The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-04

before he had strolled down to the post,
and with yearning eyes had studied ev-
cry feature of the colonel's house. He
dared ask no questions Of servants or of
the men in garrison, but he learned
enough to know which rooms were
theirs, and he had noted that the win
dows were always open. II he could
only see their loved faces, kneel and
kiss his mothers hand, pray God to for
give him, he could go away believing
that he had undone the spell and re-
voked the malediction of his early
youth. 1t was hazardous, but worth
the danger He could go in peace and
sin no more toward mother, at least,
and then if she mourned and missed
him could he not find it out some day
and make himself known to her after his
discharge? He slipped out Of camp,
leaving his boots behind and wearing
his light Apache moocasins and flannel
shirt and trousers. Danger to himself
he had no great fear Of. If by any
chance mother or sister should wake, he
had but to stretch forth his hand and
say, 1T is only Fired" Danger to
them he never dreamed of.
Strong and athletic, despite his slen-
der frame, he easily lifted the ladder
from Jerrold's fence, and lodging the
sentry when he spied him at the gate
finally took it down back of the colo
nel's and raised it to rear window. By
the strangest chance the window was
closed, and he could not budget Then
he heard the challenge Of sentry
around on the east front and had just
time to slip down and lower the ladder
when he heard the rattle of sword and
knew it must be the officer of the day.
There was no time to carry off the lad
der. He left it lying where it was and
sprang down the steps toward the STA
ton. Soon he heard No. 8 challenge
and knew the officer had passed on;
waited some time, but nothing &C.
cured to indicate that the ladder was
discovered, and then, plucking up cour-
age and with a muttered prayer for
guidance and protection, he stole up
hill again, raised the ladder to tho west
wall, noiselesgly assembled, peered in
Alice's window and could see q faint
night light burning in the hall beyond,
but that all was darkness there, stole
around on the roof Of the piazza to the
hall window, stepped noiselessly upon
the sill, climbed over the lowered sash
and found himself midway between the
rooms. He could hear the colonel's
placid snoring and the regular breath
ing of the other sleepers. No time was
to be lost. Shading the little night lamp
with one hand he entered the open door,
stole to the bedside, took one long look
at his mothers face, knelt, breathed
upon, but barely brushed with his trem-
bling lips, the queenly white hand that
lay upon the coverlet, poured forth one
brief prayer to God for protection and
blessing for her and forgiveness for him,
retraced his steps and caught sight of
the lovely picture of Alice in the direc-
tOire costume. He longed for it and
could not resist She had grown so beau
tiful, so exquisite. He took it, frame
and all, carried it into her room, slip
ped the card from its place and hid it
inside the breast of his shirt, slowed the
frame away behind her sofa pillow, then
looked long at the lovely picture she
herself made, lying there sleeping sweet
ly and peacefully amid the white drap-
ings of her dainty bed. Then twas time
to go. He put the lamp back in the hall,
passed through her room, out at her
window and down the ladder and had
it well on the way back to the hooks on
Jerrold's fence when seized and chal-
lenged by the officer Of the day. Mad
terror possessed him then. He struck
blindly, dashed off in panicky flight,
paid no heed to sentrys' cry or whis-
ting missile but tore like a racer up
the path and never slackened speed till
Sibley was far behind.
When morning came, the order that
they should go was temporarily sus-
pended. Some prisoners were sent to a
neighboring military prison, and he was
placed in charge, and on his return
from this duty learned that the colonel's
family had gone to Sablon. The next
thing there was some strange talk that
worried him-a story that one of the
men who had sweetheart who was sec
ond girl at Mrs. Hoyt's brought out to
Camp-a story that there was an officer
who was too much In love with Alice
to keep away from the house even after
the colonel so ordered, and that be was
prowling around the other night, and
the colonel ordered Leary to shoot him
-Leary, who was OH post on No. 3.
He felt su>o that something was wrong
felt sure that it was due to his night
visit-and his first impulse was to find
his mother and confde the truth to her.
He longed to see her again, and if harm
had been done to make himself known
and explain everything. Having no
duties to detain him, he got pass to
visit town and permission to be gone q
day or more. On Saturday evening he
ran down to Sablon, drove over, as Cap
tain Armitage had already told them,
and peering in his mothers room saw
her, still up, though in her nishtdreSs.
He never dreamed of the calonel's being
out and watching. He had secuted"
all those trees, and no ono was nigh.
Then he softly called. She heard and
was coming to him, when again came
fierce attack. He had all q soldiers
reverence for the person Of tie colonel
md would never have harmed him had
he known twas he. 1t was the night
watchman that had grappled with him,
he supposed, and he had no compunc-
tons in sending him to grass. Then he
led again, knowing that he had only
made bad worse, walked all that night
to the station next north Of Sablon-a
big town, where the early morning