The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-07
"S'POSE IT'S SATAN"

$50 boys of DR.. Kellar's school disported
themselves. But besides the bows pres
ent there We're at least $50 demons and
angels of ambition. envy, loyalty, peril
dy and truthfulness.
The doctor himself, in u new suit of
tweed, seemed to the boys to be far more
approachable here in the midst of their
sports than when in academic cap and
gown he cast gloom through their ranks
by stalking along with that searching
eye of his we'll turned on the discomii-
ture of evildoers. However, even at
these grewsome times, the boys admitted
among themselves that Kellar was Il gen
tleman, and that they'd rather take Il
hiding from him than punishment drill
from cad any day.
For they were proud of Kellar's, loyal
to the school, and ready to battle to the
bitter end against any common foe who
dared to asperse it in the slightest de
gree.
A little lad of 10 had just run light
heartedly on the ground when the afore-
said searchlight fell on him, and sinful
taneously the head master shouted out:
"Colville two, thought you had de-
tention:'
Colville two, Il redheaded, merry faced
boy, smiled cheerfully, as if detention
were good joke to which he was well
accustomed, and replied with pleasant
promptness:
$50 l have, sir
"Then what brings you out here:"
81 s'pose it's Satan. He's always do
ing it."
Doing what"
Making me naughty" said Colville
two, with pathetically fearless frankncss.
Then Keilar's little daughter went up
and kissed him.
Twelve years later the battle of Tamai
was being fought, and Colville two was
i'll the thick of it. He had been slightly
wounded in an attack that had been
made upon McNeil's Zareba n few days
previously, and his colonel had men
toned him in dispatches and recon-
mended him strongly for the ''V. c."
for personal gallantry.
On the strength Of this Lieutenant
Colvillo had written to the girl he was
engaged TO. who was ut Cairo with her
mother, telling her that he would not
wait to marry her day after he had got
his company.
GIVE always been lucky fellow,
though I've been in no end of scrapes all
my life" the boy wrote, "and now the
GROWING luck of all is that shall win
you and the Victoria cross at the same
time. Heaps of fellows deserve it lust
as much as / do. only happened to be
i'll front, you see, and was lucky enough
fn NO .,l1. 70
the concealed enemy, who had been
picking off our men like ninepins. The
Arabs turned their fire on me, and our
fellows were able to see where the beg
gars fired from. must bear a charmed
life, think. for the ground was riddled
all around me. Bob Bob was her broth
err and [ fought shoulder to shoulder for
hours, and we shall again many a day,
hope
The girl who got this letter was
worthy of the gallant, light hearted boy
who wrote it, and she sent him pages of
such loving, proud, encouraging words
as only proud loving woman can
write
81 wish l were your wife that 1 might
go to the front and dress your wounds
ihy oOil, my wv IL iONt. lLNcu stS III Is L
am capable of dressing as a boy and go
ing to the camp. l quite understand
Constance de Beverley's bowling her
pride and riding for three long years in
Lord Marmion's train. Only, Jack,
there would be no bowling of pride in
my case. should be prouder than ever
if could only do something to show the
whole camp, the whole world, how dear
ly love my boy"
Then she went on to tell how regularly
she wrote to his mother, keeping her
posted up in all that Jack was doing and
suffering and winning "She is my be-
loved mother and only she can fully
understand how dearly have loved you
ever since that day when went and
kissed You because you said you 's'posed
it was Satan made you naughty"
Violet Kellar had fought hard fight
before she had gained her fathers con-
sent to become engaged to penniless Jack
Colville. The girls brilliantly good
looks, attractive manners and general
cleverness had brought far more eligible
men to her feet. But she had been
faithful to her first love through it all.
81 hate poverty, but love Jack" she
would say, when her father pointed out
to her how far more sensible it would be
of her to marry a man who could give
her good establishment in which he
could stay at home in ease with her than
to link her lot with that of mere sub
altern in a marching regiment.
Probably after they have settled this
disturbance i'll Egypt his regiment will
be sent off to India for three or four
years, and as he can't marry on his pay
you will be left behind to mediate on