The Democratic advocate., 1894-08-18

Il HN's W - - SNs--s--
sion one of these days, and end as gen
eral"
They moved little further into the
shadow
'Only dreams p he said. "But | loathe
talking of myself Are you interested in
this Egyptian business or in any one going
out?"
They were almost in darkness now, so
that if Kitty Malone had blushed the
young sergeant would have been none the
wiser,
"No."
'Kitty's thoughts travelled remorsefully
for one instant beyond her companion, and
her mental vision was confronted by an emi-
nently gentlemanly face poised on an un-
calmly neck. But although she was about
to make the most prosaic of marriages-to
join her lot to that of an entirely respect
able and dull elder son of a rich peer-she
had inherited with her Celtic blood fool
ish craving for romance. Any one as pret-
| ty as she was could have had no lack of
lovers, but one and all had failed to bring
her the excitement, the passionate desires,
for which she sometimes longed. Here, in
this dimly lighted garden-so duly COM
monplace at the MONDAY, but glori6ed for
an hour or so by the mysterious stars and
the distant sound of music-she felt for
once strangely touched and moved.
"Miss Malone" said the sergeant sud
denly, ''you are extremely good to talk to
me. For four-yes, five years no lady has
said a word to me. feel very much alone
sometimes"
Indeed, l can understand that. But
there are other men of your own class in
your battalion with whom you can make
friends?"
eyes, now and then. But | know |
have gone down hill. Not owing to the
company of the men-no, [ don't mean
that; they are far better fellows, many Of
them, than |; but if one never sees woman
of ones own class, one becomes coarser in
tastes and pleasures, harder also and more
cynical. You have done me good, and |
thank you, even if we should never meet
again.
"But We may meet some day. Anyhow,
l will come and see your ship start.
Willyou?" And he drew little nearer
to her. "You are very kind to me-
"How did you know my name"
~ found it out. Aud have-no,
never mind
"You must tell me yours in return"
''Sergt Rhodes" He paused minute.
''That is the name l shall always be known
by
They walked slowly round the narrow
garden, the distant music sounding in their
ears-passionate, plaintive, tender. Then
they came to a wooden bench, under a
stunted tree. For an hour or more these
two sat on, learning so much, and yet, alas
so little about one another. A church
clock sounded. The music stopped sud
denly. From neighboring garden white
cat leaped over the wall, the moon shining
on its fur. The music had ceased, and the
world seemed to have grown sadder and
more silent. Kitty Malone sprang to her feet.
"0h how late it is What will my
uncle say, and my friends who were to have
taken me home? Good-by, Sergt. Rhodes"
She held out her little hand The moon
shine quivered on his pale handsome face
on the band of his cap and the scarlet and
gold of his uniform. He looked at her
long with the dark eyes which had grown
graver, now, and less reckless.
"Will you give me the bunch of forget
me-nots you wear in your dress p
For moment there flashed across Miss
Kitty's romantic mind memory of the
beautiful American ballad telling of the
lady who flung rose down from her bal
cony as the column of war-worn men
marched by. She trembled little. but
she took out the flowers, and he hid them
away in his breast.
When Kitty came back alone, few
minutes later, the great hall was nearly de-
serted. Mrs. Dowse yawning heavily over
over her emptied urns, and the O'Shaugh-
nessys had gone home. Miss Malone felt
very much ashamed of herself, but alas
more joyous than penitJnt. In her tremor
of excitement she hardly realized yet that
she had been behaving in foolish, and, to
say the least of it, very unconventional
way-in a manner which Lady Celbridge,
her future husbands ideal of all that
lady should be, would have stigmatized as
"bad form; she only knew that she had
been strangely happy, for one evening, al
though tomorrow her folly might cause
her twinges of regret and modification.
And perhaps into the heart of man,
reckless and dissipatej enough, but gem
tleman still, now lying awake in his mar
row bed within blank barrack walls, she
had brought some short glimpses of hope
and retrieval-possibilities of redemption
which, even if they should not develop
into maturity, might not have been born
entirely in vain.
CHAPTER II.
aMy dear Kitty, it is very foolish and
emotional of you to wish to see the troop
ship start. You will probably be quite
overcome, all the more so"-and here
Capt Pelham patted his betroth's curly
head-aas we've, my darling, shall so
soon too have to say good-by to one an-
other
Vincent could never entirely divest him
self of certain stiffness of manner, even
when he was most genuinely moved. His
gestures, as, bending over her, he stroked
Kitty's hair, were also little stilted.
Miss Malone looked him straight in the
face, and smiled, half sadly.
nv - L 7 l.