The Hazel Green herald., 1894-12-06
CHAPTER ".

paign.
CHAPTER ".
The cavalry battalion had been gone
only two days. Some few of the of
flccrs' families. we'll assured that it
would be Thanksgiving in earnest bc
fore they could hope to see the cam
paigncrs again, had taken wing to the
east and were domicilcd with friends
or relatives far from scenes which SO
constantly brought 20 mind the image
Of the absent husband and father. In
most cases, however, the little house
holds remained at the post, assured by
department headquarters that they
should be undisturbcd in the tenure Of
their army homes. Morgan, whose
health and spirits had slowly revived
as the sun came northward over the
line. had striven to convince Old Tin
top and the surgeon that it would do
him good to go, but was fatty denied
the luxury he craved and biddcn to re-
main at the post The department com
mandar came out to look over the field
in early May, and told Morgan that he
meant to keep him on duty ut the post
all summer in the hope that the autumn
would find him promoted to his cap
taincy. Then he might be able to get
an order to go before retiring board
and go home to the old state and old
friends he had not seen for years.
/ Morgan thanked the lSind-heartcd chief
/ for all his help and consideration, but
his tired eyes wandered away over the
prairie to the lonely grave he often
managed to visit now. II it were only
possible TO retire for good and all, how
willingly would he go and be laid away
/ there by Carries side, were there only
some provision for Constance and the
babies! 1t appalled, him TO realize that
they were dependent absolutely upon
so slender thread as his life; that he
must struggle on, must exist, must
suffer, and try, at least, TO be strong
that they might not starve. If only
those debts were paid, IL only he could
retire and take the children to some
quiet eastern home, however humble,
where they might be sent to school and
whore Connie might receive the cduca-
ton thus far SO utterly neglected, then
Morgan might live on, grateful and al
most content He could surely get some
ClerliShip, some desk work that would
enable him to add few hundred dol
lars yearly to the allowance of re-
tired dragoon. He did not begin to
lmow, poor fellow, how universal was
the theory among business men that
old soldiers were unfit for business OF
any kind. lie wrote TO Carries broth
ers again, saying nothing, of course, of
how often and how much he had helped
them in the past, and begged them To
find some opening that would warrant
his retiring. Noanswcr came. lie wrote
again. Then Bob sent few curt lines:
Yours reed, contents noted Thot VIM.
had Ons'd or Wild have done so. business very
slack. Times hard. No orcning Of any Lind.
! ira 20 disChg two clES last month Better
hang on TO your present situation Gwhilc long
or. II anything turns up viii lot you E2ow,
''Yr bro, any"
Morgan read human nature we'll
enough TO see just how Iauch that
meant, lie would hang on TO the sit
uation' as n matter of course, despite
the fact that the doctor said the rheu-
matism would hang on to him as long
rs he remained in that climate. Both
Gen. c. and the colonel had again
interested themselves in his behalf,
and the railway managers said they
could place him in their office in town
when he got ready 20 retire. The sal
airy was very small, but would help,
The work was eXacting, however, and
the doctor snid he simply could not
do it in that climate,
Never mind, old friend, we'll flS
IL somehow" said Tintop, cheerily, as
he came TO say good-by, looking very
much the younger of the two rs Nor
gan leaned heavily ON his stick. You
just stay here and run the ordnance
Office this summer. There's bound To
be promotion by fall" And SO, sadly
enough, the veteran trooper had seen
the squadrons ride away, and he was
left sole representative of the commits
stoned force of his regiment at old
Fort Ransom, and not till they had
been gone two days did he note that
Connie was dropping.
'Whnt is IL. Little Mother, he said
fondly stroxing back the tumbling