Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-12-13
CHAPTER VII.

4 number OF the stable attendants
who had witnessed the alteration ran
TO the spot and assisted the officer to
rise His nose was bleeding profusely
from the blow, and in obedience to his
command guard was summoned and
Brown was marched away to the guard
house.
Seated on bunk in a gloomy cell his
anger cooled and he awoke to a real
izing sense of what he had done. In
civil life he would have been applauded
for so promptly resenting an inten-
tional insult, but In the army it was
different Violence offered by q pri-
vate soldier to an officer Is a most
serious offense, and one which under
army rules demands severe punish
ment. While it is true that the officers
conduct toward him was highly repre-
hensiblc and such as would lay him
liable to official investigation, that
fact did not in the least mitigate his
offense. Had he quietly submitted to
Vandever's abuse he would have been
justified in seeking redress in the
proper official quarter and justice
would have been done him, but he had
allowed his anger to override his better
Judgment, and now he was in for 1t
and must suffer the consequences
What would Alice think OF him?
Would she pass hasty Judgment on his
act before seeking the details? Would
she not now regard him as n quarrel
some bully, and deem him unworthy
Of her friendship? The thought
troubled him, and as he paced back
and forth In the forbidding gloom Of
the cell he was very miserable. His
gratitude toward the girl for taking SO
kindly an interest in him had ripened
into love which seemed to consume
him. Although no word indicative OF
his new feeling toward her had ever
been breathed in her presence, he felt
that she must instinctively know that
he loved her, and her eyes had on more
than one occasion told him that her
friendship toward him was gaining an
intensity which might some day devel-
op into far more tender passion. In
his dreamy moments he had even dared
to picture future wherein their mu-
tual love would light the path down
which they wandered hand in hand,
and now by one rash act he may have
blighted the bud of affection which
was swelling toward bursting in her
young heart-have blighted IL so com.
pletely that even the sun of future win.
dication might fail 10 warm it into life
again.
In the midst of his gloomy reflections
the heavy cell door swung open, and
Capt. Colby entered.
Brown he said, what was the
trouble between yourself and Lieut.
Vandever?n
Captain, have been guilty of u
most serious offense, and in the light OF
calm reflection do most deeply regret
it. | was grossly insulted, sir, and in
my rage lost sight of the officer and
saw only the man who was heaping in
dignities upon me. My position as a
soldier was forgotten, and / resented
the insult as | would have done in civil
life-as any gentleman would have
done, sir"
"Will you tell me without any reser.
vation or palliating coloring just what
occurred between you?'
Brown related all the details in
truthful m-nner. While he felt that
In the eyes Of anyone possessing
sense Of Justice his blow would seem
justifiablc he admitted that he had
been guilty of a serious infraction of
army law, and uverrcd that he would
humbly submit to any punishment
court-martial might inilict upon him.
II am sorry this occu: )cd, Brown,
very sorry. Your conduct ever since
you joined my troop has been most ex-
emplary, and have hoped to soon be
able to offer you promotion. / fear
that this matter will go hard with you.
Col Sanford is n most severe disci.
plinarian, and an assault by II private
soldier upon commissioned officer
will assume most gricvous proportions
in his eyes. lie will insist upon your
trial by court-martial, and his views
on this question are so well known TO
tho officers Of the post that those who
try you will, should you be convicted,
feel that severe punishment must fol
low. / can only hope the palliating
circumstances may bear due weight
with both the commander and the
members of the court"
He passed out, leaving Brown again
alone with his bitter thoughts.
Lieut. Vandcver lost no time in en-.
deavoring TO poison the minds of his
brother officers against his assailant.
lie pictured him as u brawny bully OF
pugnacious nature, and loudly
uverred that long term Of years in
military prison was the punishment he
richly deserved His words bore little
weight, however, for the young lieu.
tenant had become most thoroughly
disliIsed by every officer in the garri.
son. While there was no outward dem.
oustration to establish the fact. there
was not one Of them but sccretly re-
t%Sed thst ha had eesa - psQmutE