Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-03-14

proper Official quarter and justice
would have been done him. but he had
/ allowed his anger to override his better
| judgment, and now he was in for it
and must suffer the consequences.
| What would Alice think of him?
| Would she pass hasty judgment on his
act before seeking the details? Would
| she not now regard him as quarrel
| some bully. and deem him unworthy
of her friendship? The thought
| troubled him, and as he paced back
and forth in the forbidding gloc1n Of
the cell he was very miserable. His
| gratitude toward the girl for taking SO
kindly an interest in him had ripened
| into love which seemed to consume
him Although no word Indicative Of
his new feeling toward her had ever
| been breathed in her presence, he felt
| that she must instinctively know that
he loved her. and her eyes had on more
| than one occasion told him that her
| friendship toward him was gaining an
| intensity which might some day devel-
OPP into far more tender passion. In
his dreamy moments he had even dared
to picture future wherein their mu-
tual love would light the path down
which they wandered hand in hand,
| and now by one rash act he may have
| blighted the bud Of affection which
was swelling toward bursting in her
young heart-have blighted it SO COM
| pletely that even the sun of future vim
dication might fail to warm it into life
again.
In the midst of his gloomy reflections
the heavy cell door swung open, and
Capt. Colby entered.
Brown" he said, what was the
! trouble between yourself and Lieut..
Vandever?"
Captain, have been guilty of
most serious offense, and in the light Of
calm reflection do most deeply regret
it. 1 was grossly insulted, sir, and in
my rage l lost sight of the officer and
saw only the man who was heaping in
dignities upon me. My position as
soldier was forgotten, and I resented
the insult as would have done in civil
lifs-as any gentleman would have
done, sir"
Twill you tell me without any reser-
Walton or palliating coloring just what
occurred between you?"
Brown related all the details in
truthful manner. While he felt that
in the eyes of anyone possessing
sense of justice his blow would seem
justiiable, he admitted that he had
been guilty of a serious infraction of
army law, and averred that he would
humbly submit to any punishment
court-martial might inflict upon him.
Il am sorry this occurred, Brown,
very sorry. Your conduct ever since
you joined my troop has been most ex-
emplary, and l have hoped to soon be
able to offer you promotion. l fear
that this matter will go hard with you.
| Col. Sanford is a most severe disci
plinarian, and an assault by a private
soldier upon a commissioned officer
will assume most grievous proportions
in his eyes. He will insist upon your
trial by court-martial, and his views
on this question are SO well known to
the officers of the post that those who
try you will, should you be convicted,
feel that severe punishment must fol-
low. 1 can only hope the palliating
circumstances may bear due weight
with both the commander and the
members of the court"
He passed out, leaving Brown again
alone with his bitter thoughts.
Lieut.. Vandever lost no time in en-
deavoring to poison the minds Of his
He pictured him as brawny bully Of
a pugnacious nature, and loudly
averred that long term of years in
military prison was the punishment he
richly deserved. His words bore little
weight, however, for the young lieu
tenant had become most thoroughly
disliked by e=ery officer in the garri-
son. While there was no outward dem
onstration to establish the fact, there
was not one of them but secretly re-
joiced that he had been SO promptly
chastised for his unoficerlike conduct.
And what of Alice? That young lady
acted in a most remarkable manner
when the details Of the affair reached
her ears through Mrs. Colby. She did
not turn pale and weep and wiring her
hands in inconsolable anguish in the
conventional way. Not she. A great
smile of satisfaction spread over her
pretty face, glad look increased the
usual brightness of her eyes, and she
poured out the pent-up fervor of her
soul in giving emphasis to the one
| word:
Good"
She thought not then of rank or sta
ton nor of any punishment that her
friend might be called upon to endure,
but only saw righteous blow struck
at insolence and insult by the strong
arm of manhood.
1t was not at all unusual for the COM
handing officers daughter to send some
of the surplus from her own table
to soldiers who might be confined in
the guardhouse, aid when the orderly
from headquarters brought platter Of
eata bles to the sergeant of the guard
and said it was for Private Brown of e
troop, it was passed in to the prisoner
without questioning word. With the
belief that some sympathizing COM
rade had sent the viands from the troop
messroom he set it aside until he should
feel hungry, and when he at last I'M
| covered the contents of the dish and
noted that it contained pieces of pie
and cake and other delicacies not to be
found in the culinary department of
the soldier quarters, glad smile spread
over his erstwhile troubled face, for he
| knew it must have come from Alice.
| Raising a slice of cake from the bottom
| of the dish he discovered that it had
| been concealing a folded piece Of pa
per, and eagerly selling it he ran to
the dim light of the grated window
and read these words:
You would have been less man in my eyes
/ had you acted otherwise. admire you for re-