Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-10-05

er's side, had forgotten all about it:
| anu Capt. Gerard Marvin, as thay
| noated down the room together, was
thinking he had never seen anyone
! quite SO beautiful as Marjorie was to-
| night
1t was over, though, at last and almost
everyone was leaving. One of the men
was TO be sent home with Milda who
was bidding Marjorie good night. and
! thanking her for the hundredth time
for the pleasure she had given her
| 1T has been so nice-so nice" she
said, and some day Miss De Land, eff
L can, I'll pay you back
! The winter slipped away almost be
fore the people at the garrison Were
aware of it, and the spring came. Be
yOnd the usual routine of duty. with
the occasional and even frequent social
events, only one thing had occurred
of Importance.
| Riding through Neil one day in the
early spring, Capt. Gerald Marvin had
done something which he considered a
trifie, but whose Importance his broth
| er soldier We're disposed to magnify.
He and Sergeant Graham had taken
| circuitous route in riding over from
| the fort, which brought them to the
edge Of the settlement before they were
| aware how near they We're TO it. On
| the edge of the line Of huts which
formed the main street, they had heard
the sound of voices
L tell you," said some one in an ex-
rnHprtnnn is
If We don't give it to me I'll half kill
We like [ hev him.
Both men drew rein invOluntarily,
| and the reply came.
Kill away! That was Bills nugget
an [ found it out so 1 draw it. Stand
Out'n my wayr'
A low moan came from the same di-
rection now, and anOrner voice said
feebly:
Boys, don't take it, don't! It's all
I've got an found it fair and squar-"
shut upn' interposed one of the
others, cor PHI
mo, you won't, my friend!' cried
Capt. Marvin, dashing around the thick
ct behind which they were concealed.
Give up the gold or take this.' He
leveled his revolver at the man with
the nugget, while the sergeant COW
cred the other with his.
I There was short parley, then the
man, muttering and threatening, threw
down the nugget and they left.
A miner passing by was hailed and
the owner of the gold given into his
charge
We've done Il pretty risky thing,
Marvin said his companion, as they
rode away, COR rather you have. And
ten to one We'll have to answer for it;
nobody knows how, either They
wouldn't have given up so easily if
they hadn't some deviltry on hand"
III risk it, said the captain, lightly
1--WE didn't do much"
But those to whom the sergeant told
the story thought differently. And Mar
jorie, a proud happy light in her eyes,
heard her fathers praise Of him. For
nearly two months before she had
promised to be his wife.
About a week after this Capt Mar
vim rode over from the fort late in the
afternoon. Marjorie had expected him
a
had come earlier
They were sitting on the porch after
tea, watching the round yellow moon
creep up the sky, and the colonel had
just stepped to the door.
Il can hear some one whistling," he
said.
That's your piece, Marvin, In the
Cleaning
That's so!'' he said, lightly, every
one knows me by that tune. It isn't
being whistled very well now, though.
Why, / remember once"
He stopped suddenly. Gomez he
cried. Colonel come quickly! Mar
jorie stay there"
For there had been report loud
and sharp and sudden, and with a
low moan the whistler had ceased.
Down under the oak tree by the road
side they found them,-a figure stretch
over it; some one else was running
down the road, and a revolver, still
smoking, lay on the grass.
ut is a womanv' cried Col De Land,
excitedly MARVIN. do vow see?"
But Marjorie bending over her, utter
ed a sharp cry ''It is Milda" she said.
At the sound of her voice the girl
opened her eyes.
you've done for me, uncle!' she said,
as her eyes rested for a moment on
the man standing helplessly beside her.
But you didn't mean to, did We? An
I done it! I done it, after all! I saved
him fer We, Miss Marjorie, didn't I?
They was going to kill him." she ex-
planned, feebly, "fer takin' the nugget,
you know, an they planned to shoot
him when he turned the corner by the
big oak whistlin', after he'd left his
horse. I'd watched We, Miss Marjorie,
an I knowed as how We loved him
an he come here every night about
the same time awhistlin' the same
tune 1 didn't hev no time to 60 to the
fort first an tell him an So"
She ceased suddenly with a low
moan Of pain. Marjorie, her eyes blind
ded with tears, bent over her and clasp
ed her hand. God bless you, Milda!''
she said, brokenly, 'God bless you! Alb,
this is terrible Was there no other
way"
'"There wasn't none" came the an
swer, slowly, 81 tried to think but I
didn't have no time an it doesn't mat
ter
Then the dark eyes flew open ques-
tiOningly. 'YOu-yOu are glad?" she |
whispered. AM am too. I said