News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1893-09-14

in the cushions of Berengaria's barouche,
as he termed his wife's comfortable car.
risge, with that rejoicing matron by his
side distributing smiles and sunshine
and joyous mods of recognition wherever
she went, every ybody waving hand or hat
or handkerchief as they bowled along,
and Winifred-bonny Winifred-beam-
ing upon her father from the front seat.
Very, very sweet Miss Berrien was look
ing just now, said all who saw her; vet
there was shade of wistfulness in her
face, constant expression about those
deep, dark eyes that seemed to tell they
were ever on watch for one who never
came. Shattered as was his saber arm,
Curly Brewster had scoffed at the idea
of being sent back to Pawnee.
whats the use?" he said. 81 would
be utterly alone there, while here have
all the fellows about me. What better
care do need"
In the midst of all their trials and an
noyances, in the thick of the whirl of
events that followed their sharp and
sudden fight, the officers and men of the
Twelfth found themselves more closely
drawn together even than before. Very
little was said when outsiders were by
as to the depth of feeling aroused in
their ranks by the unaccountable crit
icism of the press. Very little had to be
said in the official investigation of the
affair to clear them, one and all, of the
array of allegations lodged at their
doors. But that every man, from the
colonel down, bore away from the field
of their winters travail sense of in
jury beyond the scar of savage missile,
who could doubt, who could blame? It
did not prevent their having some quiet
fun of their own, however. Gray haired
Farquhar was whimsical in his sym
pathy with Rolfe, whose scalp had been
saved by the man of all others he had
most reviled-Sergeant Ellis. Randolph
from the recesses of the hospital tent
poked no end of gibes at Ridgeway, who
had lost his eyeglasses in the morning
fight and had been nearly run off with
by the Sioux. AS for Rolfe's plight, che
lost all the skin from the side instead of
the top of his head" laughed Gorham.
1t was pitiable enough to make the
boys forget the austerity of his past, for
to his dying day Rolfe would carry the
marks of his involuntary "scrap with a
squaw," as Randolph termed it. "Rolfe's
scars have come to the surface" chimed
in Warren, who never could get along
R1sip, They all hoped that he would
go back to Pawnee with the wounded
train, and he did. So, too, did Ellis,
wearing on the arm in a sling the new
chevrons of a first sergeant, won, as said
his colonel in presenting them, together
with the heartiest recommendation for
a medal of honor l could write, for
bravery on tho field of battle" Rolfe
turned his bandaged head away when
Holden gave him all the story. He knew
not what to think, much less what to
say. Ellis had leaped through the swarm
of fighting braves and with the butt Of
his carbine dashed aside the unsexed
fend whose clutching claws were in the
captains hair, and then had fought like
q tiger over the PROSTATE body and saved
the life of the man who had maligned
him.
''One half second more and you were
gone, Rolfe," said Holden gravely.
II never said he wasn't fine soldier" I"
answered Rolfe family. perhaps ]
didn't know him Alright"
"That isn't all there is to it, Rolfe."
was the doctors reply. "He is more
than a soldier. He is gentleman, and
l know it,"
Yet when Rolfe expressed desire to
see and speak with Ellis later he calmly
begged the doctor to excuse him.
But just why Brewster would not go
home with the wounded the boys could
not quite understand. He would be off
duty for months. He might not swing
Baber again for year. Miss Berrien
was there, all readiness, no doubt, to
thank him warmly for all he had done
to save her and her mother from the
blizzard, from the Indians, and heaven
knows what ALTO bless him for his
rescue of papa-to beam upon him with
those wondrous dark eyes, thought poor
Ridgeway, who felt somehow that, after
all, his cake was all dough. And yet
Curly wouldn't go. What was more, he
had never so much as exchanged one
word with Winifred Berrien from the
moment of the discovery of the ambu-
lance. 1t was "B throop." as Murphy
said, that had the honor of conveying
the ladies on to camp and the bedside of
the astonished major. 1t was a blow to
Winifred to learn that within twelve
hours after their arrival the old battalion
had ridden away, Brewster with it.
II know why Curly doesn't dare go
back" said one of the sages of the bach
elor mess. "He's afraid Knowles will
to town to be nursed under his roof or
else of her going out to nurse him.
Begadl it may be tough, but it's heap
safer here" And so "Antinous" re-
mained with his fellows in the wintry
field, and old Berrien, who never could
be got to write a letter to anybody,
found he could stand it no longer. He
bade Berengaria write and say-well,
something; something really must be
said about how they appreciated his
conduct; "bygones be bygones;" some
thing, anything; he didn't know; she
did; she always knew just what to say.
$50 write, Bess."
"But have, Dick"
"Berengarial And without my con-
sent?''
"Richard Plantagenet, Ceur de Lion,
Tete de Veau, of course-ten days ago" Z"
"What did you say?'
Everything that was proper, trust. 4"
"What did he say?"
Nothing"
didn't he answer"
"IIow could he, DickP You can't with
two hands; he has but one, tho left at
that"
"He might have got somebody to write
for him, did,"
80 did he"
Thought you said he didn't say any
thing"
"Well, he didn't. He said everything
that was gentlemanly courteous, appre-
ciative, and yet-nothing. A model let
ter, Dick"
"What does Winnie say?"
Nothing"
Didn't she see it?'
"N hy should she, Dick? Two months
ago You practically forbade their meet
ing"
fro BE CONTINUED.