The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-09-02

all like sounds usually produced by the
lungs of night. He walked quickly
among the bales of hay, and nearly
fell over the origin of the strange
sound. He picked it up and looked at
it in the dim moonlight.
white, eh? How the deuce did the
child get here?" he demanded of him
self. Say, kid, who are your
But the child was crying too steadily
to admit of its doing anything else. 1t
had probably been asleep, and now.
barely awake. was frightened by I'M
wonted surroundings. 1t was cold. too.
Myers could not get a rational reply.
The child simply chung to him, and
cried with a loud voice. To Myers
mind it drowned all other sounds, and
he wondered that the guard did not
come down and see what had occurred
on post No. 3.
Private Myers was not enough of a
soldier to alarm the guard. lie was too
much of a soldier to leave his post and
run with the child to the cottage Of
Corporal Bond, but a few rods away.
What he did was to strip off his over
coat, wrap the child in, and talk in q
roughly comforting way. Presently no
made u hollow space among the bales,
sheltered from the wind, and warm.
In it he put the quoted child, pulling
another bale over the nest; and tho
child went to sleep, like the vigorous,
healthy little animal that it was.
Myers recommended p~atrolling his
beat. The wind continued to rise, and
it was increasingly cold. 1t cut like
knives through his blouse. Some of the
time Myers ran, to beat off the cold.
The officer of the guard came STUN.
bling sleepily about on a tour of in
spection. "All right on your post?" he
demanded.
IAN right, sir"
Very foolish of you not to wear an
You're likely to get pneu-
monia," said the officer.
The sentinel made To reply. The re-
mark had been unofficial, and did not
require any.
At the end of two weary hours, Cor
poral Bond came down to relieve the
sentinel. He had been warm and com
Portable in the guardhouse, and was
possibly in a little worse humor at hav-
ing to turn ont for SO trifing a duty.
still alive, eh?" said he. well, l
didn't expect it see they took your
overcoat, though"
mo, they didn't I've got it down
said Myers He vent to the
place. and picked it up tenderly.
THE more fool you for not wearing
it." growled the corporal. why, what
have you got in it?'
Just a kid I found down here crying"
Corporal Bond looked at the sleeping
child and gave a little start as of sur.
prise. "Well, 1 swearl" said he. But
didn't.
They marched together without an
other word from the lower end of the
beat and passed the corporal's set
of quarters Suddenly the corporal
stopped.
I'll take the kid" said he. And
then he held out a hand in a friendly
way. I'VE might shake" he ventured.
Myers was carrying the child close to
his breast with a warm feeling of ten
der possession. He did not fancy let
ting the corporal take the helpless
from him and spoke with u
usual resentment
'rril keep the kid for tonight" said
he. sturdily. 81 found it, and I'll take
care of it'll somebody claims it. And
don't know any reason why we should
shake hands. We haven't had any oc-
casion TO, so far"
"well," said the corporal, II thought
I'd like to because-because I seem TO
have made q mistake in sizing you up
I'm willing to admit my fault But it's
Just as you say"
'Oh, that's 1t, eh9" said Myera
swell, here's my hand. Shake and
shake hearty. and, by the way, the
kid here; you've got women-folk, and
they can take care of It better than ]
ian just for tonight You know
it is?"
Eyes, said Corporal Bond "Ttt
mine"