The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-20
LOVE AND DUTY.

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Itwas a military ball, the farewell I
ball Of the officers Of the shire Bluffs, /
previous to their starting for the Sou !
dan. The room was of course, SPLEEN !
didIy decorated; the wine like the
band, was beyond reproach; the scar
let uniforms contrasted bravely with
the less SNOWY silks and muslins. All
Aldershot was there. for the shire
Bufs We're deseTvedig popular WIN
men and women alike.
Still in this bTightly-lighted ball I
room there Crept somehow. d vague,
mysterious feeling of depression; for
il was the farewell bah Of the officers,
and farewell is ever a nasty word u (
say Not that the men seemed at oil
put out by the prospect before them.
Not al all The order 70 prepare Tor
service In Egypt had been greeted vi n
Upr.arious cheers and many jokes.
Young Subalterns INDUCED forthwith
in visions of companies. and T sGaiS
and Victoria crosses Grim old ser
Eeanjs gUew suddenly pleasant ana al
fable; the recruits cleaned and rec-ean
cd their rifles til! the long barrels gilt
tered like SeTFeuts, and every uaEoneI
in the regiment was ground as sharp
as a razor. Many tales Of past, and
many promises Of future, proves Is Mt
the rounds ~ the messTCums and can
Teens. no. TIE SllIe bu-S were
clearly enchanted at the prospect.
but under The Sayety 81 the scene
there IAN an underlined out UAilis'aA-
able current nI som -ihlnE Very hLeh
akin 10 anxiety. Here the eyes 81
sister followed the FORM q an Only
brother round the rUom-OthCr girls
brothers had but little charm fer her
tonight, This WAS the farewell bail
81 her brother. FAREWELL Perhaps
ho could say And tiny lace
EanlAa rcnie- IS hastily uoh2ea over
the tap Il The nose. little - either
side, and the -air face tried plucIly
To smile once more. There. in the cor
ner sat an ola. wh5te-halred lady her
dancing days had long since PASSED by
except for the sir Roger" which she
could sliT so through with the best of
them. but she WAS here tonight because
her son had brought her. and il was his
farewell ball. And, tonight, of ali
nights, she could not help remembering
that the SoUdan was a fearful place,
= where the brayest IF men could do
nothing AGAINST heat, and drought. and
disease. and where the strongest faint
ed and fen dead under the piJiless sun.
to say nothing Of those fierce black
creaJ lures whose fanaticism made them
welcome death. and whose one idea Of
fdeI To death And, unknown almost TO
herself q silent PRAYER ESCAPED her
that heaven would especially guard
and protect her boy-the others did not
matter 50 much. Even the old colonel
seemed absurdIy grave and solemn ev-
cry now and then-but only every now
and then, for was ne not NJ. c, and
old il not behoole him to keep things
lively?
"Billy'-his real name was William
St George Gilbert-F ortescue, lieuten-
ant III her majesty's shire Bluffs
was. at any rate. supremacy satisfied
with himself and with the world. No
wonder He was engaged to be mar
ried-since last Tuesday. To him Miss
Nio'at CheritGn was perfection envel-
OIez in beauty. Men in general. how
ever. looked upon Miss Cheriton as a
desperate fiirt who was-she certain
y was - bewilderingly beautiful SO.
when Billy. blushing very red. told his
brother Subalterns Of his success. they
congratulated him warmly, and after
ward shook their worldIy-Wise heads
and assured one another that Iii
couldn't last"
Billy had just finished his sixth waltz
with Vi ct was shocking bad form
Of course, but those things do happier
at farewell balls. and, besides, Billy
had skiIlfully disguised the fact on botf
their programs with the aid Of mys
FERROUS dots and dashes) He led hel
through the conservatory, righ
through into the grounds, where the
nc1nbeans fell upon the tall poplar!
and struggled to pierce dense little
bowers and thickets where they had n'
business and were not wanted Billy
led her a long Way-they could JUS
hear the next waltz commencing. CIhh
vas also Billy $, as a circle with a do
IL i clearly showed.)
sit down, SAID 6llly, with author
llY, as became the iora ana master o.
new possession
The New Possession sat down. as sn
The saTs Of The Chinese hin o Lanterns g5ss