The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-01-22

strain; the horses snort and stamp IN
their wooden cages; the motion reaches
the rear of the train, and the Pullman
leaps forward with sudden start, then
settles into slow, gentle glide along the
polished rails.
Tumble of, Brewster!" shouts Ridge
way in feverish anxiety. you'll be car
ried away if you don't"
..Shut up. Ridge" whispers Randolph
unsympathetically. 'He's carried away
for good. It's you that's LETT"
sWhy, helloi here's Brewster booms
the major rs he enters the sunshiny car,
when at last the crowded station has
faded from view. Thought You were
ordered TO Washington, lad! Changed
your mind, eh? What, BerengariaS
''Be quiet, Dick" whispers his smil-
ing wife. "He hasn't changed his mind.
Neither has Winifred."
But Holden is not the only one of the
Pawnee party who remains. Sergeant
Ellis has a furlough to visit Louisville,
and is TO take the train thither. In his
cavalry uniform he was at the station
70 see his comrades safely started, and
the last cheers of the troopers were for
him as he stood with kindling eye and
flushing cheek, the center of a crowd OF
curious citizens. As the train disappears
around the distant curve Holden touches
his shoulder.
'At noon, EllisY'
AT noon, sir, +" is ;he prompt response;
and the sergeant RECEIVERS himself and,
springing TO attention, raises l:'s hand IN
salute. Holden smiles.
Il fancy that's about the last time
you'll be doing that sort of thing" he
SAYS significantly.
You may rest assured that the i'm
pulse will remain, doctor. II is the out
ward sign Of an inward respect that
every day has only served to strengthen. "
At noon Holden is at the hotel with a
carriage. and Ellis, transmogrifed, de-
cidedly distinguished looking civilian,
steps forth from the vestibale and joins
the doctor.
ITO Warren L. Guthrie's office" is
the brief order, and the carriage rolls
rapidly away.
Mrs. Holden is with Miss Guthrie
now," says Holden, after a moments
silence. "As vet she is to be told moth
lng-as You desire; but should we hear
favorably as to the commission before
our return to Pawnee:" he asked tenta-
lively.
"No. doctor. If we meet again IL
must be as l was, not what this cam
paign has made me"
What You have made yourself, man.
Don't talk Of it in that way. The Lord
made YOU a gentleman. You made
yourself a soldier"
Ellis smiles.
a gentleman despite night prowling
and petty larceny
Well" says Holden, chats some
thing leave you to settle with her. 1t
seems You only carried out a fair warn
ing, though of course you had no idea
of the ghastly effect it would have. But
YOU never told me how you reached
that balcony"
Easily enough, doctor. | simply took
light rope and graphing hook from
the firehouse, climbed up the rear porch
at the end away from where Kathleen
and Murphy were, went along the south
slope Of the main roof TO the chimney,
slung the rope about it and lowered my
s.lf gently TO the balcony, then threw
off my overcoat and stood at the open
window. She had gone. and | thought
| WAS too late, but catching sight of the
very picture whose return she had de-
manded and which had sworn TO have
again as well as to see her, / was just en-
tering when heard her step upon the
stairs. did not see her. lido not see how
it was possible for her TO see me: vet there
came that scream of terror. and the fall
and then the rush. 1t all flashed over
me in an instant that | had been guilty
Of a mad Drained prank-that it would
never do to be caught there; it could
never be explained. was up on the
roof in a second, snatched away the hook
and rope, csOuched down to the back
porch, waited a moment for Murphy
and Kathleen 10 run inside, then slid to
the ground. hid the rope under the wood
pile in the dark cellar, squeezed through
a gap in the fence into the captain :
yard next door-they We're all over at
the HaZletts'-then donned my oyercOat
and joined the men running up from
the laundresses' quarters. Late at night,
as the sentry told Captain Rolfe, went
back, ostensibly to get my pipe. and re-
covered the rope and hook. That was
all"
Holden p9nders moment:
My wife has told me what she knew
OF yorr interview with Mr. Guthrie
after poor Jacks death: but Miss Guth-
rie would never speak Of what passed
between herself and you.@
On the pale, clear cut face the lines of
care and sorrow ard privation seem to
deepen. The shadows darken about the
mournful eyes. Il suppose | should
never have blamed her as did" he
answers, but ] was mad with grief over
Jack, with helpless, hopeless indigna-
ton over Perciyars accusation; and
then. Of all others. 10 have her turn
against me as she did-tlat YVES the bit
teTest cup. Her fathers influence in
her overwrought condition was what
did il, suppose; but She drove me from
her sight as though ! were indeed u
felon, demanded the return Of every
time and tIinket she had ever given me
even that priced little carte dc visite
! had carried about me for a YEAR IL
was then. when she declared she would
never look upoB lily face again, that |
went wild with misery. OF despair, sup
pose. swore that sooneP or later she
shouli see me, and that befu.s ! died
her picture would be back here in its
old place. and then | left her. God
knows. the experiences of the years that
followed might have knocked the ro-
mantle nonsense out of any man. Ny
poor sister seemed to be the only one
who had any faith left in me. / wan
deIed al oTer the west as Ralph Enroll,
mining, grab stalking working like a
dog.
u was starving in the hills when
Brewster came TO my aid. / couldn't
take his money without telling him
something of my story, but / gave no
names. He doesn't know today any,
thing about the old trouble-doesn't
dream that he well knows the people
who We're once my most cherished
friends. 1t was through him enlisted,
and within three months mine | had
located and yet couldn't sell for dol
lar began TO pay. BY the time we
reached Pawnee my half interest in it
proved worth all my years of toll. Then
| thought to see her again-tools my fur
Tough at the very time her father was
west trying to find me and undo the
wrong he had done, and-you know
the rest. She was here, and returned
only to learn that she was about 10