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

grasses 1cll OIL and danEICd Mt tho enc
OF their cord. cit was only tonight" ," he
went on, 'it c;mc to mo that il was
something connected with this ring
my class ring, you know. It's odd
can lhlnk what it was Why, youl
h'"id IS trcmblng" Coyly sho appraised
1t to meet the coming ring, and then
again nc faltcrcd.
Il remember, l was holding the ring
just like this when somebody called tc
me that I'd better hurry"-
Yes" she said brcathlcssly. "ln-
dccd you'd better hurry" But he was
stlll wandering in the past.
lit sccrs to mc-oh they'd sounded
olhccrs' call, and that meant the devil
10 pay somewhere, don't you know. "
hut 1'ucrcta was whiting now, desmond
cnt again, for still he went on: "You
know, L famcicd until the very next dav
mat Il lett the ring here" And, suit
ing the action to the word, he slippcd il
on nor finger. ''And yet the very ncxt
Gay, when was on scout, | found-l
found 1t hero. - And with that he again
replaced 1T Gil his own finger. Lucrctia's
face was Il sight to sec. There was an
instant Of silence and then failing TO
nOto the expression of her face. looking
tnlO Tie ann rCrrS$cS of tho past, he
again wandered or.
'Of course | might havc known
couldn't have LETT it on yCur finger
without even scciuG.-witruut even SEQ
ing if it would iil-without"- And
here he lest the thread of his language
Icntlrcly, and, gropng for his glasses,
t,,,, Ill ~
their spriHG on lucrctias finger Fen
ton, who had Joined the group Of OH
lockers, could stand no longer. Burst
Ing into IL rear uf laughter. he came to-
WMd them, AID, thus interrupted, poor
Wayne dropped both hand and cynolass,
madly trying to lit his own ring into his
l own cyn and lcol; through that under
the impression that it was monoclc.
'What on earth arc you people laugh
ing aJ:' he inquired.
''LauG!iing II? At your trying to
make Spectacle hook of Lucrctia's
hand, you inspired cid lunatic," was
tcnton unicCliLG answer, and EOur Lu-
crct!a, unable TO stand the rullCry 1T
the moment, turned and fed to tho dress
ing room, leaving Wayne to confront
his tormcntCrs as best he might.
But while music and laughter Icicncd
within the wooden walls Of the assem-
bly, room and many young hearts wcre
able to cast aside for the time being the
oppression that had settled upon the
garrison earlier III the evening, and
whilo III some of the barracks thcro
weyo sounds Of mCrrymalling and Christ
mas cheer, thorc was raging in many
breast II storm as wild as that that
whlrlcd the snowdrifts in binding
clouds all around and about the guard
house, where Scoro of seasoned troop
crs, silent, grim and by no means in
lovo with their task, were keeping
watch and ward over their littlo batch
of prisoners, especially Of tho covering
wretch who had been slowed away in
the upper room, an uttorly fricndlcss
man.
Over across the wind swept parade,
among tho rows of wooden barracks,
was ono building where no laughter
rang and about which, wary and vigi-
LIANT, thrco or four noncommissioncd
officers lowered necessarily. Hero were
quartcrcd Grow Knifc's few remaining
comrades of the Indian troop. Here were
gathered already IL dozen Of his kindred
from Big Roads trunSplantcd village,
forbidden by the fury of tho storm to re-
turn to their pccs up the valley, BAN
ishcd by tho surgeon from tho confines
of the hospital, whore they would fain
havo set up their mournful death song
to the distraction of the patients and re-
fused BY the colonel tho creature COM
forts they had promptly and thriftily