The herald., 1893-10-24
LOVE ON A WALL.

ana bn5 one SkeieUOu bTSS III Tile COIucT
extended its leahess branches like gaunt
arms in various directions.
A wooden post was stuck in the cen
ter of the gravel square, its purpose
vague; at few yards distant stood a
man practicing at broadsword exercise
Sergeant Major Boyne, pausing from
his exertlons, addressed some one sitting
on the wall to his right.
ssAre you cold, Mollie?"
sNo, thanks; it is warming to watch
you"
The sergeant continued his evolut5ons
One-two-three-f rightl One
wo-three-four; leftr'
The girl clapped her hands. The SER
geant repeated the performance.
'.How jolly you look, cousin iJack!"
Mollie cried as the cuts and thrusts whis-
tied through the air.
ssDo IYNthe sergeant oueried, sDlemnly
regarding the post in the middle of the
ground.
'sYou know that you look MICE" she
said severely. "Don't pretend"
He returned the weapon to It's sheath
and looked at tlle girl critically.
"You know that you look nice, Cousin
Mollie," he said, with mock iseverity.
Don't pretend. SYou are thaprettiest
girl in Linbridge. All the men at the
barracks saysthat of you,"
s'Do theyp she criedlwith aEgasp. 81
am so glad"
'GladP Silly girl! What is their opin-
ion worth?"
Gas much as yours, I suppose" she
answered.
"Oh, of course"
She leaned. against the wall and re-
fastened buckle. She bit her lip and
tapped the red bricks with her heels.
s'Sergeant Travers came off worsted
among the men, the other night, heard"
''The oddswefe all against the one, as
usual" she said. Your barrack jokes
are seldom funny"
He laughed. "Why'do you care for
him, Mollie?'
81 don't"
"All right, Moylie,' he said in tone
that indicated "al1s wrong"
"It's getting lbte," she remarked.
''They are setting the tea tray"
''Shall help you down."
Her toes were on a level with his chest
as he fronted her. ,She carefully scru-
tinized the height from the gnound.
"No, thank you."
"Oh, all right" he responded, with
the same dubioustinfection
She heard his spurs click over the
frosty ground Sheswatched the patch
of scarlet merge intoi the gloom and re-
appear in the lghtedjroom of the house.
Then the tears trick lied down her cold
cheek and froze there.
A boy was spinning, top in the next
garden. She leaned toward him.
"Little boy" she whispered, "give me
a push"
The little boy, mounting an inverted
bucket, pushed" and heard a muff1ed
thud on the other sidetof the wall.
Every girl in the li,'tle garrison town
who possessed an invitation to the non
commissioned officers ball was prepar-
ing for the evenings festivity.
Mollie Henderson pirouetted round the
small limit Of her chamber, a gauzy be-
ing in white. The circumscribed mirror
had been tilted up and tilted down, only
a quarter of her form being visioned at
one time.
The edge of her skirt and white satin
slippers were undergoing!refection When
her youngest brother shouted through
the keyhole:
"You'1ldo, Molliel You'llsbeat Georgina
yuohl,
"Oh, Bobby, darling, do you think so:'
she cried, opening the door.
ssPositive. Here are two boxes. Guess
ones from the sergeant"
Each box containeda spray of flowers.
She held the red roses admiringly.
"Dear Mollie, please wear my flowers,
was penciled on IA sheet of paper bearing
the name of Sergeant Travers. The
lilies of the valley We're accompanied by
q scrap of paper From Jack"
(which shall wear, Bobby" she ask
ed excitedly, laying the roses and the
lilies together against her bodice.
"Both," the(boy replied promptly.
"Oh, can't. 1 think-I think the red
looks better on the whiGe. The lilies are
a trifle insipid, and yet-oh, l must wear
the roses; the red looksl lovely!"
She turned from herr brothers inspec-
tion, with the roses clustered at her
breast
"Stunningl Now stick the lilies in
your hair"
'But they would look awful, Bobby"
whats the odds? Cousin Jack might
feel hipped if you don't stick 'em some
where"
J "Don't be so silly! The men have
nothing to do with the flowers"
She gathered her gloves and fan to-
gether and hastened out of Bobby's
sight.
swell" soliloquized the juvenile man,
81 guess I'll keep my money in my pock-
ct before I'm soft enough to waste it on
the girls"
"Did you receive the llies" Sergeant
Major Boyne asked, while he and his
partner stood aside from the dancers for
q moment.
"Yes; thank you very much"
sYou are not wearing them"
"These roses arrived at the same time.
IL thought their color rwas such pref
ty contrast for my gown"
at is very pretty"
"Are you annoyed, Cousin Jack?"
"Not at all. Shall we finish this
valse?"
"Ye-es."
Later on Travers claimed Mollie for