Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-10-06
A Soldiers Secret. Concluded,


Miss Guthrie, as the handkerchiefs be
gin waving furiously. and fair, cage
faces press forward in the effort to at
tract his attention-all but Winifred
who, though bravely smiling like the
rest, is clutching with trembling hands
the back of her mothers chair and
shrinking behind her mothers form. Il
is impossible for him not to see the fiut
tering signals He half glances toward
that thronging gallery, and in second
the light leaps to his eyes, flush to his
pallid cheek. Instinctively his arm
witches in the effort of the hand &c
reach the cap visor, and the instant
twinge of shooting pain brings him to
his senses. He has one brief, fleeing
look, however, at the beaming face he
loves, and he has just time for half
gesture with the bride hand, a little
nod. and then. as on he rides, he feels
rather than sees that one sweet face
that beamed upon him has suddenly
paled, that one graceful form is now
staggering back into Holden's waiting
and expectant arms. Only two platoons
in the black troop today, for the others
sleep beneath the wintry sod or still Ian
guish in the hospital ward. Only two
platoons. Brewster heads the first a
tall, dark eyed, dark mustached SER
geant the second.
There's Sergeant Ellisl' cries Mrs.
Berrien, in her pride and pleasure.
Sand he's shaved off his beard. Did
yon ever see him look so young and
well?"
But Mrs. Holden, too, has turned, and
does not heed. Her watchful eyes, her
attentive ears, have other work to do
Obedient to her husbands touch, she has
drawn close to his side. 1t is into her
arms and his that, with one quick, gasp
ing, stifed cry, Mia Guthrie has fallen
as though stricken by a bolt from heaven.
1t is by these loving arms the limp and
PROSTATE form is quickly borne within
and laid upon the sofa. and Holden
whispers to his devoted wife, 1T is all
clear now"
That night, the long ceremonies of the
day concluded, throng of fair women
and brave men are gathered in the par
Tors and corridor of the great hotel.
Down in the marbled court below some
Italian musicians are playing soft. sweet
music. Out in the street, under the
glare Of the electric light, fine regi-
ment of state troops has drawn up in
long extended line and is standing at
ease while It's officers are bidding fare
well to host of friends upon the walks
below. Here and above are soldiers of
all branches of the service, who with
the mornings sun will be scattering to
their stations again. Some are clustered
in the broad vestibules and on the office
floor. Others, the juniors mainly, are
paying their respects to the wife of the
commanding general and to the ladies
of the Twelfth, for ON the morrow they. |
too, with the regiment, take fight for |
their prairie home.
The hour is late, and several of those |
present have just come in from a some
what subdued and quiet entertainment
given in their honor at one of the beau
tiful homes of the city. The solemn ma
ture of the duty that has called them
hither precludes the possibility of any
general gathering, but the dinner to
which the Berriens and others were bid
den has lasted so long that Winifred be-
gan TO believe it would never end, and
Mrs. Berrien has seen all too plainly
that, though she strove to appear JOYOUS
and appreciative, her daughter longed
to leave the scene and return to the ho-
tel, where, as was well known, many of
The officers were to spend the evening.
Not until nightfall had the Twelfth
passed by on its return from the march
10 the distant cemetery, and as they
logged along at ease one or two of the
iroop or platoon commanders, in answer
o joyous hail from the sidewalk, had
'eined out of column by old Berrien's
PERMISSION and dismounted under the
)ortico, but Brewster, smiling. had
haken his head and gone on with his +,
blacks to the muddy cantonment far
Iown at the southern verge. Winifred
vas already dressed for dinner. She
lad fastened to her room as soon as
hey returned from the Guthries', and
lrs. Berrien made no comment. She /,
veil understood that the girls one
bought was to be ready to welcome if
e should come. There was no telling :
what minute he might be announced. Z
md though they were not to leave the
otel until nearly seven, Winifred was j.
eady at four. The mother heart yearned :"
yer her child as she saw how the shadows
in her dark eyes when the col :
mn went on out of sight in the wintry :,
loaming, Brewster with it. !"
At that moment she could almost
lare her husbands idea of bringing the :,
Dung man to his knees then and there :
That business had he playing the indif- :.
rent in this utterly unsoldierlv fashion, a.
ow dare he treat Winifred with cold y
sss: She had done him no wrong. Not ;.
nee that night of the last hop at Paw - :.
e, the night the marching orders came. ~
I'd there been opportunity for the girl =.
speak to him at all. of course tba :"
aJor had been brusque and repellent y
I'd had virtually forbidden his further ~ ~
far 1,sr4