Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-12-20
SERGEANT CRGSUS.
BY CAPT. CHARLES KING. u. s. A.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.


The cavalry battalion had been pon,
only two days. Some few of the of
ficers' families, well assured that i
would be Thanksgiving in earnest be
fore they could hope to see the cam
paigners again, had taken wing to the
east and were domieiled with friend.
or relatives far from scenes which SC
constantly brought to mind the image
Of the absent husband and father In
riost cases. however, the little house.
hollis remained at the post, assured by
department. headquarters that they
saenla lie undisturbed in the tenure OF
heir army horacs. Morgan, whose
te~itlI and spirits had slowly revived
ls the san came northward over the
.iae, had striven 10 convince Old Tin
top end the surgeon that it would do
! Liza coed to re, but was fatty denied
the lu1rry lie cravcd and hidden to re-
nain - The pest. The department COM
raaEGcr came ont to look over the field
in early May and told Morgan that he
neaat to keep him on duty at the post
all summer il the hope that the autumn
would End him promoted to his cap
taincv Then he miTht be able 70 get
an order q go before retiring board
and go honc 70 the cli state and old
friends be had nct eeen for years.
Morgan thanked tac lsina-hcrrted chief
for all his hclp ana consideration, but
his tired eyes Wandered eaay ever the
prairie to the lonely prave he often
managed to vi.it aCy q il were only
possible to retire for good and all. how
willingly would he 90 ana Be laid away
there by Carries siie. were there only
some provision for Coneteac aud the
babiesl II appalled, him = re-. lie lhai
they were dependent Absolutely upon
so slender a thread as his life; that he
must struggle on, must exist, must
suffer, and try, at least, TO be strong
that they might not starvc II only
those debts were paid, II only he could
retire and take the children to some
quiet eastern home, however humble,
where they might be sent to school and
where Connie might receive the educa-
ton thus far so utterly neglected. then
Morgan might live on, grateful and al
most content. He could surely get some
clerkship, some desk work that would
enable him TO add few hundred dol
lars yearly to the allowance of re-
tired dragon. He did not begin to
know, poor fellow, how universal was
the theory among business men that
old soldiers were unfit for business of
any kind. He 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. Noanswer came. He wrote |
again. Then Bob sent a few curt lines:
Yours reed. contents noted. Thot VIM.
had ans d or wild have done So Business very
slack. Times hard. No opening OF any kind
HID to dischg two cllks last month Better
hang on to your present situation awhile long
sr II anything turns up viii let you know
Tyr bro. any"
Morgan read human nature we'll
enough TO see just how much that
meant. He would hang on to the sit
iation" as a matter of course. DESPITE
he fact that the doctor said the rheu-
natism would hang on to him as long
IS he remained in that climate. Both
len. c. and the colonel had again
Interested themselves In his behalf.
nd the railway managers said they
ould place him in their Office in town
When he got ready to retire The sal
ry was very small, but would help.
he work was exacting, however, and
he doctor said he simply could not
o 1t in that climate.
Never mind old friend, well fix
somehow" said Tintop, cheerily, as
e came to say good-by, looking very
iuch the younger of the two rs Nor
an leaned heavily on his stick. "You
lst stay here and run the ordnance
flee this summer. There's bound to
e promotion by fall" And so. sadly
nough, the veteran trooper had seen
ne squadrons ride away, and he was
1T sole representative of the commits
oned force of his regiment at old ,
ort Ransom, and not till they had
cen gone two days did he note that ,
onnie was dropping.
What is it. Little Mother, he said, /,
ndly strolking back the tumblinp :
ass of auburn hair and kissing her /,
bite forehead. Tired out with all your !
'usehold care? Growing too fast? i
ot and Billy too much for you now?" !,
The big pathetic brown eyes were :
a little, but she looked :
avely up. Perhaps it's spring fever" !
e said, with an attempt at laughing :
all lightly away. I'm sure there's
thing else. I'm only trifle tagged. =
will be all right now that we can 4
{ out again in the sunshine every .
v"
She was fastening his necktie for him =
the moment; then, patting his griz- :,
ID cheek, she took the whisk broom =
dust the worn old fatigue coat pre- :
-atory to letting him stump forth =
his hating way to the ordnance :,
'rehouse, but there came a rousinQ i.
.-tat-tat at the front door Just at the =
tant, and. nanny being up to her :,
lows in flour and Penner away at the =,
Connie sprang to answer, ..
] there, precise and soldierly as -
IT, stood Schramm. ~
Why, Sohr-r-amml" she cried. de- =
htedly. NATURALIZATION did you -