The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-27

dations in a railway car. Fortunately for
the garrison TO which ne was ordered
happened to be very near to the railroad.
and he was spared a cross-country trip OF
a hundred or two miles.
Words cannot paint the miseries that
Saunders went through. They were not
physical miseries, for he was well fed, we'll
sheltered, well clothed, not overworked.
OF a raw recruit. Who learns for the frst
time 10 bestride a bare-backed horse. Saun-
ders was an old hand at steeplechase.. and
ties. But he found that the line which d.
vided officers and men was as the line
which divided Lazarus in heaven from the
a conversation thickly sprinkled with re-
spectful "sirs" and very good, sirs." on
ders and sometimes oaths from the officers,
there was no speech.
he did not even see Madge for three
days. but was induced 10 overcome his pre-
within an hour after he had stepped upon
the reservation that he would hardly be
welcome: II was bad enough not to be able
to see his divinity; 1T was infinitely worse
when, at last, he met her. She gave a great
gasp and start. biushed and returned his
bow, with Just the slightest nod and con-
descending smile. he saw with dismay that
he was to her simply a menial-that he
could not dare to overstep the line which
divided them.
He got over his desire to shoot himself
every time he was given an order in her
hearing after awhile. He watched her fir
tations with a gorgeous first lieutenant in
bitterness OF spirit, ard the thought dawned
on him that she was not true; but he hoped
she would leave the first lieutenant when
ne (Saunders) should have won his spurs.
But even the spurs seemed far away; he
had come to understand that the Jump
from the uniform of an enlisted man into
that OF an officer is a difficult feat, or was
prowess presented itself. Morally he was
as brave as only. a man in love can be. He
would have killed himself had he not been.
More courage than TO carry a standard
to obey the first order to police" with a
fatigue party, the backwards OF the Off
cleaning up. and it is left, as a general
thing, TO the prisoners who happen to be
In the guardhouse. But at this time there
one or two, for the men had been upon
rheir good behavior. it being almost two
months since the paymasters last visit,
whisky at the suffers. So Saunders SAL
lied forth in fatigue suit-overalls and coat
OF canvass-and he helped the others to
up in the back yards.
In the Coloners yard he was mercifully
spared meeting Madge-it would have been.
ne felt, the last Straw-and he did not know
that from behind her filmy curtain she was
watching him with amusement and pity,
the while she turned about on the third
finger of her left hand a large solitaire
ring and wondered what he would say when
ne should hear of her approaching mar
riage to the dashing lieutenant.
Then the police party went on its way,
lieutenant. There was a half sheet Of note
bish which had been swept up. Saunders
noticed it-noticed, though it was crumpled,
that tn 18th the =, writing tins upon it was Msdgs.s point.
into his pocket. 1t was not an honest thing
to do. but he did not stop to think-he only
in this mans back yard and what was in it.
When he got back to the barracks he read
M~adge-for whom he had given up every
thing, for whom he had endured so much
humiliation. was to be married in one
week to that first lieutenant; that she was
In love-desperately in love-with him, and
did not hesitate to say SO. Was the man
in love with her? If he was, why did he
crumple up and throw away a note for
soul?
Then Saunders looked about him with
eyes opened by despair. He saw at last the
barrier. of caste in all its height and
strength, he saw what he had lone and
shuddered. There were but two ways out
of this unless he waited until his enlist
ment were up-four and a half more years;
and that he could not do. He could XIII
was not to be lightly done. And-he could
desert: To his mind a deserter was not
what it is to a man who has been long in
the servlce-all the disgrace of it did not
occur to him. If it had been explained to
him he could not have grasped the full hor-
ror of il.
SO he waited his chance for four DAYS
and then "bolted," as his comrades termed
1t. He went away from the railway, think
ing that he would put those who would be
sent after him off the scent, and after a
day or 50 circle round to reach the iron
road which would lead him far away from
all this.
On the third day, as he trudged onward
to the railroad, lodging, like a hunted GRIM
inal, behind every clump OF mesquite or
greasewood, starting at every prairie dogs
hinH him, and marched back to the post
under guard.
At a turn in the road the party drew
aside and waited for an ambulance TO pass.
The soldiers saluted the officer inside.
saunders could not salute; his hands were
tied. He knew the officer-it was the first
lieutenant; he was going to the station with
his bride. Madge looked out and saw the
deserter-saw him and turned her head.
San Francisco Argonaut.