Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-11-07
SERGEANT STONE.


knew. That he was a gentleman by
birth and breeding was evident. He was
rather tall, and had fine head set well
upon pair of square, manly shoulders
From under an overhanging brow his
eyes, big black ones, shone, sometimes
with a baleful light that betrayed an
devil incarnate in his soul. Again they
were dreamy, and had a faraway look
in them, but always an expression Of
mute suffering. His mouth was finely
chiseled, and his teeth were small and
even. But his chin denoted weakness.
He might have been anywhere between
25 and 30 years of age.
He took his place in the ranks, and
by strict attention to duty was promoted
to corporal The one time the troop was
in the field since he was with them he
fought with such savage delight that
his comrades wondered if he had pri-
vate grudge against the Apaches. Two
of the redskins were in the act of scalp
ing Private Finnerty when a well di-
rected bullet from Stones carbine sent
one of them to the happy hunting
grounds. and chance shot from his re-
volver disabled the other. For this he
was made sergeant. In response to Fin
nerty's profuse expressions of gratitude
he merely growled:
II wish that it had been me instead
Of you, and no one had interfered. F"
Seldom did he enter into conversation
with the other soldiers He was quiet
and very morose. He had been moping
all summer He performed his duties in
a mechanical sort Of way, and when
they were finished he sought solitude
again. The advances of his comrades
were met with chilly demeanor that
very effectually checked them, and Ser
geant Stone became very unpopular and
was left severely alone.
"I'll tell you what / think, said
Private Wilkins, who was from down
east" somewhere. 81 think he is one of
these - fine southern gentlemen who
has joined the army and got sick Of it.
I'm sorry we amt good enough for his
nibs to associate with. II
''You kape thot hole in yer face shut,
will you?" remarked Finnerty in a
threatening tone. "Oi won't hov any
body run i'm down behoind is back
TIL bye amt stuck up. He's in trouble,
an Oi'll lick tn mon thot says be is
stuck up. !"
And Private Finnerty stalked off with
great dignity to the post canteen. But
Wilkins had unconsciously spoken the
truth partly.
And so matters went on from day to
day. The dreary monotony Of scenery,
the unchanging sameness of each day to
the other and the routine of garrison life
seemed to bear hardly upon Sergeant
Stone. He became more restless, more
sullen and morose. No letters came to
him, and he wrote none. He was a com
plete mystery.
Three years before be had left his
home IN southern state with the in
tention of making something of himself.
And this was the outcome-a sergeant
under an assumed name in the regular
army with $15 month payl
And Adele! What if she knew? The
last time they met it was a moonlight
night. They sat ON the wide gallery sur
rounding her home The harvest moon
poured food of silver light about them
as they talked long and earnestly Of
the future They had been sweethearts
ever since they were children. The two
places were adjoining, and they used to
go to school together He would carry
her books for her and protect her from
other boys when they attempted to tease
her And they had always said that
when they grew up they would be mar
ried. But lie fell into bad ways. Idle
ness, money to spend and bad associates
had nearly ruined him, and now he was
25 years of age and had never worked a
day in his life.
She promised to marry him if he
would 60 away and make something Of
himself. She despised an idle man, she
said, and she gave him two years to do
it in. And he was not to write to her
unless he achieved success.
"Will you be true, dearest?" he
asked.
"As true as steel 1t is my love for
you that makes me impose these condi-
tions on you. want the man marry
to be something more than a mere drone.
! want you, my love, to be looked up to
and respected. Iwant you to 60 out in
the world and wrest from it the living
it owes you, and to make your own way
alone and unaided, for the man who
cannot take care of himself is not
worthy to have wife to care for.
"Well, so be it, answered he. II
leave tomorrow. and | won't come back
until have achieved something-until
/ have the respect Of my fellow men and
your confidence. l will succeed or die
trying And you will wait for mef'
II have promised, she answered.
Wont you sing just one more song
for me before gof" he asked.
Eyes, / will Listen, she said. and
she picked up guitar, and touching the
strings softly, caressingly, sang in a
sweet, clear voice:
Say eau revoir. " but not "goodby"-
Love liveth still; Love cannot die.
AS she finished, mocling bird, wax
ened perhaps by the music and moon
light, began TO pour forth its soul in
melody from the recesses of a moss
hung live oak.
''That is bad omen, the negroes say
to hear knocking bird sing at night, !"
said Adele.
He took no notice of the remark, but
asked slowly:
"Will you be true?"
She looked at him moment and an
swered:
Love cannot die.
And again the mocking bird sang
from the moss hung tree.
And that was three years ago He,
true to the agreement, had struggled
manfully for awhile to make his way
and earn his reward. But he was weak
in perseverance He tried almost every
thing and gradually sank lower and
lower. At last, half crazed with drink,
he enlisted in the army and was sent to
the plains of New Mexico
AS be sat with his chin in his hands
be looked across the waste Of sand and
Wondered over his past Too proud to 90