The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-11-17

rar's plcturel Gods praise to him toy
! the finest soldier that liver rode at the
head Of the Twelfth"
"That Colonel Farrar's pioture?"
muttered tho man in strange, half
awed, half defiant manner. "Woll, L
swear, thats-that'sq queer. And then,
In some odd, nervous abstraction, he
whipped out cigar, and the next thing
they knew, had lighted it at the stove
and tossed the flaming paper among the
sweepings on the floor. Instantly there
was rush, a trampling of feet and Just
as Rorke wrathfully had collared the
stupefied man Lieutenant Farrar burst
in upon the scene, stamping out the few
remaining sparks, and then turning an
grily upon the group
"Who dropped that fire2 Who, I
say?" he repeated, for, in soldier 81
lence, the men had stood at attention,
but, true to soldier ethics, would tell no
tales. Don't let that happen again,
corporal" he went on sternly. "You
know well enough what fire would
mean hereabouts, with the cannon pow
der stored in the tower yonder Remem.
Der the orders-the guardhouse for the
first man fooling with fire. Go on with
your work. " And then, as the men
turned silently away and Terry stood
there, looking abashed and troubled at
the implied rebuke, Will sought to
soften the effect. "Why, you're doing
great work here, corporal. pa old place
is wearing christmas dressrSd no mis-
take. Il
"It is, Masther Will, "said Rorke de-
lightedly.
"Masther WHIP repeated Farrar in
dignantly. "On my soul, Rorke, you'-
81 beg the lieutenant's pardon, said
Terry, all contrition and soldierly re-
spect. "But I've known him such a
few weeks as lieutenant and so many
and many long year as Masther
WiIl"--
"That'l do, corporal. Have the pic
ture in its place ns soon rs you can
Mother will be over here to look at it. "
| Eyes, Mas-yes, SOFT"
And again, as Will turned angrily to
rebuke the poor fellow, there wac O
gathering Of the men at the window
looking out upon the parade, and some
thing was said about lady slipping on
the ice. which carried Will away like
shot. Two strides took him to the
door, and one glance sent him rushing
to the rescue. 1t was Miss Ormsby.
And then, while some Of the men
went on with their work, others SEEM
ed to hang about Graice, who was odd
ly fascinated by the box and cast fur
tive glances at it, while Grow Knife,
under Rorke's direction, was quietly un-
packing it. Again had Graice wandered
unsteady over by tho stove and stood
there, sullenly kicking at it until one of
the men bade him quit or he'd start
fire in spite Of them. you'll have us
all in blaZes before our time" were the
soldiers words.
"Not I. Fires my friend, :" answered
Graice in surly tone
"And likely to give ye long and
warm welcome if ye carry to purgatory
the spirit ye SO sweetly manifest here
How yer friend?" retorted Rorke.
Il mean it saved my life a year ago
in Mexico. l saw girl once too often
for her lovers s good-hot headed cur He
would have it and got tin the heart
and got in quod, and our consul could
not help me- I am not the kind of citi-
zen tho United States hinders foreign
government from sending to kingdom
come, and 1 was mighty nigh getting
there"
"And ye didn't" said Terry, highly
interested. 'The Interpretations Of hiv-
en- are past findin OUT
"Fires stood my friend, say. / had
my pipe-greasers ain t the ID mar
tinots you have here-and spark went
into the straw. 1t blazed in an instant.
There was hi to pay, with the guard
and greasers and prisoners running
every which way. The prison had q lit
tie tower, like that, yonder;" said he,
pointing to the wooden structure above
the old guardhouse. II saw my chance
in the confusion and ran for it. 1t was
stone and never took fire, and got safe
ly away at night and vamoosed the
country and read aftorward how the
flames had devoured tho ruffianly MUIR
derer Roy and here he caught him.
self, with sudden gulp, seeing Rorke'a
suspicious eyes on him."
"Eh, Graice2 Roy, ye were sayin."
Murderer, roistorer and rascal, Tom
Graice," he went ON. $50 I've nothing
to fear from fire.
Rorke eyed him long and distrustful-
ly, grunting audible comment on the
| stOIy, W WuICl SOIno VI lIlo 11eu ntiu llS-
tened in absorbed interest, while others
were busily removing the picture and
setting it in place upon the wall. Then,
as 1t was fairly hung, Grow Knife step
ped back across the ROOM his eyes rev.
erently fixed upon the fine, soldierly
face. Graice, meantime, after hurried
glance about him, had drawn flask
from his vest pocket and had lifted it to
his lips, when Rorke grabbed it.
81 thought SO, ye mad Drained CAB
blerl Yell be drunk before the day Is
half over. Get up and look at the pic
ture, man. It's lookin at ye straight
and stern.
"Who-who's looking at mep What
id rot are you talkingr" shuddered
Graice.
"The colonel is, and as If he didn't
rolish the sight. Small blame to him. D
"It's saying Of my people, said
Grow in his slow, solemn tone, "Whom
the eyes Of the dead call must rise and
follow"
"You oroaking''-- Kissed GIaice,
leaping to his feet and rushing at the
Indian, but Rorke threw himself be-
tween them.
"Play wild fire when ye may, man,
but niver wild tame tiger. Hush. now.
Go out this door and cool that crazy