The Helena independent., 1894-11-29

feet.
Having succeeded In this, she used
quite hA much skill In keeping him from
asking her to marry him. She didn't
want to be married; she didn't even
want 10 be engaged, aud he was only
the pnatlme Of a summers jaunt, No
body took such nirtations seriously: that
II nobody with any sense. lf he couldn't
nec that she was In fun II wasn't her
fault. was M She wasn't accountable
Tor his being deficient In powers of per-
ceplion. was she2 A New York man
ought 10 know how 10 take care OF him
self
Well, the little summer play was over.
Saunders went back 10 town with the
secret determination 90 cut loose from
the grind Of the law reading 10 10 into
the army He had not told Madge of
This. somehow looking back on IL, he
hadn't told her anything that he had
meant to, he had been half afraid that
she would laugh. II would never do 20
have her laugh,
OF course, there was big row az
home when he announced his determine
tlon. Hut the breath OF free air that he
had drawn In from contact with Madge
made him see that he should have some
thing 10 say In the matter Of his own
career. Moreover he had the strength
OF love 10 uphold him. He surprised his
parents by asserting his freedom uf
action, and when they made IL too dis
agreeable for his sclfrespect 10 allow
him 10 stay under their roof he left IL,
with phternal and maternal maledic-
lions following him. He started In Ia
obtain civil appointment and lestned
more, before he realized his failure, Of
the nature Of human beings and Of the
vi taNa b. hf.
known before.
1t came about that he obtained no civil
appointment and he knew that his
father had dome his best, covertiy. that
he should not obtain H. This one thing
he could not forgive. Meantime hc long
ed for Madge with the whole power of
his heart. He wrote to her a-- received
no reply, SO he supposed that she had
not got his letter. The thought that she
had ignored II did not come 90 him. The
| flnal refusal of a commission was blow
| from which he did not recover for some
days-he lost heart for a time; but he
read In an Army and Navy that Miss
Kean had been desperately ill That
afternoon he enlisted az private SOL
dier and the next morning wore the
| bue.
This was not being a colonel or a gem
eral, but men had risen from the ranks
10 sudden fame and honor In the books
he had read. Besides. he was at his
last penny. A little wave OF disgust ran
over him as he learned that Sl3 month,
with clothing. bed and board, would be
his share OF this worlds goods. lie en-
listed with that vague notion which the
average citizen OF that day had, that
officers and men inhabited peacefully
the same quarters. that the barrack-
room was a sort OF happy family cage,
where shoulder straps and chevrons
were side by side. He had not stopped
to think that the west was wide. and
that he might be assigned to post sew
eral thousand miles from the one which
his lady love lighted with her presence.
IL was not until the deed was done that
this came TO him, and then he could
only hope and pray
AS luck would have H. he was sent to
the very post where Colonel Keau was
stationed. This did not exactly surprise
him; he took 10 as a matter of course
that Providence should interfere in be-
half of a Saunders-of one Of the hane-
somest and most popular ft.e5ws in his
set He wondered what his friends at
home thought OF his escapade Then he
settled down to the discomforts of sec
ond class accommOda tions in "A railway
car. Fortunately for him. the garrison
10 which he was ordered happened 10 be
very near 10 the railroad and he WAS
spared the cross country c.>5 of hun
dred or two miles.
Words cannot paint the miseries that
Saunders went through. They were not
physical miseries, for he was well fed,
well sheltered. well clothed. not over
worked. and was spared the humiliation
and pain OF the raw recruit who learns
for the first time 90 bestride a bare
backed horse. Saunders was an old
hand at steeplechase and had little 10
learn save a few techncallties But he
found that the line which divided officers
and men was as the line which divided
Lazarus in heaven and the rich map In
hell; that beyond "A salute and a con-
versation thickly sprinkled with re-
spectful "srs" and very good. sirs."
on the part of the private. and with
crisp orders and sometimes oaths from
the officer there was no speech.
lie did not even see Madge for three
days. but was induced to overcome his
predeterminatlon To call upon her. lie
saw within an hour after he had stepped
upon the reservation that he would
hardly be welcome. IL was bad enough
not to be able 10 see his divinity: It was
infinitely worse when, at last. he met
her. She gave a great gasp and start.
blushed and returned his bow. with
just the slightest nod and cOndesCending
smile. He saw with dlsmay that he was
to her simply a menial-that he could
not dare 10 overstep the line which d.
vided them.
He got over his desire 10 shoot himself
every time he was given an order In her
hearing after awhile. He watched her
fiirtations with "A gorgeous first lieu
tenant I'm bitterness OF spirit. and the
thought dawned on him that she was
not true but he hoped she would leave
the first lieutenant when he (Saunders)
should have won his spurs. But even
the spurs seemed far away. He had
come To understand that the jump from
the uniform OF an enlisted man into that
Of an officer is difficult feat. or was In
those days and nD chance for physical
prowess presented itself. Morally he
was as brave ns only man In love can
be. He would have killed himself had
he not been,
More courage than to CARRY a stand
ard To the cAnnon's : mouth did IL take for
him To obey the first order To police
with fatigue party. the back yards of
the officers quarters. To police Is
army Tor cleaning up, and u is LETT, as
"A general thing, to the prisoners who
happen to hc In the guard house. but
at this time there wcrr very few prison
crs. not more than one or two, for the
men had been upon their good behavior.
II being almost two months since the
paymaster's last visit and NO cash LETT
Ia be expended upon whisky AT the sut-
iers. So Saunders sailed forth In IA
tigue suit-ovemlls and coat ~ canvas
and he helped the others Co sweep with
stable brnomR and TO shovel up In the
back yards.
In the COlnneis yard he was merCtfully
spared meeting Modge-it would hhNe
been. he felt the last struw--aud hc did
not know that from behind her Nlmy
curtain SHE was watching him with
amusement aud pity, the while she
turned about on the third flngcr of her
loft hand large solitaire ring ana Won
dered what he would say when he heard