Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-26

see anything to laugh at In little Billy's de-
| votion to his mother or in his innocent re-
| gard for Miss Mary Goolsby. Somehow i.
| carried the private back to his own boyh5od
| days. AID he listened to the lad with i
| sympathy that was as quick and as deli
cate as a womans.
About the middle of December little Bill
| lys box came. He carried it to Private
| ChadWick's tent in great glee. and opened
it at once.
He had said to himself as he went along
| that he was sure there was something nice
| m the box. and he hoped to find Mr. Chad
| wick either in the tent or close by; but the
| drillmaster was engaged just then in max
| ing refractory conscript mark time in the
guard tent by jabbing bayonet ut his
toes.
So. for the moment, little Billy had his
precious box all to himself. He opened it
and found the letter that Miss Mary had
pinned to the clothes. 1t ran thus:
Mr.. Cochran: Aunt Sally is very Ill now,
and has been i'll for some time We are
afraid that you are the only person in the
world that can cure her. She is calling your
name and talking about you all the time.
1t would do her so much good to you
that L hope you can make it convenient to
come home very soon, If only for a day.
We should all be SO glad to see you Your
true friend, MARY GOOI.SBY."
Holding this letter in his hand, little Billy
sank down on a camp stool and sat there.
He forgot all about the box. He sat as still
as statue. and he was sitting thus when
Private Chadwick came into the tent a half
hour later. Little Billy neither turned his
head nor moved when the drilmaster came
in. SnOrtng with rage and conSigning all
awkward recruits to places too warm to be
mentioned in polite conversation. But he
pulled himself up when he saw little Billy
sitting on the camp stool staring at va
cancy.
"Hello!' he cried. What kind of picnic
is this? If my nose, amt gone and forgot
looked at little Billy. Seeing that the lad
was troubled about something he lowered
his voice. What's the matter. old man? If
It's trouble. it'll do you more good to talk
about it than to think about it,
For answer little Billy held out the let
ter. Private Chadwick took it and began
to read it. Then he held it close to his
eyes.
Now. this is right. down funny" he
said land it's just like gal She's gone
and scratched out the best part" Little
Billy neither moved nor spoke, but turned
inquiring eyes on his patron and friend.
she began it: .Dear-Little Billy" Pri-
vate Chadwick continued, land then she
went and scratched it out
1t was a very Fortunate stroke. indeed.
The color slowly came back into little
Billy's face and stayed there. After Pri-
vate Chadwick had READ the letter little
Billy took II end gave ii careful fnSpec
ticn. His face was so full of color at what
he saw that stranger would have said
he was bluShing. -a.-"
Whats to be done about it?" Private
Chadwick asked
piled little Billy.
Private Chadwick shook his head, and
continued to shake it, as if by that means
he would blot out the idea
Can get furlough?" little Billy asked,
with tears in his voice.
If any other conscript had asked him this
question. Private Chadwick would have
used violent language, but the innocence
and ignorance of little Billy were dear to
him.
Now. whoever heard of the like of
that?" he said, in a kindly tone. There
amt but one way for a conscript to leave
this camp, and that is to desert
IN do itr' exclaimed little Billy.
you know what that means, l reckon"
said Private Chadwick. dryly.
1T means that I'll see my dear nanny
once more" replied little Billy. And after
that l don't care what happens
Private Chadwick looked at little Billy
long and hard. smiling under his mus
tache, and then went out. He walked to
the center of the encampment. where the
flag pole stool. This inoffensive affair he
struck hard with his fist, exclaiming under
his breath:
Lord. Lord What makes some people
such big giZzards?'
The next day little Billy was missing.
10 be concluded on FEiday)