The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-02-27
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
A number Of the stable attendants
who had witnessed the alteration ran
to the spot and assisted the officer to
rise His nose was bleeding profusely
from the blow, and in obedience to his
commend guard was summoned and
Brown was marched away to the guard
house.
Seated on bunk in gloomy cell his
anger cooled and he awoke to real
izing sense of what he had done. In
civil life he would have been applauded
for so promptly resenting an inten-
tional insult, but in the army it was
different. Violence offered by pri-
vate soldier to an officer is a most
serious offense, and one which under
army rules demands severe punish
ment. While it is true that the officers
conduct toward him was highly repre-
hensible and such as would lay him
liable to official investigation, that
fact did not in the least mitigate his
offense. Had he quietly submitted to
Vandever's abuse he would have been
justified in seeking redress in the
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 gloom Of
the cell he was very miserable. His
gratitude toward the girl for taking 50
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-
op 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--havc 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
Can't. Colby entered.
Brown" he said, what was the
trouble. between yourself and Lieut..
Vandever?"
Captain, have been guilty of a
most serious offense, and in the light of
calm reflection do most deeply regret
it. / 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 a
soldier was forgotten, and resented
the insult as would have done in civil
life-as any gentleman would have
done, SIR"
"Will you tell me without any reser-
vation or palliating coloring just what
occurred between you?"
Brown related all the details in q
truthful manner. While he felt that
in the eyes of anyone possessing q
sense of justice his blow would seem
justifable, he admitted that he had
been guilty of serious infraction Of
army, law, and averred that he would
humbly submit to any punishment q
court-martial might inflict upon him.
81 am sorry this occurred, Brown,
very sorry. Your conduct ever since
you joined my troop has been most ex-
emplary, and have hoped to soon be
able to offer you promotion. l fear
that this matter will go hard with you.
Col Sanford is most severe disci-
plinarian, and an assault by private
soldier upon 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 30 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. / can only hope the palliating
| circumstances NAV 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
brother officers against his assailant.
He pictured him as q brawny bully o.
pugnacious nature, and loudly