting shadows over us, but the
moonlight kisses his black curls, and
can see the glow Of his eyes, and the
crimson of his lips under his dark mus
tachc, and am sure he can see my face
by the way he looks ut me.
From the house the regular beat of
the music comes to us. Oh, how well
remember it all, and every word he said
to me-cvery word.
"Lucy, l am going back to the fort
Tomorrow, that is why l speak sooner
than l ought. l have not known YOU
long, but | believe that when love
comes to man, it comes out of ambush,
as an Indian does-without warming. So
it came TO me rs l saw you-yes, rs my
eyes met yours. You are the only
woman have ever loved or ever shall
love cant you like me littlca If the
red imps do not get my scalp in this
skirmish for which we are looking, will
you be my wifc?"
lie drew me closer to him, he pressed
his lips TO mine, and all my heart went
out toward him, and however much he
loved me, it could be no more than |
loved him.
And then suddenly, all that l had Tor
gotten rushed back upon me, as the
water comes roaring III ut broken dam,
and cried out:
"Oh! Captain Duncan! Don't
don't! You mustn't kiss me-you
mustn't talk to Inc. am engaged to be
married. My promise is given, my we'd
ding day is set, and Dick is true to me
and l cannot cannotl"
He had dropped my hand, he had let
go my waist, he stood at distance from
me, with so cold look that my heart
stood still.
MAN was never so mistaken in
woman," he said. "You are engaged to
be married, you love another man, and
yet have led Inc on as you have done.
What was your object2 Do you esteem
1t a triumph to win man heart only to
break it? Enjoy it then. l hope that n
poisoned arrow is marked for me out on
the plains there, for life has lost NIL its
value. Good-b bye"
He was gone. could not call to him
to come back. 1 could not cry out for
all the world to hear, 81 am engaged to
another man it is true, but love YOU. "
For moment l thought should die
of the agony | suffered; then the moon
light grew faint, the sound of the music
altered to IL wall, stretched out INV
hands as babe does to the mother who
has left it alone, uttered great cry, and
tainted away.
And now to explain how all this came
about. To do this I must retrace nv
steps little.
was my sisters bridemaid when she
was married. She was just eighteen and
the eldest of the family, and was not
much past sixteen.
There are women of sixteen, and chill
dren Of sixteen.
was child in feeling and woman
in looks, for had grown up tall and
slender, and with manner which my adj
mirers called "queenly" and my detrac-
tors ''airish.
People usually treated me as if I were
years older than my age, and I, for NV
part, felt that, if Kitty, with her little
tip-tilted nose and dimpled checks, could
aspire to the dignity of wifehood, /
might. Therefore, as Richard Gardner
who was the bridegroom's best man, was
of the same opinion, speedily engaged
myself to him, and afterward, in Ameri.
can fashion, ''told my mother" who
cried little, and she told my father
who said that it was "the most absurd
thing he ever heard Of" but made nc
serious objection to Dick, "since Lucy
was set on marrying
was of more importance now that ]
wore Dicks ring.
My parents grew used to The thought
and talked about furnishing house for
us, and the day was set, at what we con.
sidered cruel distance of time.
And we should have been common.
place couple enough. without any idea
that life might have held anything better
for US, but that an aunt Of mine who
lived in Western town, insisted upop
m, II ox,ir, ha- .,.. "a