The Van Buren press., 1894-11-03


was to be on Saturday night The
nand contributed fifteen pieces to
make music for the flying feet. The
incest girl blushed and consented Ia
let Barton take her and have the major
part Of the waltzes on the cards which
he himself had gotten up.
1t was during this midday glare of
success that a sloud. small but very
black, drifted across the sun. One of
THE ''men'-by which is meant the
privates-developed case of some sort
OF fever Barton was not very clear as
to what kind, but the doctor told him
that it was of a sort which noise would
make worse, that the man was in the
hospital, in the ward just below the
one all declsed for the hop. and that,
| therefore, the hop would have to be
postponed.
AUw Barton was not naturally M
kind. but he was not the first ambitious
man in the worlds history who had
sacrificed others to his ambition. This
Ounce had to be a success after SO
many failures, if ten men had the
fever Barton pleaded, reasoned,
casxea. The doctor WIS obdurate
! But the doctor had weakness; it was
toddies and that sort of thing A deep
scheme entered the lieutenant's head;
he would decoy the doctor to the sut-
ler's, he would get him 'full"-as he
gracefully expressed it-and when the
old fellow should be sweet-tempered,,
Barton would make him consent to
having the hop that night.
1t all worked Just as the West
Pointer had forescen. The doctor,
after having given an oft-rciterated
consent, went BACK to his quarters for
a nap The nap, as Barton had ex-
pected, listed all night. They danced
into the wee, sma' hours, for though
there were only six men, the four girls
and chaperon, the thing was lots of
fun. The fact that there were more
musicians than dancers was no draw
back. The incest girl was radiant
and gave Barton great hopes. Yes. at
last, herewas a success And the fever
patient was only alittle worse for the
when he heard that the man had be-
come delirions. He sent champagne
up for him, that being his IDEA of an
amende honorable. Having carried
this hop through, Barton was too wise
to risk another; he rested on his
laurels.
! But some things can never be FORE
seen, least of all what an enlisted man
may do. The fever patient had a
chum, who Thought it his duty to go
a bout the world fighting what he con-
sidered wrong; he was German. and
/ the garrison correspondent of Ger
| man newspaper in the city near by.
1 He wrote up most pathetic account
of the heartless butterflies of fashion
who danced and roilicked despite a
/ diving man in the next room. 1t made
a very nice little tale, calculated to
/ bring tears to any eyes. So does
| small thing travel A doctor of the
town, young and aspiring to public
notice and advancement, read in an
| idle moment this narrowing story;
burning with sense of the poor SOL
| dieris wrongs, he cut out the slip and
sent it with his own name in con-
spicrous place. to the powers that be
! at Washington.
One day Barton was called by the
comrpandant's orderly from the peace
| full perusal of a note from the incest
| girl, with the request to go to the adj.
iutant's office, as the G. o. wished to
see him. Barton stuck the little note
| in his pucker-the one nearest his
heart-and sullied forth without
thoughr of harm. He even felt so Sc.
cure that he planned how he should
say a certain thing to the incest girl.
de had Just nit upon a splendid speech
when he reached the Office. and was
beamingiy happy.
| Fifteen minutes later he came out
from the C. 0.'s presence sadder but
a wiser man He had been rcpriruand-
ed-severely reprimanded; had had 1t
| pointed out to him that he was a
/ heartless brute; that he had sacrificed
! a sick man to his own whims Ehe
colonel grew quite touching as he
painted the poor private's miseries.
Barton reflected that he wished the
commandments child hadn't broken its
arm. He felt that it was the broken
arm, not the soldiers fever which
ranizled in the coloners breast.
Subdued and angered. Barton
walked back to his quarters He would
4 re-read1 the note to calm nus ruined
spirits, and would then so over to ask
I the incest girl the question he had
MANNED. It took him half an hour te
york up the necessary courage, ant
then ne sailed forth.
The incest girl sat upon the vine
covered porch. a novel in her nanas
but her blue eyes filled with tears and
looking at space. Somehow, Barton''
spirits fell. They went still Lower
when her only greeting was look OF
reproach. He had made up his mind
however, and, with consummate wan'
of tact. asked the carefully piannet
question. ....-
Then the blue eyes of the nices
girl let fall their tears She re
proached him sobbingly. How couit
he. a man who had almost committed
murder, dare to ask her such--sucn
thing? Why had he never told her o.
that poor man with the fearful fever
She never would have danced, know
ing of it. Oh. he was heartless, cruel
She could never marry man SO BAD
so unkind as that Neyerl never
never!
In vain did Barton explain ant
plead. she would not listen anu sn'
knew he was wicked man; she won
dered why she had not found it out De
fore; she had--ohl she had liked him
Ati-f ~.