The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-12-27

AuuS 1.-Two Oo0s
''That is bad omen, the negroes say
Ito hear hooking bird sing at night,
said Adele
He took no notice Of the remark. but
asked slowly:
'sWill you be true?'' Ia
She looked at him moment and an
swered: ASA. t.~-
"Love cannot die -
And again the hooking 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 he sat with his chin in his hands
he looked across the waste of sand and
pondered over his past. Too proud to go
back and acknowledge 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.
"I'll write to her tomorrow, he
thought, ''and I'll get a furlough and
go home for awhile. Ny God, but I
must see her! I'll go crazy in this
DEVILS country II don't!''
The garrison had never seemed SO hot
and stuffy to him before. The hot yell
low sand had never seemed so monoton-
GUS and blank, and life in the garrison
had never been SO abhorrent as it was
then. He dreamily looked out the win
dow and whistled softly:
Say "au revoir," but not "goodby.'
Not a doubt entered his mind but that
Adele was true.
81 can talk her over if she is still OBJ
stinate," thought he, "and I can buy
my discharge. Then we will get married
and live at the old place. She will at
least give me credit for having done my
best. Yes, think I will go home
His reveries were rudely disturbed by
the sound of Private Finnerty's voice
right under his window saying:
"Shure, an tn new major how come
ter take command iv us. He's been at
posht down south, hovin foine, aisy
tonne av it. He fetched his wolfe wild
i'm too. Dom me, but she's as pretty az
a spotted purp. An She s got tn prettiest
pair iv blue eyes thot Oh liver saw. Oh,
she's swate, 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 moonlight playing
and singing. He could almost hear the
wind as it rushed softly through the
magnolia leaves or murmured sadly
through the long gray festoons of Span
ish moss. He thought of all the haunts
of his boyish days and of his mother
sleeping peacefully beneath the cedars
in the lonely little burying ground on
the hill. He remembered the path that
he and Adele followed when they were
children and went to school together.
He wondered if she had changed and if
she loved him as much as ever. The idea
that she would cease loving him never
entered his mind. She had said that she
would always care for him, and that
left not doubt for him.
He spoke pleasantly to one of the SOL |
diers who passed by, and that individual |
was so surprised that he could only |
stare
Something's a-going to happen, he
said to the gang loafing about the can
teen few minutes later. "Stone's got |
civil all of sudden" And they mar
yelled greatly thereat.
Stone wrote out his application for a
furlough and got it Endorsed by his cap
tain, and then by the post commander,
and late that afternoon he was informed |
that his leave was granted.
He was happy. He went about whis-
thing and singing. He was going home
and to Adele. After supper he had an
other attack of dependency. His soul
was filled with doubts and fears and a
horrible dread was gnawing at his heart.
Suppose she'- But his heart would
never allow him to finish the question.
"She will be true," it said.
The moon rose in its full grandeur,
and the mellow radiance silvered every
thing, toning down the rough prospect,
until it seemed as through the path to |
an enchanted land was opened to him.
"Three years ago tonight since I saw
Adele he murmured to himself |
swell, it won't be long till see her
again.
1t was growing late, and "taps'
would soon sound. He went out for one |
last walk around the parade ground,
and as he neared the majors house the
distant. tinkle Of a guitar attracted his
attention.
"The majors wife must be musical"
he unused. Then he remembered that he
had been told that the major had been
married only few months. He drew |
nearer to the house and listened. The |
player began to sing in fresh girlish |
voice:
Say eau revoir, - but not "goodby''-
Love iveth still: Love cannot die.
He drew nearer, and the voice went |
on:
'Twere better far we had not met;
loved you then-I love you yet.
Stone stood as one suddenly bereft Of |
his senses. In the moonlight he saw
face he had not laid eyes upon for three
long, dreary years-a face that he bad
hoped to see soon. And this was the end |