Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-01-03
uE RUSHED Al THE YOUNG SOLDIER.

HE 1HE YUM SOlsDls-h-
scoundrel, get out of my sight before I
kill you! Go, say, you audacious vii
lain, or III crush you as I would a
snake! Begone!'
Selling a sword that lay near by, he
rushed at the young soldier and would
have run him through had he not
hastily retreated through the door
The grim old warrior was terrible in
his wrath. Pacing to and fro across
the room he raved and swore and
slashed his sword about, his face pur-
pie with passion. Then a new idea
seemed to strike him, and pausing in
his mad march he said:
"Why, the fellow is surely crazy. He
is as mad as a March hare and must be
looked after or he may harm some one.
What an old fool was to fly into n
passion over the irresponsible rawlings
of an insane man. Ha! ha. ha! ha!
Why, damme, | should laugh over his
absurd fancy instead of wanting to
kill the fellow. Alice! Alice. l say!'
4 side door opened and. pale as a
ghost and trembling in every limb, his
daughter entered. She had heard it
all. and her heart was well-nigh
broken. Seeing her agitation, the old
man placed an arm affectionately about
her waist, and. drawing her tenderly
to his bosom, said:
There, there, my little treasure,
don't be frightened. 1t was nothing
but poor insane soldier who imagines
himself to be in love with you. Ha! ha!
ha. ha! Isn't it ridiculous? Come, Sun
shine, don't tremble so, for the poor
fellow has gone and cannot harm you.
/ will at once order his confinement in
the guardhouse until he can be re-
moved to an asylum Kiss your old
fool father. little sweetheart. and dis
pei your fears
Throwing her arms about his neck,
she kissed him fondly, and in voice
choking with sobs, said:
''Ohl papa, dear, darling papa, would
you doom your little Sunshine to life
of unhappiness? know the gentleman
who was Just here. He is n man OF
honor and integrity, and love him as
love my lifer'
The old father cast her from him and
would have fallen to the floor from the
shock had he not clutched his desk for
support. Gazing upon her trembling,
covering form he said hoarsely:
"Are you, too, crazy? Speak, girl!
Are you, too, raving lunatic? What!
You bestow your love upon a worthless
private soldier! oh, my God, this is too
much! Would you disgrace the honored
name you bear, a name upon which
there has never yet rested a stain, by
lowering yourself to such depth? Get
out of my sight this instant, and never
dare to enter my presence again until
You have repented of this mad folly
and are ready to ask my pardon for the
gross insult you have flung in my face
"But, father, in the name of heaven,
in the name of my spirit mother, listen
to me-"
"No, not a word. Leave my sight, or
1 may forget that you are my child and
curse you! Begone, say, this instant!"
Sobbing violently the poor girl left
the room and Fastening to her own
chamber threw herself on the bed and
gave way to her grief in the most pit
eous cries and means.
Col. Sanford paced his room like
Gagged lion. Twice he sat down and
wrote an order addressed to the officer
of the day instructing him to place Pri-
yate Brown under arrest and contne
him in irons in the guard house and as
often tore the order into fragments
and east it with an oath into the waste
basket. He knew of no military law
which made it crime for soldier to
fall in love with pretty girl.
When her first burst of grief had
spent itself Alice arose, and going to
the stables mounted her pony and rode
away over the mesa to the southward,
hoping the fresh air might cool her
fevered brow. On, on she sped, re-
gardless of time or distance, until she
reached the head of gulch four miles
below the fort. Down the gulch she
rode, intending to return to the gar
rison along the river banlt-along the
path which she had traversed with her
lover but two hours before. Just as
she emerged from the mouth of the
gulch into the open valley there arose
lold d. savage veil that chilled her
blood, and a score of dusky forms
sprang up from the bushes and con-
fronted her. Savage hands grasped
the reins of her bride and savage eyes
glared upon her trembling form and
gloated over her terror
She was in the hands of band of
Mescalero Apache Indians, their hid
eous faces rendered yet more hideous
by great blotches of war paint.
While some of the Indians danced
about her in fiendish exultation, others
bound her arms with 'rawhide thongs,
and then, leading her pony in their
midst, they forded the Rio Grande and
moved eastward through the hills to-
ward the Mescalcro reservation beyond
the San Andreas.
4 cavalry soldier who was hunting
antelope in the hills witnessed thScap-
ture from a distance, and pushing his
horse to its utmost speed bore the
news to the fort.
The tidings of the poor girls capture
threw the garrison into the widest ex-
citement Bugles blared forth the call
to horse, and every preparation was
made for the pursuit of the red fiends.
Col Sanford paced the porch in front
of his quarters, issuing orders to his of
ficers. swearing aud gnashing his teeth
in his great rage and grief. In the
midst of his frantic movements Private
Brown, his face pale and pain-drawn,
his eyes set in look of the most iSed
determination, stepped onto the porch
and confronted him.
'Col. Sanford" he cried, you must
listen to me-"
You here again, you internal scoun-
drel.' roared the officer, drawing his
sword. "Begone to your troop at once,
sir, and get into the saddle, or will
cut you down as ] would a noxious
weed"
mo, colonel, will not go and you
shaR hear me- Strike me down if you
will, but your daughters life depends
upon what have 70 say
Something in the young soldiers look
aud TONG arTSsted tre vUiouci's py5itted