Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-12-20

"YoU FORCE NE TO PLAINER WORDS
able, upright man, our equal in birth,
education and manly instincts, we must
not recognize him while he is in the
ranks, vet were he to be to-day freed
from the service fetters we could ex-
tend to him the hand of friendship, and
welcome him as an equal into our So
cial circles. The gem loses its value
when it falls from its setting into the
gutter. Is not your argument little
] shaky, Mrs. Colby?'.
"Alice, my dear child, you force me
! to palmer words, and | must talk to
! you as if | were your own mother. In
my conversation with Brown to-day
/ several times mentioned your name,
! and when / did so | could read him as
an open book. Every time your name
! fell from my lips a new light came into
his eyes, his face glowed with increased
! animation, and at one time an unmis-
taxable sigh which he vainly endeav-
ored to suppress caught my attention
| Alice, that man Is desperately in love
with you, and your tell-tale eyes while
conversing of him too plainly indicate
| that there is growing feeling in your
| young heart far stronger than one Of
friendship and sympathy for this sol
| dier. My dear child, answer me truly,
are you not falling in love with this
man in the ranks?"
The face of the young girl was red
with bushes, and she threw her head
| down into the lap of her motherly
fri 70 I,s1a hay aAnr1ciay, MrC
| Colby strolled her hair tenderly, and
smile of interiningled sadness and
| sympathy lit up her face. After few
moments Alice partly regained her
| composure, and raising her head she
looked with trusting confidence into
her friends eyes and replied:
"I-I-dop't know. Mrs Colby. Mr.
Thornton impresses me as no gentle
man ever before did. ! have seen so
few gentlemen, you know. He is so
| gentle, so kind in nature, so manly and
so heroic in bearing the load placed
upon his shoulders that THAT I
think-a-great-de of - him per
haps."
MY dear girl, l feared as much, and
that is why | have pointed you to the
IJdSodDlC DdIII liAtiI lAGS DtLHSC1
you-at present. You must master this
growing fondness before it masters
you, for love, my child. when once it
gains supremacy rules its victims as
with rod of iron, and laughs to scorn
the rules of propriety. Think of the
distressing scandal which would agi-
tate the military circles of the whole
land were it TO become known that the
beloved daughter Of one of the most
distinguished officers of the army had
bestowed her love upon a humble pri-
vate soldier in the ranks. The finger
and your old father. were he rs ssur9fviie
the shock, would resign his proud posi-
ton and seek to bury himself from the
world in obscurity and retirement.
You are treading dangerously near the
brink of an awful precipice, Alice, and
/ would lead you away to safer
ground"
"Oh, you frighten mer' the girl said,
with an appealing look, Il cannot
smother the emotions which God placed
in my soul, cannot change the nature
He has given me, and believe it would
be wicked to torture my own peace Of
mind even to preserve unbroken the
lines of army social distinction. Mrs.
Colby, confess to you that my eyes
have not been blinded to the growing
regard / feel for Mr.. Thornton. / have
even felt that he might be necessary
to my future happiness. Never by
word or look has he shown me any at
tention that would indicate that he en-
tertained toward me aught but feel
lug of simple friendship, and what you
have told me of his-of his-thinlzing a
great deal of me comes as a revelation,
and, confess it, most pleasing one.
But, Mrs. Colby, | assure you, on my
honor, that have never once thought
of the military world knowing aught of
any tender feeling which might exist
between myself and a private soldier.
| did not even intend that you should
know it, dearly as | love you, until
Private Brown should disappear from
life, and Mr.. Thornton, with his mill
tary service but memory Of the past,
should step into our social circles. II
this should be brought about, what
then?'
''Ahl that might make wide diff
ference, dear. Now ] begin to under
stand you, and you Ii ave lifted great
load of apprehension from my heart.
There would be no improperly in "A
refined, honorable and worthy gentle
man in civil life aspiring to the hand
of the daughter of a military officer.
Many do 50, and the most happy re-
suits usually follow. Alice, | know
what a voman's love is. | have felt it's
all-consuming fire in my own soul,
feel il yet, for Capt. Colby and myself
are just as fond lovers, and oftentimes
Just as foolish ones, as we were when
our love was sealed with marriage.
Now, dear, / viii be your friend and
adviser in this matter, If you will so
permit There G5issing herr is the
seal Of my friendship, and want you
TO confide in me. There is but one
pathway leading to your future hap
piness, and it must not be strayed
from. While Edward Thornton re-
mains as Private Brown you must look
upon him as but soldier in the ranks.
You must avoid him all you can, and,
If it be possible, his discharge from the
service must be brought about. !
think it can be. When that consum-
nation is reached he may feel at lib
erty to sue for your hand, and should
he do so you must refer him to your
father. His past life must be invcsti-
gated, for you must remember, dear,
that we have but his own unsupported
story regarding himself. There, |
know what you would say. ] believe
in him as much as you do, but your
father would demand the most CON
vincing proof of his worth before he
would permit him to show you any at
tention. Now, you must be patient.
If you love each other as ! believe you
do and should MIR. Thornton establish
the fact that he is a man of honor and
true worth as / believe he will, you
need have no fear, my dear girl, of the
future, for love win surnount any
ordinary obstacle that may rise in its
path"
Alice threw her arms about her
friends neck, and kissed her fondly.
Then her emotions overcame her, and
burying her face in Mrs. Colby's bosom
she aobbcd like child. Capt. Colby's
step upon the porch n-ed her. and
going out at the bae. door to avoid
meeting him in her agitated state of
mind, she sought her home and the
privacy of her own chamber.
CHAPTER X.
Days passed. and saYe at u distance