, 1896-09-09
AN ARMY GIRL.

As she entered the room at the gen
erals s~oirces, smiling. fresh, her lovely
shoulders bare amurmur Of adm ration
went up from, the grov-5 OF officers
crowded into the dourways, She was
followed by her mothCr, Il little over
dressed, as is usual with women who
have always lived in the provinces, WHO
shook her white curls with pViie is if
to say, This is my daughter" Next
came the colonel Of tho One Hundred
and Twenty-third, pleasant, modest, in
tent on keeping off the trains OF the
ladies.
Scarcely was tho girl seated when a
platoon of lieutenauts and captains in
their dress uniforms, with mustachcs
brown and blond, eyes modest or bold,
made an assault upon her list Of dances.
There in the dazzling Light, to the sound
of sweet music, she danced. light and
graceful.
All were eager TO please her. Her
desires were commands, her C1nriccs
laws. A colonel daughter! wei they
knew that when the lists for pIomo,f1u
were made cut Il careless CutC.y f-gm
her, as, "Ah! Lieutenant Su-4u--.o;
such a charming offer and delightful
waltzcr!' might decide q career. 80 aAn
maneuvercd there IS at the drill H..h
her soft tones.
She was just % and Ter life haI len
all gala DAYS, travelling over El..lco
with the garrison, with hauna.5 fling
and bugles sounding. Her nc..un logan
to grow impatient; she w&"t Il L;r
daughter to marry. But lotwr.v Tire
girl and her admirers II ior,Ii"a's'r rgI.
rier arose upon which was written the
memorable word, ''POrDioulcss. Aud
the officers firtcd, laughed, danced, but
never seemed to think of maIr.lsc.
To please the c~uloGol's daughter for
the sake of present enjoyment was web
enough. To carry matters rs far a. mar.
riage was another soug whose air not
one Of them seemed disposed to lcaTn-nt
least Tot one who was received with
favor. Fcr about Il year the girl had
had a timid, shrinking admircv whom
she openly udiculcd AFTER uei&-Aiuu U?
coQucttes.
This lover was a large hcyish follow
with a red mustaclc and blue eyes, Il
native of Lorraine AMI educated ut the
st. MaXent school. he bad Joined the
army at the age of is, had been wounded
at the battle of Coulmiors and wore n
medal. The other officers looked upon
him as an inferior because he had not
been trained at st. Cyr. OF peasant
parentagc. he was robust and sturdy;
little inclined to talk, though we'll in
formed. Brilliant on tho field, he felt
out of his element in "a drawing room.
He scarcely knew how to dance. The
fear of appearing itupolito had orc in
duced him to ask the young lady for a
dance. But he had so mixed up the fig
ures of the c~otillon by his lack of skill
that he never attempted it a second
time. He would more willingly have
faced n battery in action than all those
mocking smiles.
Hidden in II window recess, for hours
he watched his adorcd one waltzing
with vivacity and grace. His eyes fol-
lowed the small head through the whirl-
ing throng and caressed the beautiful
white shoulders. Sometimes he was bold
enough to approach the mother and en-
gage in conversation. This was the oX-
tent of his advances.
With feelings of bitter envy he saw
his comrades lowering around the Girl,
each trying his best TO secure favor. He
said to himself: "Some day | shall hear
that she is to marry some Of these ia.
vorcd ones. Then all will be ever. In
the desolate silence Of his chamber he
gave up to his despair. He tried to rea-
son with himself. How foolish he was
to even think of this spoiled child OF
fortune, suited only to luxurious sur
roundings. She was not intended for a
poor officer.
But in spite Of himself his thoughts
flew toward her. IIc saw her i'll his
dreams smiling and whirling in the
dance. She seemed to bCckon TO him
with irritating coquetry. He thought:
"Who knows? She might accept mol"
At the thought his heart beat 50 fast
that he was nearly stiiled.
At last he could contain himself no
longer. His life became uncomfortable.
He went to the major, who had always
taken IN interest il linn, and bag ed
him to sound the colonel on the subject
of marriage with his daughter without
making a formal proposal. He passed
that day on the borders of the Swiss
lake i'll tho garden of Versailles watch
ing tho carp jump in the sun, and the
future looked very dark before him.
That evening the major took him
aside and said briefly:
81 have seen the colonel. He was
courtesy itself and here is his answer:
Your protege has not Il cent. My dauSh-
ter has no dowry. 1t would be TO unite
hunger and thirst. He was right. For
get the young lady. If you feel disap-
pointed. console yourself with studying
military tactics.
The lieutenant thanked him, but he
did moi try to console himself. As Off
GERS were needed 10 go to Tonquin he
offered his services. The following
week he embarked at Brest. And while
with q bursting heart he was borne
away from, France on the heaving waves
Of n stormy sea, the young girl. happy
and thoughtless, danced i'll tho bright
light, careless Of all but her joy.
Two yeara had passed away. The
general still gave brilliant fctes at his
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