Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-11-28

Three years before he had left his
home in Southern State, with the
Intention of making something OF
himself. And this was the out.
come! A sergeant under an assumed
name in the regular army with
S15 a month pay!
And Adele-what if she knew
The last time they met it was q
moonlight night. They sat on the
wide gallery surrounding her home
The harvest moon poured flood 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 at
tempted to tease her. Ard they
had always said that when they
grew up they would he married.
But he fell into bad ways. Idleness,
money to spend, and bad associates
had nearly ruined him, and now he
was 25 years of age and had never
worked day in his life.
She promised to marry him if he
would go 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.
Gas true as steel. 1t is my love
for you that makes me impose these
conditions on you. | want the man
L marry to be something more than
mere drone. / want you, NV
love to be looked up to and respect ed =.
L want you to go 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.n
"Well, 80 be it," answered he.-
81 leave tomorrow, and ] won't
come back until l have achieved
something, until have the respect
OF my fellow men and your conf
dence. | will succeed or die trying.
And you will wait for me?"
u have promised" she answered.
"Won't you sing just one more
song for me before go?" he asked.
Yes, / will; listen," said she,
and she picked up a guitar and,
touching the strings softly, caress-
ingly, sang in sweet, clear voice:
Say du reuoir, but not good bye,
Love liveth still love cannot die"
AS she finished, mocking- bird,
wakened. perhaps, by the music and
moonlight, began to pour forth it's
soul In melody from the recesses of
a moss-hung live-oak.
That Is bad omen, the negroes
say-to hear mocking- bird sing at
night" said Adele.
He took no notice of the remarks.
but asked, slowly: "Will you be
true?"
She looked at him a moment and
answered; Love cannot die"
And again tho mocking-bird sung
from the moss-hung tree.
And that was three years ago.
He, true to his agreement had strug-
gled manfully for awhile, to make
his way and earn his reward. But
he was weak in perseverance. He
tried almost every thing and gradu-
ally sank lower and lower. At last,
half craZed with drink, he enlisted
In the army, and was sent to the
plains Of New Mexico.
II.
AS he sat with his chin in his
hands he looked across the waste of
sand and pondered over the past.
Too proud to 60 back and acknowl-
edge himself whipped in the battle
of life, he did not know what to do.
An intense yearning to see Adele
once more took possession Of him.
81 will write to her Tomorrow"
he thought, "and I'll get f'urlough
and 60 home for awhile. My God,
but must see herl I'll go crazy in
this DEVILS country if don't"
The garrison had never been so
hot and stuffy to him before. The
hot, yellow sand had never seemed
so monotonous and bland, and life
In the garrison had never been 80
abhorrent as 1t was then. He dream
lily looked out Of the window and
whistled, softly:
"Say 'du reuOir, but not good bye, {"
Not doubt entered his mind but
that Adele was true. 81 can talk
her over if she is still obstinate"
thought he, "and can buy my dis
charge. Then we will get married
and live at the old place. She will
at least give me credit for having
done my best. Yes, l think ! will!
go home"
His reveries were rudely disturbed
by the sound Of Private Finnerty's
voice right under his window, say
ing:
"Sure, an th' new major hov
come ter take command ov us. He's
been at posth down South, hovin'
Of foine aisy tonne av it. He's
fetched his wolfe wild 'im too. Dom
me, but she's as pretty as a spotted
purp. AM she's got the prettiest
pair iv blue eyes that Oh liver saw.
Oh, she's a swate creature, sure"
Sergeant Stone moved away from
the window still whistling softly.
He was thinking of Adele-of home.
He could see her sitting in the moon
light playing and singing. He could
almost hear the wind as it rustled
softly through the magnolia leaves,
or murmured sadly through the long
gray festoons of Spanish moss. He
thought Of all the haunts of his boy
ish days, and of his mother sleeping
peacefully beneath the cedars in the
lonely little burying-ground on the
hill. He remembered the path that
ha and AhaIa fnIInua1 xuhan fhoy