Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-12-13
mo soldier. daily acquiring more


lowering about the quarters, had sent
him yer to the hospital for medicine
or the like. and Schramm, saiuting
with Teutonic precision, had obeyed
every order with soldierly alacrityt
More than once when Pagan, grooming
and coughing and wheeling in the
keen wintry air, seemed unable TO bear
his burden of firewood into the house,
Schramm had laughingly lent his aid'
and one evening he came suddenly upon
the tall, slender. fragile form OF Con-
ME staggering into the kitchen door,
heavily laden " h logs. With one
spring the Prussian was at her side'
the blue eyes kindling, and he who
hitherto had never presumed to address
the "gnadige fraulein" except with
hand at temple and heels alick, bTiskly
dispossessed her of her load, and bore
it into the sitting-room, where Lot ana
Billy were squabbling over their blocks
in the wintry cleaning, and Connie
blushed to her temples as she thanked
the stalwart young soldier, once more
standing erect and brushing the bark
dust from his overcoat.
"Father sent Pagan to town" she
explained. ,'and he should haze been
home an hour ago. We are so much
Obliged to you. Schr-r-r-amm. And
Schr-r-r-amm seemed SO hard word to
saw that she bIushed still more, hesitat-
ed and stammered- she who, garrison
bred, had never heard the private sol
der addressed in any other way.
II was that evening, later, that old
Pagan declared himself all broke up,
which mefnt just the opposite, that he
had broken down and must quit work.
Mrs Turner, light-heerted and
thoughtless young matron, was sitting
with Connie at the moment.
Hell go to hospital, won't he?"
she said. Then how much better il
will be- Capt. Manning will let you
have Schramm." But, to Mrs. Turner's
surprise, Connie promptly declared she
would not have Schramm.
"why-y, thought he was so devoted
TO your father--so nice in every way.
Certainly" said Connie, with de-
cision; "he is devoted to father. and he
is simply altogether too nice to be put
on any such duty"
''Did you ever know so strange a
child?r said Mrs. Turner, telling of the
conversation little later. "She fairly
put me down as though were chit of
fifteen-lilxe herself"
.'Ye-es, instead of being old enough
to be her mother" suggested fair
rival. mischievously, and Mrs. Turner
bridled. but said no more.
But Manning, too. fell into error In
formed by his first sergeant at tattoo
that Pagan was down sick and the
lieutenant without a striker. in all
kindness and desire to help he asked
who would be the best man to send,
and the sergeant promptly answered;
''Schramm. Schramm was all the time
over there. and doubtless he would be
glad to take the detail" Manning hes
itated moment. He had other views
for this young soldier, whose useful
ness in the troop could become very
great as soon as he mastered little
more English. But he called him forth
with. Schramm was among his com
rades, awaiting the assembly signal,
and. summoned abruptly, he stood at
tention in a foot of snow and answered
''Zu Befehl, Herr Rittmeister." before
he could catch himself and blurt out:
"Ca-Capitan." His gloved hand re-
NAMED, Prussian fashion, in salute.
"Schramm, hate to lose you from
the troop, but would you care to go to
Lieut.. Morgan's as orderly?"
81, Herr Rittmeister?"
The roll of the RS was almost like
that of drum. The blood mounted to
his cheeks. He stammered, looked ut
terly bewildered, stumbled, and be-
tween embarrassment and sense of sub
ordination stood meekly mute. a
Don't you want to go?" asked Man
ming
Bite. Herr Captain, unless hat it
to do"
sob. no. by no means. supposed
| you'd really like it.. said Manning. n
would much rather you didn't. That's
all And Schramm nearly fell over
himself in the effort to salute and face
abort in foot-deep drift and escape
before the Herr Rittmeister might
change his mind. Whom can we send,
sergeant? want a good, steady man,
for Mr.. Morgan is far from mending. $
"Well. sir, there's Penner: he amt
good for nothing else"
And so it came to pass that Penner, a
mildhmannered. moony young barba-
rian, went gladly to duties with which
he was far more familiar than the
| grooming of froli- ONE steeds and the
tramping of lonely sentry-posts. And
Schramm. redoubling the assiduity OF
his attention to military duties, none
the less kept up his frequent visits to
the Morgans quarters. modestly pre-.
senting himself at the rear door and
laboriously inqIiring how the Herr
Lieutenant had passed the night and
whether he could do aught to serve
him during the day. Penner was soon
sufficiently domesticated to answer
these queries himself, but not infre.
qucntly Constance came to answer
the soldiers knock. and then at sight
of the gnadige Fraulein Schramm's
manner would become simply extrava.
giant in precision and Difference With.