The Press., 1897-08-12
THE FATAL UNIFORM.
COLONEL SEXTON TELLS HOW IT
 CHANGED HIS LIFE.

The Girl Who Would Have Married
 Didn't Like the Idea of Young Fellows
 In Omcers'sCIOthes- ReIented 8 Lat-
 tie When Her Admirer Was Wounded.
 ''The only bad feature of this thing of addressing the school children" said Colonel James A. Sexton, the former postmaster, "is the fact that they al ways want me to wear my regimentals. It's thing haven't the courage to do except when I'm among uniformed body of men.
 My aversion to wearing uniform about in public dates from my boyhood days. Upon Ghat aversion is based an early incident that may have had a good deal to do with the course of my subsequent life.
 ''I enlisted as private at the outbreak of the war, being then a boy of IF; rather mature looking, however, for those years Like all boys of that age, was of romantic turn, but exceed ingly bashful in the presence of women. The ono woman in whose presence was especially shy was dear girl whom used to set home from prayer meeting.
 No parting in all that time of part ing was more affecting than was ours when my regiment started for the front. When, year later, was sent back to Chicago to recover from wound in the jaw, found myself as dear to her as ever, and she as dear to me, 1t goes without saying. was in the hospital at Camp Douglas My wound healed rapidly. I was allowed to go about the city very much as I chose, and prayer meetings, with their escort privileges, claimed great part of my attention.
 "About that time the Y. M. c. A. was organizing a regiment, to be com posed exclusively of men who professed religion. The scheme naturally attract ed great deal of attention. The papers were full of it. I was selected to cap tain one of the new regiments compa- nies. Protest against the selection was made on account of my age-then just 18 The matter was carried up to the adjutant general of the state, who final | ly decided i'll my favor. My age, the singular character of the case and tho popularity of the regiment caused such an amount of newspaper gossip that 1t seemed as though every body must have heard of the matter at least. All this time never wore my uniform outside of camp. The dear girl, therefore, nev- CT saw me except ill citizens clothes
 It's all outrage, sho said just after we met very youthful looking man i'll captain s uniform on one of our walks, that such young men are trusted with | the responsibilities of command. don't know what the country is coming to, For moment 1 Wiz overcome by | the shock When recovered my breath, told her that youth diG not necessarily debar man from possession of the l qualities of a commando r. She declined to be convinced, and ihe conversation became decidedly chilly. Instead of making my customary call when we reached her hoase, I stoi ped at the front gate.
 " Laura said, I must tell you goodby. My regiment has Crders to leave for the front tor orrow. It may be that we never shall see each other again.
 But we did. All fashionable Chicago came to Camp Douglas tho next day to see the final dress parade of the much talked of Y. M. 0. A. regiment, and could see the dear girl among the crowd. My new captains uniform gave me 8 good deal of satisfaction just at that time, can tell you. Tho colonel of the regiment had asked mo, OH account Of the power of my voice, to act as adju- tant for the occasion. That furnished additional qualification. The parade had the magnificent splendor that only 8 dress parade can have, and the solemnity of this occasion was vastly increased by | the reflection, not to be dismissed, that many of those among regiment and spec tators were seeing each other for the last time on earth. The band played as though speaking our last farewell to our friends. Every one, I am sure, was deeply impressed. It was at this time that the dear girl had her first and last view of me in my captains uniform. 1 Officers to the front and centerl MarchP ordered, with all the dignity I could assume. As they reached the center they saluted me.
 '| Sir, the parade fs formed, said, saluting the colonel.
 "The colonel returned as grave a sa- lute as he had received and put the reg | iment through the mammal of arms. Meantime ] marched a few paces be- hind him, turned squarely and took po- sition almost within arms length of the dear girl. Thege I stood at parade rest, with my back to her, until the regiment wheeled into column to march off the field. At that jupcture took command of my company and went with it aboard an Illinois Central train. Between the dear girl and myself there passed no word.
 7" A few months passed and received a slight wound. The circumstance was mentioned ill the Chicago papers. Then, for the first time after my departure from Chicago, the dear girl wrote ne letter. It was beautiful epistle. full of regret for our misunderstanding hopes that my wound would not prove serious, assurances that she never could have doubted my ability and requests for forgiveness for her mistake. an swered it, and harmony was restored.
 "At the close of the war ! at once sought her,'' the colonel added, "and found already married, "-Chicago Times-Herald.
 Fearful Duel.
 TAae most terrible duel fought at any