The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-06
4 MODERN HERO

A little restaurant overlooking the San
Antonio River. Two men. with chairs tilted
back and feet against the projecting rail Of
the balcony, were smoking their evening
cigarettes.
The dusk lay above them ike bats
wing ready to fall swiftly and suddenly, as
it does in southern latitudes.
Both were young and of gOodlY presence.
Western suns and winds had tanned their
cheeks and burned In the red of youth to a
rich tropic hue.
!. Across the brow Of one-a brow whose
boyish contour moved women with mother
instincts TO sudden longing to caress-lay
loose waves Of soft yellow hair. Beneath
looked out eyes Of dark gray. heavy with
the long thoughts of those early. desperate
.days-days when a republic worked out In
blood her long probation. The other had a
farer countenance, more lightsome aud full
of happy promise.
No dark prophecy brooded 10 the sunny
shadows Of tie bright blue eyes, and
laughter sprang as lightly to the lip as the
blush TO the cheek Of a maid.
Superadded tonight to his native eXubeT-
ance was some foreign element of JOYOUS
ness, which seemed 10 master spirit and
muscles alike. He was full of movement.
Tossing away a half-inished cigarette, he
clasped his hands back Of his curly head
and broke the silence with sudden speech.
Ned, l am too happy to smoke; l am the
happiest man in all this border land. Nellie
HerndOn has promised to be my wife. LIS
asecret yet, but l couldn't keep it from you
any more than / could keep my love from
her. There is not another woman like her
north, east south or west. Did you ever
Notice the gold of her hair? II is like sun
shine spun into threads. Whenever L look
at her | thiHk Of some quaint old words my
mother used to read out Of book long years
ago when l was boy back IN my old Georgia
home. They went this way: Whose shoes
lachet am not worthy to unloose.' l sup
pose the preachers would call that irreyer-
ent, but Go1 will bear me witness there's no
lrreverence III my heart when l think OF
her"
At Harvey Armstrong; first words the
color was washed out Of Ned Fosters face
as with sponge, his very eyes seeming TO
pale.
Bringing his chair to the ground, conceal
Ing his face with his hand, he leaned over
the railing and looked down into the slug
glsh waters Of the river flowing few feet
below.
How old and wise they looked, those
waters, in their calm. unfretted flow.
Good for you, old fellow" he said. as he
extended his hand. May you have cent
uries Of happiness. II any man deserves
her il is you, Harvey"
his was IN the summer OF bal
lR the autumn of 1912. when President
Houston ordered out General SOmervell to
the RIO Grande, to organize troops and
aTelge the insulting raids of Vasquez and
VOL, Ned Foster was among the first to re-
spOnd 20 the call for volunteers.
About $50 miles south Of Saitillo, on the
road to the City OF Mexico. is an old fort,
known in history as the liz tienda Salado.
Ie this place, on the 18th OF March, 1S43,
were brought the Tecaptured remnant Of
the unfortunate Mier expedition, that gal
liant band of 800 men, the flower Of western
militia, who went forth to do battle for the
honor Of the young republic and were so
tfeacherously death witt by the followers
Of Santa Ana, to whom they surrendered
as prisoners OF war. All readers of Texas
history know how the terms of the treaty
were broken. and the betrayed men shown
no mercy, but marched into the interior,
subjected tG Incredible hardships. and finally
Imprisoned miles away from home and
friends.
Feeling keenly the indignity of their
treatment, aud fearing worse at the hands
of such ptrfdious foes, they oyerpowered
the guard and escaped. to be rctaken ten
days later and returned to the same IN
closure whence they mad fed.
All this is history; but We nave no writ