The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-04-13
miscellaneous.
"S'POSE IT'S SATAN"

VI W. ~ VII nv
1t was only the ground on which the
$50 boys of DIR. Kellar's school disport.
ed themselves. But besides the boys
present there were at least $50 demons
and angels of ambition, envy, loyalty,
perfidy and truthfulness.
The doctor himself, in a new suit of
tweed, seemed to the boys to be far
more approachable here in the midst
of their sports than when in academic
cap and gown he cast gloom through
their ranks by stalking along with
that searching eye of his well turned
on the discontinue of evildoers. How
ever, even at these grewsome times,
the boys admitted among themselves
that Kellar was a gentleman, and that
they'd rather take hiding from him
than punishment drill from cad any
day.
For they were proud of Kellar's,
loyal to the school. and ready to bat
tie to the bitter end against any com
mon foe who dared to asperse in the
slightest degree.
A little lad of 10 had just run light
heartedly on the ground when the
aforesaid searchlight fell on him, and
simultaneously the head master shout
ed out:
"Colville two, thought you had de-
| tention p
Colville two, d redheaded, merry
faced boy, smiled cheerfully, as if de-
tention were good joke to which he
was well accustomed, and replied with
pleasant promptness
80 | have, Sir"
'"Then what brings you out here ~
Il s'pose it's Satan. He's always
doing it,
Doing what p
making me naughty said Colville
two, with pathetically fearless frank
ness.
Then Kellar's little daughter went
up and kissed him.
I Twelve years later the battle of
Tamia was being fought, and Colville
two was i'll the thick of it. He had
been slightly wounded in an attack
| that had been made upon Mcneil S
Zarebe a few days previously, and his
colonel had mentioned him in de-
spatches and recommended him
strongly for the 'V. c. for personal
| gallantry.
On the strength of this Lieutenant
| Colville had written to the girl he was
| W, WIZ was Stl Vail " Will 1ltJ
mother, telling her that he would not
wait to marry her day after lie had
| got his company.
I've always been a lucky fellow,
though I've been in no end of scrapcs
ali my life," the boy wrote, land now
the GROWING luck of all is that l shall
win you and the Victoria cross at the
same time. Heaps of fellows deserve
it just as much as do, only happened
to be in front, you see, and was lucky
enough to be able to make myself Il
target for the concealed enemy, who
had been picking off our men like nine
pins. The Arabs turned their fire on
me, and our fellows were able TO see
where the beggars fired from. | must
bear charmed life, | think, for the
ground was riddled all around me.
Bob Dob was her brother) and |
fought shoulder to shoulder for hours,
and we shall again many II day, !
hope"
The girl who got this letter WAS wor-
thy of the gallant, light-hearted boy
who wrote it, and she sent him pages Of
such loving, proud. encouraging words
as only a proud, loving woman can
write.
Il wish | were your wife that might
go to the front and dress your wounds
myself, my own love. Even as it is |
am capable of dressing as a boy and
going to the camp. | quite under
stand Constance de Beverley's bowling
her pride and riding three long years;
in Lord Marmion's train. Only, Jack,
there would be no bowling of pride in
my case | should be prouder than
ever if l could only do something to
show the whole camp. the whole
world, how dearly l love my boy"
Then she went on to tell how regu-
larly she wrote to his mother, keeping
her posted up in all that Jack was do
ing and suffering AMI winning. "She
is my beloved mother, and only she
can fully understand how dearly !
have loved you ever since that day
when | went and kissed you because
you said you 's'pose it was Satan
made you naughty"
Violet Kellar had fought hard
fight before she had gained her faith
ers consent to become engaged to
penniless Jack Colville The girls
brilliantly good looks, attractive man.
ners and general cleverness had
brought far more eligible men to her
feet. But she had been faithful to
her first love through it all.
Il hate poverty, but | love Jack, ~
she would say, when her father point
ed out to her how far more sensible it
would be of her to marry a man who
could give her Il good establishment in
which he could stay at home in ease
with her than to link her lot with that
of mere Subaltern in a marching
regiment,
Probably after they have settled
this disturbance in Egypt his regiment
will be sent off to India for three Oh
four years, and as he can't marry on
his pay you will be left behind to
mediate on your folly in having Ell
gagged yourself"
81 shall marry him as soon as this
affair is over in Egypt, papa, and il
he can't give me bread and water
enough to support me I'll beg if from
some one who can. l don't want an
establishment or husband who ii
stay at home in ease. | want Jack
and l mean to have him ~
''The boy always got what he want
ed, confound him" her father grum
bled good temperedly, and when he
said that Violet knew that her case
was won.
Her mother, after the manner OF
mothers, sympathiZed with the young
peoples romance and hopefully as
sured her that Jack would win promo
ton in some miraculous way without
seeing much dangerous service.
So when Violet said: Mother, dear
: don't want a swell wedding. | dom
even want q wedding dress-JacE
! likes me in sailor serge better than any