St. Landry democrat., 1892-09-03

But have got boy almost as OLD as |
YOU are, so you see the events refer 10
happened quite while ago"
It would have scarcely surprised US
more if the town pump had suddenly
commenced a narrative.
81 was born in the little village we
passed through, back yonder, and SO was
Fanny DAY !. We went to school TO-
ucthcr: sat in the %mc seat IN church;
rode in the same hay-wagon; skated on
the same ice-ponds; Went to the same
huskinr-bees; but we didn't love each
other much for all that.
~ could not understand or take Il joke,
and, as Fanny often made me
| TARGET for her fun, the natural conse-
ouence was. we were generally at swords
points.
II was one of the first country boys
who enlisted. There wasn't more awk
wark boy in the regiment.
"I'll skip the history of the war, ana
| only say after more than three long
wears spent in marching and counter
marching from battlefield to battlefield,
I came back to the village down there, a
different man from the one who went
away.
"Such time as they made over the
little fragment of our regiment, when we
came home all ragged and weary and
worn. Everybody turned out. the
folks got up a big reception down IN the
old church. .,
"They gave us more good things than
than we could eat in il month, and made
-
tlowerv than our path had been.
All the old neighbors and friends
crowded around us, and | had all could
do, for a while, shaking hands. l had
often dreamed of this home coming down
under those southern stars, and thought
of the old familiar faces that would
brighten when they saw me, and the
friends whose hands / would like to take
first; but i'll all my dreams | had never
thought of Fanny,
"By-and-by there was little pause.
looked up, and there, not more than three
wards off, with checks like roses and eyes
like stars, she stood, looking at ME with
such look as never thought she could
have for any one, much less for me:
at was so unexpected my heart stood
still for moment She came forward ano
seized hold Of both my hands and said
in chokcd voice:
s'Sam, YOU are a brave man. am moi
worthy to unite your shoe; but | want II
take your hand and tell you how honor
YOU, and how sorry am for all the un
kind things have done and SAID III oaS'
gone by
You see the war had educated he
some, too,
II seemed suddenly to be lifted into
J. delicious and raritied atmosphere, i'm
T prepnated with divine radiance that il
IS iumined everything around me. All tho
long wears of the war rolled like flash
/ ing panorama before my brain. Common
r place actions that | had before counted
;, only as my duty, grew strangely heroic
IS was proud of the bars on my shoulders
V felt every inch hero. And yet
J. seemed as if I would rather see her tear
$ filled eyes look at me in that way than t.
e have all the honors the world could at
ford.
e THAT night, when went to bed,
le dreamed of the lights, the music, tn
If flowers, the speeches, but at last every
IS thing melted into two soft, sweet, teal
): filed eyes. with luminous soul behln'
them, which said over and over, 'lo
d are a hero, YOU are a hero
l. "When I woke the world was all RICH
= side UP. The war was gone forever, an
d had Slipped back into my old pIac" :.
$, easily as if | had never left it. Outward
d everything was the same; but lnWardly
d what a change there was.
If "Of course | went to see Fan y. n
lie distance would have been too great, n
lie storm too severe, to hinder me. An
many time when | have walked a mil
S. and more, lust to touch her little sol
4 hand, or look into her eyes, would thin
II of the times uE \ times had gone almos
ID as far the other way, s. that / should nt
see her.
10 Il followed Fanny like II shadow.
is asked her to marry me over and owe
again. From Il taciturn man | grew
I'd be d great talker She must have IL
spired me, think for when | was wit
l. her. something within me would spea
I'd by the hour with an eloquence and fore
e that | would have been incapable of
ordinary moments Oh, the plans made
)" The pictures ] drew of the bcautlt'
We future we might have.
le "At first she always said No to m
question; not harshIy or with ridicul
s. but lust little soft No, don't lc'
H. you.' that seemed as if it was 50 frail al
or SO slight that | could overcome it if
to only persevered. Sometimes, too, she
ly look up to me- when | was pleadln:
Tx with sudden, shy glance that seemed
. reflection of the one that had electrltie
e. me that night in the old church.
re $50 things went on for over yea
g Everybody in the village got to know
p our affair, if it could be called by TIL
to name, and some said | was a fool
of think for q moment that Fanny Day
I'd would have me; and some said she was
I'd fool not to take me. if she could get m
Finally, we had what | thought was Il
lie very last quarrel we should ever hav
Oh Fanny, worn out by my persistency, h'
h angrily told me never to speak to her
love again; never even to come whe
II, she was. Then, for the first time
Id think l gave up all hope. avoid'
Fanny as she wished me to for lol
time, but l couldn't stop thinking
IS, her, for all that.
zone day was walking up the stree
ed thinking for the hundredth time of o
ed last interview, and trying to be m
ers again without her reasoned it all on
on that Fanny and were not suited to ca
"a other; that even if she would marry II
nd we should live cat-anddog life; /
ng she had quick temper, was obliged
acknowledge, and l had an obstin;
is will. l said over and again that won
conquer the mad, persistent feeling tt
SO seemed to rush through my veins, VIC
COR part of my blood; that would put /
ri II ~