The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-14
The Letter From Camp.

| nice letter from poor old Freddy. Ht
! says-listen TO this: The weather is in
dustriously engaged in raining rapid blows
upon our defenseless camp and the vino
is endeayoring to fold my tent about me-
up to my rightful place in the world
} Everything in sight, blankets and bed in.
: Guided, is soaked and 1 feel as If l were
running a pawnshop as 1 gaze around
on the cheerful prospect. Scudday just
stopped in as wet as a sponge, but as
clipper a a sparrow. He says: IF you're
; writing to Betty, tell her that she could
wipe up the floor with me now. as she
always used to with some real advantage
TO the floor" 1 am writing this, my-er-
err"
Esteemed friend,'' suggests the little
girl whom every one has come to call
Lovey Dear, an endearing title bestowed
by the iTrepresible Bobby Smythe, who
chased her all around the garden with
a siphon of soda-water one afternoon in
endeavoring so he said, to perform the
ceremony of baptism in a perfectly legal
way
Betty laughs and bushes charmingly.
Yes, thanks" says she, that's ter
where was /? o, yes. Z am writing this.
my esteemed friend, On the back of my
mess plate which is the only writing
desk the quarters afford, and my i'm
pressive style makes it go "ker-plunk" at
every word. 1 have placed a few Jumps
of moist sod beneath my feet to keep
them out of the pleasant pool of water
which has found a resting place in the
tent. and as l sit here more or less drench-
ed, must confess, my-er-er-estee med
friend, that the damper which has spread
Itself over my person threatens to even
| permeate my patriotism, and l don't be-
lieve anything except sunny letter from
you will dry it off. l can not help, under
these circumstan turning a longing,
| retrospective eye upon that dear old room
| where, a about this time in the afternoon,
! Lovey Dear, in her gray gown, was wont
to pour tea for a thirsty mob while you
| and l turned up to treat them to-perhaps
| l ought to say inflict them with-what
Bobby Smythe with a perverted and dis
tressing sense of humor called a Dewey
ett," lingering on the EFT, as he always
fingers at any suggestion of eat "
Betty paused to laugh gayly.
THAT was good" cries She Freddy is
awfully funny, don't you think, Lovey
! dear?''
NO, don't think answers Lovey Dear,
| in a gently injured way. To disparage,
! be it ever so lightly, that homely, obstre-
! porous young Bobby is always to step on
| the. tail of her coat.
80, well, DEAR" says Betty, "Bobby's
| appetite is such an acknowledged success
| that
Il have eaten my way into the most
reserved larders of the social Set" fin
ishes a cheerful voice from the doorway
''Howdy. girls! 1 knew you'd be glad to
see me! Betty singing my praises, as
usual? I declare the way that old lady
does rave over me! 1t is embarrassing,
really. But l cannot conscieuuously give
her encouragement, Lovey Dear; there is
such a difference in our ages and for me
to wed Betty would be mating May to
December, would it not? Pom my soul,
as 1 notice how aged and decrepit she
is getting it reminds me of story"
Help! Help! Help!" cries Betty
family.
''Of a story?' says Lovey Dear, encour-
agingly. though Bobby needs none.
The girl laughed lightly, possibly from
the force of habitual pOliteness, and
Bobby, as usual, doubles up and bowls
at the wit of his own yarn.
Bobby" remarks Betty when at last
Mr.. Smythe's mirth has subsidized, cit has
just occurred to me that you are still in
town-that you haven't gone to war with
the rest of the boys. 1 declare I'm asham-
ed of you, and Lovey Dear must be, too,
know, for she said yesterday that it
was better TO die hero than live moth
ing; didn't you, Lovey Dear?"
For a second a keen observer might no.
tice how white Bobby gets; what an anx-
iOus look flashes in his eyes; what a firm
set his mouth takes. Then he answers
quietly:
Il wanted to go awfully. Betty, and it
gave me a pretty good wrench to see the
other fellows shoulder their guns and go
off to fight around the old flag; but my
mother. you knOw-well l support her
first, Uncle Sammy next"
And there is a little ring in his voice
as. he says this that brings a light into
Lovey Bears soft gray eyes-a light that,
perhaps who know, may never fail.
You are a good boy. Bobby" remarks
Betty, land what will you do if 1 tell
you there is a watermelon on ice in the |
refrigerator?
Have spasms in rapid succession until |
it is produced" replies Mr.. Smythe |
promptly.
Whereupon, rather than expose herself |
to the danger of hydrophobia, so Betty !
says, she leads the way dining-roomwards |
where, in the luscious juice of round |
slice of really indecent size Bobby buries |
his homely visage and APPARENTLY the grav- |
ity that was his a moment ago.
Presently Betty, being small and easily |
satisfied, rises.
Il leave you two budding boa constric- |
tors to gorge yourselves out of proportion |
while 1 go and write a line to Freddy; /
and. Bobby, for mercys sake, wipe that |
melon off the end of your nosel Why |
can't you eat respectfully, like other peo- /
ple?"
Well" answered Bobby, grinning over |
a half-moOn of rind, you know a quill !
driver must be so much around a pen that /
he loses his style. Good-by, dear. If there !
We're not another prospective slice Of mel |
on between US, Betty. l should be tempted |
to eat yOu-look like q stick OF pepper !
mint candy iE that red and white get /
up
"Candied compliment" says Betty and |
disappears to avoid reproaches.
For a moment there is silence in the /
room, then Bobby looks up with the same F.
odd, grave expression on his face that /
was there a while ago.
Il know observes he. speaking hur- |
riedly, that you girls think banners and /
fireworks of the fellows who are going I.
to fight for all that IS best in Cuba 1t /
must seem tame TO you Ter me not TO /
go. Did YOU" jerkily now, ''er-do you /
er-like-er-me less, think less er-of me /
for it. Lovey Dear?'
And Lovey Dear chow the name fits /
her) answers gently: 20. no; not less Of /
you. Bobby. There are even higher du- (
ties than those which one owes TO ones /
country. and the best and the bravest and /
the grandest battles fought are the hat
ties that no one sees; and the greatest he /
roes are he silent ones who must stand /
fast to the plain things while others 90 /
marching on"
''Lovey, Dear" and though Bobby IS /
beamng like the midday sun and his I
pleasant, homely face is wreathed in I.
wreathed in smiles, his voice breaks iu /
an odd litcle way. and there is something
besides light shining in his eyes. "Lovey /