The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-09-21

racheJ enough 20 wake tho dead. won
der ii l disturbed anybody at the colo
! nel's?"
AS though i'll answer to his sugges-
ton there suddenly appeared, high on
the blank wall before him, the refec-
ton OF faint light Had little night
lamp been turned on in the front room
of the upper story? The CLEAN came
from the north window ON the side. He
saw plainly the shadow Of the pretty
lace curtains looped loosely back. Then
the shade was gently raised, and there
was for an instant the silhouette of q
slender hand and wrist and the shadow
of lace bordered sleeve. Then the light
receded, as though carried back across
the room, waned, as though slowly ex-
tinguished, and the last shadows showed
the curtains still Topped back, the roll
ing shade still raised.
II thought So, he growled. Zone
tumble like that is enough to wake the
seven sleepers, let alone q lovesick girl
who is probably dreaming over Jer-
rold's parting words. She is spirited
and blue blooded enough to have more
sense, too, that superb brunette. All,
Miss Alice, ! wonder if you think that
fellows love worth having? 1t is two
hours since he left you-more than that
and here you are awake yet-cannot
sleep, want more air and have to come
and raise your shade. No such warm
night either. " These were his reflec-
tons as he picked up his offending
sword and more slowly and cautiously
now CROPPED his way along the western
terrace. He passed the row of bachelor
quarters and was we'll out beyond the
limits of the fort before he came upon
the next sentry-No. 5-and recognized
in the sharp "Who comes there?" and
the stern rattle of the bayonet as it
dropped to the charge the we'll known
challenge of Private Leary, one of the
oldest and most reliable soldiers in the
regiment.
''All right on your post, Leary?" he
asked after having given the counter
sign.
"All right, l think sor, though if
the captain had asked me that half an
hour ago I'd not have said So 1t was
so dark couldn't see me hand afore me
face, sor, but about half past 2 was
walkin very slow down back of the
quarters whin just close by Loot'nant
Jerrold's back gate seen somethin NOV
ill.,. an as | come softly along it riz
up an sure l thought twas the loot'n-
ant himself, whin he seemed to catch
sight O. me or hear me, an he backed
inside the gate an shut it. l was sure
twas he he was so tall an slimlike,
an so I niver said word until got to
thinkin over it, an then I couldn't
spake. Sure if it had been the loot n
ant he wouldn't have backed away from
sintry-he'd "a come out bold an CIV
Ell the countersign-but l didn't think
o. that. 1t looked like him in the dark,
an twas his quarters, an l thought it
was him until thought ag in, an then,
Tor, whit back and searched the yard,
but there was no one there. :"
''Hm Odd thing that, Leary! Why
didn't you challenge at first?"
Sure, sor, he lept inside the fince
quick as liver we set eyes OH each other.
He was bendin down, an l thought it
was one of tho hound pups when l first
sighted him. -
"And he hasn't been around SINGER"
mo, sor, nor nobody till the officer
Of the day came along.
Chester walked away puzzled. Sibley
was quiet and orderly garrison. Night
providers had never been heard from,
especially over here at the south and
southwest fronts. The enlisted men 60
tn hn
big high bridge or went at once to
their own quarters ON the east and
north. This southwestern terrace behind
the bachelors row was the most seclud-
ed spot OH the whole post, so much so
that when fire broke out there among
the fuel heaps one sharp winters night
year agone it had we'll nigh envoloped
the whole line before it's existence was
discovered. Indeed not until after this
occurrence was sentry posted on that
front at all, and once ordered there he
had so little to do and was so compare
lively sure to be undisturbed that the
old soldiers eagerly sought the post in
preference to any other and were given
1t as peace privilege. For months re-
lief after relief tramped around the fort
and found the terrace post as humdrum
and silent as an empty church, but this
night No. leaped suddenly into notori-
ETY..
Instead Of going home. Chester kept
on across the plateau and took long
walk ON the northern side Of the reser-
walton, where the quartermaster's stables
and corrals were placed. He was affect
ed by strange unrest. His talk with
Rollins had aroused the memories of
years long gone by, of days when he,
too, was young and full Of hope and
faith-aye, full of love-all lavished OH
one fair girl who knew it well, but gen.
tly, almost entreatingly, repealed him.
Her heart was wrapped up in another,
the Adonis of his day in the gay old sea-
board garrison. She was soldiers
child, barrack born, simply taught,
knowing little of the vice and tempta-
lions, the follies and the frauds, of the
whirling life of civilization. A good
and gentle mother had reared her and
been called hence Her father, an Off