The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-09-01

"That Oh do, " said O'Neil with an earn
estness that struggled severely with rapidly
thickening tongue; :. sure, there wasn't
mater, smarter Sargint in the Sexth Enfantry
than he wuz; pace,.to his sow" and CROSSING
himself reverently, he swallowed the re-
mander of the contents of the tumbler which
was however, Immediately replaced by the
woman with fresh draft from bottle under
the counter, and she continued
"Sorra bit Of business oideas he had
morn babe in arms, He cud stand up a,
the bar and drink all day as swiftly as any
born gintleman, so he cud; but he had nivel
had the heart to refuse to a pinniless man
that askt for it, a good warmin' o. whisky,
an he was fond of sayin' whinever the whole
room was full of customers: Don't You mind
payin' for this, bys, it's all on me-" an
purity soon our barrels began to run low, an
there was nothin' to pay for film them mp
agin. An just as Oi was beginnin' to be very
much disturbed in me moind as to how we
We're goin' to pay the rint, they began raisin'
troops, an they offered Dinny good wages
| to drill companies, an it wound up by his
| inlishtin' in the Tinth Tinnessay, which was
mostly made up of Irishmen, an wan night
| whn they were comm back from Columbus,
| he made mistake-he had had a drop too
much that day-and stepped overheard an
nlver was sane no more.
''An thin the officers of the rigimint, sayin'
that Oh was lone, lorn WILDLY, wild no one
to support me or take care o. me, made me
their sutler, an Olive made a very dacint
liyin' liver since, though their money has been
gittin' scarcer livery day, until fur awhile
back it's bin about as hard to Git sight
of as the back of me neck. But, wirra,
wirra. now they're all gone, the Lord knows
where, an fwhat in the worlds to become O.
me, Old loike to know, so l wud.
She stopped, the strong lines in her face
became convulsed with emotion, the gray
eyes filled with tears and clapping her apron
TO her face with pair of very red and muscu-
lar hands, she burst into dolelul howl that
shook the clapboards on the roof.
O'Neil, made unduly impressionable by
his rotations was overcome by this display
of grief and desolation, and before he was
aware of what he was doing he was on his
feet, with his arm around her waist, and
trying to soothe her with affirmatons that
he would never, never let the widow of his
old comrade Dennis Mccarthy want for any
thing; that he would care for her always,
etc.
Come, Walter, let's CO." said Bronson;
''we're somewhat superfuous here, SO to
to speak"
But as they were passing through the
door the woman's walls hushed, and they
saw, as she dropped her apron very sud-
denly, that her eyes were now entirely free
from tears, and shone instead with the light
of strong qualification.
"An' dye rally name that?" she asked
O'Neil, without the trace of sob in her
hard voice, or an attempt to move his hand
from her substantial waist
"Indade Oh do, 4" said O'Neil, not compre-
hending the meaning the woman was at
taching his words.
go, thank theIVargin," she said, allow
ing her head to drop on the shoulder Of her
supporter. sol always told Dinny thot Oh
admOired you more than any man beside
himsilf in the rigimint; and now, if We loike,
we'll lose no time. Father O'Don0hue the
Chaplain of the Tinth Tinnessay, is still in
his quarters, Oh behave. Let's 90 roight
down there an have it all over wild, me
darlinto
Why, may the divel fly away wild me-"
muttered O'Neil, almost aloud, to himself,
and his blood ran cold at the thought, {" if
she don't think Opm maynin' to marry her."
well. shall we be afther layvin?"
asked the willing widow, anxious that the
pace Of the affair should be kept up.
'Oi was certain a moment ago" said
O'Nel, that | heard the regimental bugle
sounding the recall, but yer swate voice
drove it from me ears. But now Oh hear it
agn, an Oh must 90 1t just tears me heart,
acushla, 20 it does, but Oh must 90, or the
Kurncl will take me stripes Off on parade.
Let me give you this SO for your prisnt
wants, an God save We till We see me again
1t is more than probable that the blushing
widow expected tender salute upon the
lips she turned towards O'Neil, but the ex-
preston on his face was one of unutterabe
alarm lest he might not respond to the bugle
signal with sufficient alacrity to please his
exacting Colonel, and he tore himself away
with haste that precluded any explanation.
The door closed behind him, and as it did
50 he turned around and shook his fist
angrlly at the woman within.
BE me sowl, Paddy, we same quite vext
at s0methln'," said a voice behind him.
ONeiI came to an about-face in less than
the regulation time, and glared savagely at
the speaker, who was as Enthusiastically an
1rishman as he himself was, and quite equally
athletic in built. But he wore a gray uni
form instead Of blue, and the Sergeant's
chevrons on his arm were made of red tape.
ONeil drew himself up with the dignity of
oho vi his ancestofS royal confronting
Danish invader, and said witheringly:
Mey name, s-o-r-r, is O'Nale-Pathrick
O'Nale; late OF Company Say, Sexth United
States Enfantry. Me fathers second cousin
to The O'Nale himself, an Oh allow no man
to address me unexpectedly, especially a
paUured ribil, who has broken the oath of
allegiance he TUX whin he came into the
country"
Faith, it's moighty hoigh ye're flynn,
now, since ye've got the abolition livery ON
and are foghtin' fur the naygurs," sneered
the other.
The dispute had already gone far past the
point when ONeil usually knocked his OPP
ponent down. and as farther delay would
only be wasting valuable time, he dropped a
blow upon the Celtic Uranium opposite him
with force that threatened to send it flying
off into space 1t did not, however, and the
other Sergeant returned it iii kind, and in
the midst Of the broil the provost-guard came
rushing up, separated the combatants, send
ing the rebel off to where the rest of the
prisoners were and taking O'Nen to the
guardhouse.
ITO be c0ntinued)
EDITORIAL, NOTE THE romance of q vounp