Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-01-24

seem damnably cruel to you, sir. after
what you have done for us, but there
are rules of propriety in army life that
cannot be disregarded. My daughter
cannot maintain friendly relationsw h
a private in the ranks"
He paused and regarded the young
man closely. Brown sat as dumb as a
marble statue and almost as pale, for
his heart was completely crushed at
the cruel decree.
But" the colonel resumed, with a
strange twinkle in his eyes, Lieut..
Edward Thornton viii always be a
welcome guest at my home. There is
your commission, sir, you trembling
rascal, fresh from the hands of the sec
retary of war. Lieutenant Thornton, let
me be the first to congratulate you upon
your promotion, and to assure you that if
you prove as faithful in the discharge
Of your duties as an officer as Private
Brown always proved as a soldier ia
the ranks. the stars Of n general ni.sJ
some day rest upon your shoulders"
AS he spoke he handed the young
lnan his commission, and warmly
grasped his hand, while grim smile
played over his face.
Thornton took the paper mechanic
ally In his wild astonishment he could
not utter word. He stood there trem-
bling and turning white and red by
turns until the old officer broke into a
loud laugh over his embarrassment.
''Paralyzes you, my boy? Just pet
- Ry
frey, have had that document hid
away for two weeks just to have this
fun with you. Never mind, lieutenant
(slapp1ng him familiarly on the shoul-
der) you'll get over it and regain full
use of your paralyzed tongue after
while. l will find something that will
restore your speech. Alice! Alicer'
Coming, papa, in moment" came
a silvery voice from another part of the
house.
Like ray of loveliest sunshine she
entered. and an exclamation of pleas
ure fell from her lips at sight of her
lover.
''Lieut. Thornton, allow me to pre-
sent my daughter, Miss Sanford. Alice,
dear, this is First Lieut.. Edward Thorn
ton, a new officer just assigned to duty
with B Troop, Sixth cavalry.
The old man darted out of the door
to hide the tears that he could no long
er force back, and the lovers were
clasped in each others arms.
Ned, dear, what is the matter with
papa? What did he mean by such an
introduction?"
As an answer he placed the commits
sion in her hands, and hasty glance
at the document told her all. With a
glad cry she again clasped her arms
around the young officers neck and to-
gether they wept tears of joy.
"Your father says you must never
mention the name of Private Brown
again, darling" he said, with smiling
face.
Il just don't care what papa says, l
will always love him. He was my first
love, and the name Private Brown will
always be a cherished one in my heart. :"
How handsome he looked in his new
uniform, with the straps of first lieu
tenant resting on his shoulders. And
how proud the day when Col. Sanford
introduced him to the officers of the
garrison as brother officer and as his
prospective sOn-in-law. From every
officer of the post he received most
hearty welcome into the official ranks,
and not one of them but felt honored
with the friendship of one whose hero
ism had been put to such an extreme
test and had not been found wanting.
A couple of years after their marriage
Lieut. and Mrs. Thornton were sitting
on the porch of their quarters enjoying
the refreshing coolnesS of a New MeXi-
co summer evening. The lieutenant was
enjoying cigar and watching the ever
changing hues of the western clouds as
the sun slowly sank down behind the
San Mateo mountains while his lovely
wife sat scanning the columns of the
last issue of the Army and Navy Jour
nal.
so, Ned! Here is an item about Mr..
Vandever," she exclaimed.
What is it, dear?'
Dismissed from the service for cow
ardice in the face Of the enemy in an
Indian campaign in Wyoming"
1T does not astonish me, he replied.
"Such unworthy men but rarely get
into the service to cast reproach upon
the most honored profession on earth,
and they invariably meet with their
Just deserts. An ulcer has been re-
moved from an otherwise healthy
body"
Promotion came in successive steps
to our hero as the years rolled on.
Mai. Thornton now commands one of
the most important posts in the far
west He is yet in the very prime of
manhood, and is the idol of his beloved
Alice, whose marital life has been one
of unclouded happiness. The majors
aunt, whom he and Alice several times
visited in her Brooklyn home, died sew
eral years ago leaving hIm large for
tune vet he remains in the service
where he found such great happiness,
and expects to serve his country until
retired by reason of age.
Often they sit together in the beau
tiful western twilight, the dignifed,
handsome officer and his lovely wife,
and talk of the strange events which
clustered around their courtship, and
the sweet woman is never so happy as
when he gently chides her for her lack
of taste in falling in love with an hum
bic private in the ranks.
81 ~ gSAA