The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-11-17
by Carr ChaaLEs kIMe. g.S.H.
Axp PuBlsAEp sY SpsaAL ARRANosAalE.

,Es NIM6, V.9.7.
no PUBLISHED ~ SPECIAL ARRANczxa.
scrTpt1on Of the officers, nau orderea
from the east as handsome an outfit OF
belt, helmet. spurs, shoulder and saber-
knots as money could buy, Connie
alone of the household being in the
secret. Her father never again had
asked to see Thornton's letter, and she,
who once had been SO ipsistent, ceased
all mention of it-or of ats writer. The
glow of delight with which the child
had received and read that jolly, warm
hearted, yet utterly unsentimental
note had opened the fathers eyes no
more than it had her own. Constance
Morgan stepped from girlhood to
womanhood in the day and hour which
taught her how, little by little, there
had been kindled in her heart a tiny
flame of tenderness that burned as in,
cense at tire altar-an offering at the
shrine wherein the boy sat installed,
the hero of girls imaginative and
inpulsire nature. With what burn
ing cheeks did she own it to her
self! With what woman5y shame
did she realize that she had betrayed
it ere she herself fairly knew of it's ex-
istence! She!-an army girl, a SOL
dier's daughter. with Lot and Billy to
look after, with dear old daddy to
nurse and comfort-sfe, Constance
Morgan, daring to indulge in idle day
dreaming over boy in his first uni
form! TT was simply shameful. She
could have scratched the eyes out of
any woman who SAW her pt,Iing over
that better, had there been any there
to see She ragged within herself to
think that for that moment she had
been blind and deaf to her fathers
presence and lost in reading Thora
toms laughing words. No cine on earth
ever knew what pangs Of maidenly
wrath and shame Little Mother en-
,dured for several days, fsut whenever
after that initial exhibition Morgan
looked for further synaptom of senti-
mental rega I'd for the absent lieutcn~
ant he failed Ell tirely, and wished that
he might xri4e himself an ass for ever
having believed it.
The presentation came off at lhe ;as-
,sembiy-room one lovely evening liz
July, Sergt. LETTERS being spokesman
for the troop and utterly routing Nor
gan. who knew not ,hlow to formulate
reply to words so rich with sDldierly
trust and affection. Close behind sthe
speaker stood Corporal Schraznn. his
glistening eyes fixed sun Comics beau
tiful, blusliing face, with its swimming
eyes, for ~Jeffers' voice was tcenlulous
when he went on to say how for ten
long years the old llsads had soadiered
under Morgan and snerer once could re-
call a. harsh Or an uajlst word, never
!, once day when his voice or heart or
hand hail failed thena<when they locked
to him for leadership aid. The old
laden, ;and this uriAooked-for Tribute
from his men completely foored him.
,''Why, men, he Stammered, "I-al-
ways stood by you as a matter of
course. Isnever dreamed of doing any
thing else. What's an officer for, if it
isn't to be friend and leader:to his
own troop first of all? I'm more
obliged to you than you can imagine.
This isn't strictly according to',an' and
:
wind of itfin any way before, I should
have stopped it; but precedents seem
to be plenty Of late. and only wish
might think it would be my luck to
wear them as your captain for years to
come. but your old lieutenant makes
an older captain, and I'm soon to:step
aside for a yannger soldier and better
man; but SO dong as live, men, this
gift of yours:and these words of LETTERS
will-will- God bless you all, lads,
can't finish it.
And then the men in their full-tress
uniforms had escorted their captain
and Connie and the invited guests
homeward that night and the first,
thing when father and daughter were
left alone old Morgan turned to Con-
ME.
$50 that was what sThornton's letter
was about, was it, Connie?"
Certainly, father she replied,
docking straight into his eyes with
those clear brown orbs of hers. what
else could it have been?" And that was
the last mentioned of the subject be-
tween them.
Each and every one, the men had
shaken hands with their captain and
pledged his health in the foaming beer
old Curran had insisted on setting
up for the occasion. They swore,
soldier-like, they'd never let the cap
tain retire; but that was q matter be-
yond their jurisdiction. Wind and
weather and many worry laid the
veteran by the heels, and his old
enemy, rheumatism, took fresh and
forcible hold. When D troop rode |
away to take the field, poor Morgan |
was grooming both in flesh and spirit,
and when late that autumn Schramm |
came posting homeward under snbp9ne !
to testify in re The People VS.. Lacy,
the chevrons of a sergeant decked his |
sleeves in recognition of ride Of |
over a hundred miles through Indian |
haunted wilds to bear dispatches to |
q distant command, but neither cap
tain nor Connie was there to bid him |
welcome. The lonely grave out on the |
prairie lacked the bunch Of wild flow
ers which formerly decked it every