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

!
Adele once more took possession of him.
"I'll write to her tomorrow" I" be
thought, 'and I'll get furlough and
go home for awhile. My God, but I
must see her III go crazy in this
devils country if I don'tl"
The garrison had never seemed 50 hot
and stutfy to him before The Hot yell
low sand had never seemed 80 monoton-
Gus and blank, and life in the garrison
had never been so ahho1rent as it was
then. He dreamily looked out the win
dow and whistled softly:
1 Say tau revoir, " but not ''goodby"
Not doubt entered bis mind but that
Adele was true.
81 can tall, her over if she is still OBJ
stinate, " thought he, and 1 can buy
my discharge. Then we viii get married
and live at the old place. She Will at
least give me credit for having done my
best Yes, | think | will 70 home +"
His reveries were rudely disturbed BY
the sound of Private Finnerty's voice
right under his window saying:
"Shure, an til new major hov come
ter take command iv u.s. He's been at
a posht down south, hovin foine, aisy
tonne av it. He fetched bis wolfe wid
i'm too. Dom Inc, but she's as pretty as
a spotted purp. An she S got TIL prettiest
pair iy blue eyes thot OF iver 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
1 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
leIU not doubt Tor MIN.
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 loafng about the can
teen few minutes later. "Stone's gUt
civil all Of a sudden. And they mar
veled greatly thereat
Stone wrote out his application for
furlough and got it indorsed by his cap
tain, ard then by the post commander,
and late that afternoon he was informed
that his leave was granted.
He was happy He went about whis-
ting and singing. He was going home
and to Adele. After supper he had an
other attack of dependency. His soul
was filed with doubts and fears and
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 tho path to
an enchanted land was opened to him.
"Three years ago tonight since I saw
Adele" he murmured to himself
"Well, it won't be long till l 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 a few months He drew
nearer to the house and listened. The
player began to sing in fresh girlish
voice:
Say Eau revoir, 4 but not ''goodby''-
Love hveth still; Love cannot die.
He drew nearer, and the voice went
4 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 a
face he had not laid eyes upon for three
long, dreary years-a face that be had
hoped to see soon. And this was the end
Of it all! Still the voice went on with
the lying words of that song.
Adele, dear, | wish you would sing
something else. | never liked that
song, and the major smiled at bis wife.
A figure III dark blue uniform stood
and listened as if spellbound. When
the song was finished, Stone skunk,
staggering, across the parade ground
until he came to the barracks. He en-
sered and climbed wearily up the steps
a few moments later the clear notes
Of "taps" rang across the sandy waste.
Lights out, it meant.-New Orleans
Times Democrat.