The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-12-24

OH with that Orcrcoat, or is your sabcl
that will come off, sir, in arrest. What,
slight member of your coloncl's house.
hold! Lord bless me, sir, it's tanta.
mount to mutinyv'
"But, colonel " responded Farrar i'm.
petuously, "thc officer Of the day.
mot another word, sir. Here is your
officer OF tho day" said he, indicating
Kitty. "and you will report for duty
instantly. "
lrrcsoluto, rejoicing, disappointed
and pcrturbcd all in oEc, Farrar stood
one moment hardly knowing what to
do, when Kitty seized him by one arm,
and Lcalc. noting his embarrassment,
stepped TO his aid
Il am going to tho guardhousc, Will,
and l will look after your duties there.
Have your dance and return at your
convenience. The colonel will lot you
go after awhile. -
And then Kitty resumed her sway.
| II shan't dance one step with YOU until
you take that dreadful thing off," said
she, indicating his dangling sabcr an,i
, utterly ignoring his protest that, ~
officer Of the guard, it was an cSscntia
part of his uniform and equipment. He
! only response was that bo WAS to r.
member that he was then on duty tc
her. Take Off that sword, sir, and hun
ry about it, for there goes the band -
And so, unslinging the heavy weapon
! he handed 1t submiSSivcly to his inDe-
rious queen, who promptly slowed it
away undor the wooden sCttce against
| the wall and then, courtcsying to her
partner, indicated to him that at last
he was at liberty TO lead her to the
! dance.
hnd now, smiling, joyous and once
moro thrilling with mischicvous dc.
light rs she boro her sullly prize across
| the room, Kitty came suddenly upon
tho major, standing incoming and prcoc-
cuplcd, gazing apparently at the por-
tralt OF Colonel Earrar, yet, us was
equally apparent to tho little knot of
! laughing lockers OIL, seeing it not at all.
| kitty was on the point of uccosting and
bringing him to himself; but, with eager
whisper and gcsticulations, Amory, Mar
tin and others called hcr to them.
''Don't wake him, they murmured
'Do let Aunt Lou have that comfort
| SEQ, she's coming to him now" And,
rs what Kitty most wanted at that mo-
mont WAS an opportunity 10 restore her
| interrupted dominion over her angercd
| lover, and as he WAS blind and deaf to
anything but tho consideration of his
own GlloranCCS, PERSONAL and official,
| Wayne was left to become tho central
object of interest, whilc kitty drew her
dcposcd officer Of the guard to q distant
| corner.
IL CT tt,Ix NI,at lao
| struggling to recall some important
matter was evident to all who had long
known him, and for the time being he
was lost TO all consciousness of sur
rounding sights and sounds and had
| fioatcd off into that drcamland Of rem
lnlsccncc i'll which only hc was thorough
~ at home. Ono or two of tho ladies
who were at the moment resting from
tho dance stood leaning on the arms of
their attendant cavaliers and watching
with them the result of Lucrctia's tim
id yet determined approach. Almost
tlptoclng, rs though afraid that her
noiseless football might rudcly awaken
him, she was stealing to his side. and
presently they saw her lay her hand up
Oh his arm and peer trustingly up into
his face. Thinking only of him and for
him, she, too, then, was almost uncon-
scious of any observation, kindly and
good n"turcd though it was.
Unwilling to interrupt too suddenly
the current of his mcditations, she hcsi.
tatcd before speaking. Then, half tim
idly, sho suggested, "You like tho pic
turc, majOr?'
Slowly his gaze came down from the
flag drapcd portrait and through his
eyeglasses Wayne bcnignantly regarded
her. FINALLY his wandering wits return
cd, and he aroused himself to falicrng
answer to her repeated question: "It
makes him look too DID," no said IL
can't bear anything: that looks old, don't
you know. - Then, dimly conscious Of
something ho might havo put in far
happier form, ho quickly strovc TO re-
call his words. "I---I don't mean wo.
men, Of courso---I )ilio old women. You
know I l;kcd you 20 years ago"
"You left mo to guess it, thcn," mur-
| murcd she, vaguely grateful for even
this admission and desirous Of encourage
ing avowals even thus lato and luke.
warm.
eyes" no went on, "you know, it
seems to mC-WaSn't it that last night
| We danced together ut jefferson bar.
| racks? That was cvcry day of 20 years
ago"
"Ah, WE'LL" answered Lucretia, lyon
know it is so very difficult to reckon
from, because that was tho goth Of Fob.
luary, and that coming only once in
four years, YOU
"Ha" Wayne laughingly interrupt
cd and then suddenly fell back again
into his old incoming way. "And yet,
you know, there was something [ want
cd to ask you that night, and was so
| confoundcdly abscntmindcd"-
'Oh, vcry," said she, "for you men
toned that thcro was something you
wanted to ask me, and I've been wonder
ing what it could be for 20 years.
do you know" said ho dclightedly,
so have l, SO have ~ And here he
y n Il