The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-01-06

special service for the colonel OF my
gllnent.
''It was very slmp e. He wanted u
volunteer to undertake a mission of
great danger. I offered myself, he &C
cepted. !;
''The mission was successfully per-
formed, and by good fortune there
were circumstances that called for
presence OF mind on my part and a
hot fight with band ofthe enemy be-
fore got back into our lines. !
1.-THE colonel was pleased to call my
conduct brave and gallant and he
publicly gave me this"
Here the lieutenant opened little
leather case and took out a badge of
the-th army crops.
He took it from his own breast and
gave it to me-" continued G., "to me,
the 'jailbird,' the convict though,
thank heaven! he did not know that
those disgracefulnames and had any
connection with each other. He did
more than that-he recommended me
for promotion and was soon COM
missioned lieutenant, but in another
regiment; there were no vacancies in
my own.
"Ah, you don't know major, how
happy was to receive that commits
sion! l was man again, like the 9th
ers! 1t was my patent::of nobility! 1t
was like a beautiful edifice built over
black ruin-it was, indeed, the be-
ginning of a new and better life
swell, year passed-the last year
OF the war. Why could they not have
allowed me to 60 on to the end?
"ln some way, as mysterious as be-
lore, my secret, my terrible secret, be-
came known. Rank, services, gallan-
try, all countea for nothing against
that prison record. l have told you
that the stain can never be wiped out
that it clings forever
"My brother officers begun turning
| their backs upon me, as the men at
the recruiting station had done.
was isolated, alone: no one
| addressed me, except when COM
PEELED by the details of duty. was
| ruined.
FINALLY, the colonel-not altogether
an agreeable man under the most
favorable conditions-summoned me
to his quarters one night and told me
that the officers had found out all
about me, and that twas their unani-
! nous desire that l should leave.
Briefly, he asked me to resign my
commission.
II did not demur at all-what would
have been the use?"
"Then, still determined to make an
honorable name for myself, and hav-
ing no means of doing so except in the
army, enlisted with some recruits
that were going to join Sherman in
the south. I did my duty as best I
could and won a lieutenant's epaulets
again.
CAT the close of the war was ap-
pointed to avacant lieutenancy in the
regular army on the recommendation
of officers that were familiar with my
services in the south. 1 hold that
commission now. Here it is, you see
a1ientenant in the--th cavalry.
"But even there my fault has fol-
lowed me. Some one has followed me.
Some one has told my story, and it is
on the tongues of both officers and
men in my regiment.
elm despair had given up the
fight. l can not struggle against fate.
do not desire to die; on the contrary,
desire to live, and come to you,
major, and ask you how I can live.
Show me how to escape this incubus
that pursues so relentlessly and op-
presses me so grievously. I'll gladly
follow your advice, for am desper-
ate!''
At the conclusion of the lieutenant's
story l rose from my chair and grasp
ep his hand. I was moved to the
! very depths OF my soul by his most
pathetic recital ofhis wrongs-for who
will say they were not wrongs?
&C." l said, "you have my pro-
found sympathy, but do not talk of
taking your life. AS have said, a
soldier has no right to do that. I'll
tell you what would do in your place.
You know there is an uprising among
the Indians out west, and troops are
| now marshalling to go against them.
If were you would 90 there-I will
see that you are assigned to one of
the regiments in that department, if
you like-and if you must seek death
seek it in BATTLE"
Thank you q thousand times,
major" cried c., a new light
suddenly breaking out upon his face.
'Tli go most cheerfully. And if find
death at the hands OF the redskins I'll
meet it with bold front.
''This little badge" continued he,
taking up the corps emblem that his
colonel had given him, lis all have
to bequeath. If l am found on a
battlefield this will be in my breast
pocket. A note inside the case will
ask the finder to send it to you, so
that when it comes you may know
that a broken and ruined man is
finally at rest"
A few months later the package
came. c. had died a soldiers
death, a gallant death, in his second
battle with the Indians.-Detroit Free
Press.
Birth. Not Fitness.
The Red-haired Club, Of Dublin, was
q society which barred out all whose