The Opelousas courier., 1893-08-26

WILL NU19 IL 44OAAOVSAy va JSuA S&SO
tion in the country. Then, too, you
can entertain your city friends with q
glowing account of how aprairie settle
ment celebrated the glorious Fourth. ."
$50 I cant" laughed Robert. 81
hadn't thought of that. However, I've
quite decided to attend this rustic cele-
bration."
"Oh, Robert! and go with us in the
wagonette?"
"Well, the fact is, Allie, I think OF
asking Uncle Lee to lend me the pony
pheton for that OCCASION"
"And go by yourself? Why, there'n
be no fun in thati"
81 have no notion of going myself"
said Robert, flushing. "You see, Allie,
I intend to ask your pretty neighbor,
who stays 80 closely at home end takes
such good care of her invalidFmother,
to go with me in the ph@ton."
"Whatl Mariel bee?" cried Allie.
''She won't go, I can tell you. She
seldom goes any place, aud couldn't be-
persuaded to leave home on the Fourth
of July. It's a sad anniversary for
her"
"A~nniversary of WHAT" asked Robert,
sitting erect in the hammock, with a
sudden access-o of interest.
sOf her fathers mysterious disap.
pearance, {" replied Allie, with the in
difference of n who repeats a old
story.
Robert stared in smazement at the
Idea of any one mysteriously disap-
pearing in that quiet country place.
81 supposed her father was dead, "he
said, grevely. "Look here, Allie, i
wish you would tell me this mystery
about the Lees. Mariel is the dearest
girl I know but while in many ways
/ feel we'll acquainted with her, there
is about her an air of subdued sadness
that puzzles me. She and her mother
seem very comfortably situated, and
are handsome, clever women; but des-
pite their cordiality and cheerfulness,
they always seem haunted by some
secret trouble. What is it, Allie?"
ITS a sad story" replied Allie,
signing. "But I'll repeat it for your
benefit, since you seem SO interested
in the Lees. Mariel's father was a
soldier, and served Is q private
throughout the entire war. In some
engagement he was hit on the head by
q fragment of shell, and was taken to
q hospital. His wound was serious
but it finally healed, and he returned
to his regiment apparently as well as
ever.
'After the war he married and To-
Gated here on the prairie. For many
years after Mariel's birth he was per-
fectly well and sprospered in every
way. Then he began talking and act.
ing strangely, insisting that the var
was still in progress, and that troops
were needed at the front. He went
about trying to raise a company, and
failing in this, declared his intention
of going alone to the front.
physicians said his old wound was
troubling him, and that he was in dan-
ger Of losing his mind from the effects
Of the injury to his head caused by the
fragment Of shell more than . score Of
years before.
s'They did what they could for him,
but he gradually grew worse. His
strange hallucination increased, and
finally he broke away from all re-
straint.
aOn the Fourth Of July five years
ago he heard the drum and fife at q
rural celebration, and though, a re-
cruiting sergeant was calling for vol
unteers.
Returning home, he insisted that
he had enlisted and must immediasely
join his regiment at the front. He
settled his affairs, babe his wife and
daughter an afectionate farewell, and
departed, as he said, fer the front.
1.-THE strangest part of the story is
that it has always been impossible to
Discovers any trace of his whereabouts.
The search for him began Oh the very
day Of his departure, and has been
maintained more or less continually
ever since, but without avail From
she moment ct his leaving home he