Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-09-12
the young girl, happy and thoughtlesS,
danced in the bright light, careless Of
all but her joy.


danced in the bright light, careless ot
all but her joy.
Two years had passed away The
general still gave brilliant fetes at hi.
elegant home, but the young girl who
had formerly turned all heads wa:
seen there no more. The colonel of the
One Hundred and Twenty third had
died suddenly just as he was about tt
receive his stars. a momotonous life
had succeeded the gay one led by hi,
wife and daughter All the brilliant
officers who had hovered around had
disappeared with the pleasure and
gayety. The new colonel also had a
wife and daughter; these new rulers
received all the attention, while for
the old ones was reserved the distant
bow in the streets, then the sudden
passing on
The widow and her daughter ex-
changed a bitter smile on these occa-
sions as they continue their walk.
They went into the park to enjoy the
sunshine OF fine autumn which
gilded the marble statues and the
turning leaves of the great hour chest
nuts. They sat down and. leistened
to the military band, seemed to see a
gleam Of their lost happiness. 1t
seemed to them rs if nothing had
changed and as if they might hear be-
hind them at any moment the colonels
voice saying: Good afternoon, ladies.
To-day the OneHundred and Twenty
fourth is giving the concert Its mu-
sic does not equal ours"
But the shouts of children playing
on the grass near By were the only
sound they heard The mother, with
a sigh, tried to read the paper through
glasses dimmed by tears, while the
daughter cast longing glance to-
ward her former admirers, who scarce
" knew her now. She was nearly
%, but her face, refined by sorrow.
was more beautiful than ever. She
was like flower refreshed and puri-
fled by storm. She had lost all that
had made her so capricious and dis
quieting Grave and sweet, she SEEM
ed TO he doing penarce for her past.
One day she saw new face among
the officers who promenaded past,
chatting and laughing. In
Il moment she was transported TO the
generals ballroom and she saw again
her timid lover m0lionless in Il corner,
devouring her with his eyes.
Mama, there is the lieutenant y
He saw her, too, for he grew pale and
with KEPT in hand came up to her.
The widow hastily folded her paper
and, pointing to vacant chair, said
with kindly smile:
"Ah, is that you, lieutenant What
Il long time since we have met We
are truly CAD to see you. But pardon
me | called you lieutenant, but see
you have third stripe on your sleeve" !"
Then, blushing. he related how at
the end OF six months campaign he
had been promoted To a captaincy
after the affair of Nam-Dimh. After
that he had been shut up in Tuyen-
Guam with his commander. This
terrible siege lasted five weeks and
they had to constantly beat back the
furious Chinese, whose living waves
dashed against the walls of the ruined
fortress. He had been wounded the
last day in supreme effort ; then
from afar above the clamor of the
yellow hortles he had heard the bugler
os the French sounding deliverance
Oh, the joy Of that moment. He saw
the enemy flee, the tricolor appear ;
then he sank down without regret.
His condition appeared so serious
that he was sent back decorated with
the cross. During the voyage he had
rapidly recovered, and on his arrival
he found that he had been recon-
mended for promotion to the rank of
major. The ladies listened in silence.
The mother, with her knowledge of
the profession, knew that he was ten
years in advance of his former COM
rades. The daughter looked closely
at the young officer and found him
scarcely recognizable his pallor gave
him decidedly distinguished air.
Was it possible they had ever disdained
this brave soldier who, paying for his
honors with his blood, had returned to
an assured future?
He, too, looked critically ut the girl.
Could the serious, reflective woman
before him be the frivolous, capricious
girl he had once known? She was Il
thousand times more attractive to him
III her new guise. She was all he had
ever dreamed of and he was filled
with a wild delight. Their eyes met,
and his were filled with such alteration
that the girls lids dropped in embar-
rassment. When evening came. the
women arose. and the officer accom-
panied them to their home. They met
regularly in the park on the days that
followed. The mother read the papers
and the young people talked. As