Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-11-10

| OASOo JuuIpSu' OuTlekS anu yollS
OF laughter went up from a dozen
men. The tub went spinning round
and round at their horses feet, and
the water ran serenely down the
dusty road.
The colonel wiped off the waite
and remounted his horse. Tina
boy must be looked AFTER" said he
He has a future"
They kept on slowly, and soon the
great Curtis manor came in sight
The long avenue of trees looked COO
and refreshing to the heated men
The colonel rode out little ahead anG
led the way toward the mansion.
"Howdyi Howdy, sir2"
A sweet, clear voice just in front
of him halted the officer. Looking
down he saw slim, fair little girl
standing before his horse. Her bright
curls tossed and tumbled and shone
like a cap of gold on her head. The
fearless, daring innocence of her
blue eyes brought him to full stop,
and he halted the troop by wave
of his hand.
AS he reined in hetouched his hat.
And 'howdy' to you, little miss. !
am very glad to see you. WhereRre
you going bareheadedp
Nowhere, sir. l live right up
there in that house. Won't you stop
and come in9"
But you were going the other
way away from the house, " said the
colonel.
Yes, sir, / was going down to-
ward the creek" Patty was dying
to ask if the troop had met little,
fat colored woman.
do you mean the stream about a
mile from here, my little girlf" and
in spite of himself the officer laughed
as he spoke.
Patty suspected at once. She felt
cold chills of mingled fear and morti-
fcation creep over her. And the
officer who had ridden up spoke just
here, do your servants go down
there to WASN'T"
At this Patty's small head was
sore perplexed. She was not quite
certain what answer it was best to
make. She colored, gazed at the
speaker, and then tears welled up
into her eyes.
The colonel frowned at the officer,
sprang from his horse, threw the
bride rein over his arm and walked
beside Patty.
"Tell me-" he said, "and don't be
afraid of us. Are you in trouble at
home, or were you really only stroll
ing down to the creekT
Patty glanced up at him, then all
around the landscape in the gather
ing twilight, there was nowhere any
sight or sound of her poor little
AUNT Jane" She raised herself on
tiptoe and put her soft little hands
about the colonel's neck and in a
whisper asked, did you Gee any
thing of an old colored woman with
a washtub on her head down by the
creek or coming up this way1"
If it hadn't been for the pretty, in
nocent face and the touch Of her lit
tie fingers on his brown burned neck
and face, his dignity would have
been hard to preserve.
He held her hand in his own and
walked along. "Yes-let-me-see,"
he began, rejecting. "She had on q
pink bonnetP
"She did She's the very one"
cried Patty.
"And a calico DRESS" went on the
officer, land she was rather shortP'
"Yes, yes" cried Patty, land very
good looking"
WAS she2" said the colonel.
"Well, you see, after the accident I
didn't have the chance to observe
her as otherwise might have done"
"The accidenti' gasped Patty.
''Oh, what accident7 Where is he
nowi Oh, ohr and Patty was no
longer a heroine.
At a quiet signal the officers and
men rode on, but the colonel tied his
horse to a tree by the roadside, set
the troubled, sobbing little girl down
ON the grass beside him, and then
and there they exchanged conf,
dences,
Many long day Of sharp fighting,
hard marching and weary soldering
was frightened for the colonel by
the memory Of the golden haired
child and the night spent in the cool,
red Virginia manor house. For Pat
tv ended by inviting him in" as she
had planned, where in her mothers
absence she presided at the supper
table with childish grace. But he
did not meet Aleck for many years
after-six years it was perhaps.
Then he came riding up the avenue
again TO see Patty. Patty was IL
then and very dazzling in color, her
crown of gold making her look even
taller than she really was, with all
fine knots and pins and royal airs
which set 50 well above her girlish
face. .5.
IN Colonel Hooper's handsome
home in New York city there u
wealtb and beauty and JOY ana