Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-11-08

ant nlmSel1, WIFI ne SeeIlleu W CATCH
sight O. me or hear me, an he backed
inside the gate All shut it. was sure
twas he, he was so tall all slimlike,
an so l niver said word until l got to
thinkin over it, an then couldn't
spake. Sure if it had been the loot'n-
ant he wouldn't have backed away from
a sintry-he'd "a come out bold al CIV
en- the countersign-but didn't think
O. that. 1t looked like him in the dark,
an twas his quarters, an l thought it
was him until thought ag'in, an then,
sor, wint back and searched the yard,
but there was no one there. "
Him! Odd thing that, Leary! Why
didn't you challenge at first?"
"Sure, sor, he lept inside the fince
quick as liver we set eyes on each other.
He was bendin down, an thought it
was one of the hound pups when l first
sighted him."
"And he hasn't been around since?"
"No, sor, nor nobody till the officer
of the day came along"
Chester walked away puzzled. Sibley
was quiet and orderly garrison. Night
providers had never been heard from,
especially over here at the south and
southwest fronts. The enlisted men 60
ing to or from town passed across the
big high bridge or went at once to
their own quarters on the east and
north. This southwestern terrace behind
the bachelors row was the most seclud-
ed spot OH the whole post, so much SO
that when a fire broke out there among
the fuel heaps one sharp winters night
a year agone it had we'll nigh enveloped
the whole line before its existence was
discovered Indeed not until after this
occurrence was sentry posted on that
front at all, and once ordered there he
had so little to do and was so compara-
lively sure to be undisturbed that the
old soldiers eagerly sought the post in
preference to any other and were given
it as peace privilege. For months re-
lief after relief tramped around the fort
and found the terrace post as humdrum
and silent as an empty church, but this
night No. 3 leaped suddenly into notori-
ETY..
Instead of going home, Chester kept
on across the plateau and took long
walk OH the northern side Of the reser-
vation, where the quartermaster' S stables
and corrals were placed. He was affect
ed by a strange unrest His talk with
Rollins had aroused the memories OF
years long gone by, Of days when he,
too, was young and full of hope and
faith-aye, full of love-all lavished OH
one fair girl who knew it well, but gen.
tly, almost entreatingly, repelled him.
Her heart was wrapped up in another,
the Adonis of his day in the gay old sea-
board garrison. She was soldiers S
child, balrack born, simply taught,
knowing little Of the vice and tempta-
tions, the follies and the frauds, of the
whirling life Of civilization. A good
aid gentle mother had reared her ard
been called hence. Her father, all Off
Ger whose saber arm was left at Molino
del Rcy, and whose heart was crushed
when the loving wife was taken FROM
him, turned to the child who so resem-
bled her and centered there all his re-
manning love and life. He welcomed
Chester to his home and tacitly favored
his suit, but in his blindness never saw
how few moonlit strolls OH the Ole
moss grown parapet, few evening
dances in the classmates with handsome,
wooing, winning Will Forester had
done their work She gave him all the
wild, enthusiastic, worshiping love OF
her sirlish heart just about the time
Captain and Mrs. Maynard came bacl:
from leave, and then he grew cold and
negligent there. but lived at Maynard's
tircside, and one day there came SEN
sation-a tragedy-apd Mrs. Maynard
went away and died abroad, and a
shocked and broken hearted girl hid her
face from all and pircd at home, and
Mr.. Forrestcr's resignation was sent
from no one knew Just where, and no
one would have cared to know except
Maynard T would have followed him,
pistol in hand, but Forester gave him
no chance. Years afterward Chester
again sought her and offered her his
love and his name. 1t was useless, she
told him sadly. She lived only for her
father now and would never leave him
till he died, and then she prayed she
might go too. Memories like this will
come up at such times i'll these same
"still watches of the night" Chester
was in a moody frame of mind when
about half an hour later he came back
past the guardhousc The sergeant was
standing hear the lighted entrance, and
the captain called him:
''There's ladder lying back Of the
colonel's s quarters on the roadway. Some
of those painters left it, I suppose It's
a wonder some of the reliefs have not
broken their necks over it going around
tonight Let the next one pick it up
and move it out of the way. Hasn't it
been reportCa!'
Not to me, sir. Corporal Schneider
has command of this relief, and he has
said nothing aboutit. Here he is, sir. y
Didn't you sec it or stumble over 1t
when posting your relief, corporal:'
asked Chester.
NO indeed, sir. IL think the cap
tain must have been mistaken III think
ing it ladder. We would surely have
struck it if it had BEEN"