Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-12-20
By Carr CsuAaLek KlNs, y.S.A.
oupuz ~, upswcon Co. AND PvsusHsp

on. Little by little ne saw now-ner Ia
Their leaned upon the girl, how thought
full, how devoted she WAS lie had
besn reared . gentleman. He had .
mother and sister whom he dearly
loved, and from earliest boyhood
he had been taught by his SOL
der father the lesson Of gentleness,
courtesy, and consideration. From
the other oflcersin the regiment, most
Of whom had known her In pinafores,
her greeting was simply Hello, Conf"
or Morning, Connie; how's dad To-
day." Thornton's impulse from the
hrst when ne met this tall slip Of q
girl In solemn black was To call her
Mis- Morgan" which made her blush
furiously. Later on, laughed at by
the veteran sub, he had compromised
on Misc Connie" but not until he had
been dsily visitor for several months
had II come " Connie" Morgan
mover knew how she had fed TO her
room and nearly cried her eyes out the
morning the battalion marched away.
II was after breakfast that Mrs. Woods
had come for her and, with other To-
dies, had driven out to the butte south
Of the post, from whose side the Mini
6ks could be traced for miles, but to
whose summit Connie alone had been
bold and active enough to climb. All
he saw and realized now was that his
darling had been pale and languid,
plainly dropping for awhile, and then
oil on sudden, at the coming Of that
little note, sunshine, Rladness, graft
tudc, Joy, oil had beamed from her
speaking eyes, had dubbed from her
girlsh heart In song. lie had mourned
the mothers loss before, but II was
rs nothing compared with the helpless
yearning that possessed him now. Who
was there to counsel, who was there to
taks his beloved child to her heart,
and with mother love and sympathy
with mother kiss md clasping arms, in
the sure haven Of mothers changeless
love win from the virgin soul It's cher
ishcd secret, then guide and guard and
counsel rs only mothers can?
Poor Morgan He would not read
the boy's frank letter, That might i'm
ply doubt Of his little girl. lie could
NOT consult such friends as Mrs. Free
man; she had taken her babies and fit
ted away " the seashore for the sum
ner Mrs. Stannard, once his wife's
kind friend and adviser had gone long
months before, when the major went
to his new station. There were loving
women, kind women, motherly women
Ut the post, yet not those to whom he
could speak Of anything so sacred
Neither could he bring himself to the
falntest reference to the mattcisin talk
ing with his child. There was simply
one thing which he could do, thought
Morgan. All the winter he had been
growing fond and fonder Of the bright
faced, Rlad-voiced, soldierly young fell
low; but now, now, II 1t should trans
pirc that oil this time Thornton had
been laying siege to Comics innocent
heart, he could hate him and In time
crush and punish,
At noon the sergeant came to say the
stores were boxed and ready for ship
ment. Would the lieutenant sign the
invoices? Over ut the adjutant's Office
the infantry bugler had just sounded
mess aud orderly call. The companies
were going in to dinner the noise and
hustle around the barracks contrasting
strongly with the silence and desertion
over there across the parade where
stood the cavalry quarters. AS Morgan
came forth into the bright sunshine OF
the first June day, he noted how the
snow-belt on the distant peak had
lifted higher In the last forty-eight
hours, and thought, with heavy sigh,
how care and trouble had sunk SO much
deeper around his heart. Maj. Rhctt,
IT the infantry, temporary commander
Of the post, was standing by the sum