Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1898-09-16
CAPTAIN DORRY.ot


he fell, Go on, old fellow, yon must
fight for'boih u nsnowr had sent jim
madly forward, even after his own arm
hung helpless by his side. He be,
came unconscious from loss of blood
and fell, rose agapn and staggered hs
didn't know how long or where, fell
again, and whea he struggled back I,
life It was night, and everything was
quiet
''No. not eyerythipg-he could heaI
a moaning sound near him, and w,her
he crawled over to the sljt it came
from he foHnd--Wiil. iev ss.
."Wiil didn't know jim; he was too
far gone. But he kept moaning
'Waseri Wateri' Poor Jim lay there
aud cried, for his canteen was empty,
and he was too weak to move again.
/ All through that night he lay there,
listening to his brothers voice beg
ging for a drink and too helpless even
to pat isihand out to touch him.
"When morning came. the calls
ceased, and Jim remembered nothing
more till he woke in his own room,
with moihef's face bending over him.
| n might have sayed his life-for few
/ hogrs, anyway-if my canteen hadn't
been empty, cried the poor boy, bury.
ing his head in the pillow, while mother
aud l sobhed aloud. Is
'sTbere was only the fireIight n tue
room, and we little dreamed that
Dorfy had come in. She sat in the
shadow TIL the tale was.dones then
rose aud stood among us, who were
TOO startled to speak. Her face looked
white; her greateyes, were dilated, and
the baby voice sounded harsh and old
when she spoke. ';Jls if
did papa die 'cause he couldn't
have iink ot watef,s she asked, in a
toneof horror laying her hand earnest
-ly on Jim's arm.
eve couldn't pacify her. She
didn't cry, but shook, aud quiyered,
and all the imesslie was so white, and
her eyes went froh one face 10 the
sother in suri' questioning, pitiful
way. that we we're broken-hearted over
her.
"That wear the war ended. The
soldiers began to come home, and we
coald see trains filed with them pass
ing every day. One. morning, Just be-
fore breakfast time, there was an acci-
dent on the road some miles ahead of
us, and an early train loaded with the
army men was detained at our town
for over three. hours. =
''Such wornout-looking lotl Some
were sick, some wounded, aud all were
tired aud hungry. Every houseiin the
place was thrown open to them. jim,
still weak and shaky, was rolled to the
door to ve.coaie them as they came up
the path, while mother aud Barbara
and few about, grinding coffee, bak-
ing cakes, frying and broiling and set
ting the breakfast table the whole
length Of the -dining.room. a.
In the excitement DoEry was for
gotten. 1 had left her. standing by
Jim when / ran. ont to the kitchen.
He told MS iafterwari that she stood
watching the scene for some. time, her
hands ciasped behind her in an, old
fashioned way; then she suddenly
surprised him by pulling him down
and whispering. uncle Dim, may /
have my papa's eap?
'fIt was the first time she had
spoken Of her father since that night.
Just then a lot Of theb6ys went past.
Away she few, and in the excitement
Jim forgot her question.
"Well, the dining room was fplI
everyone was busy. and 1 stood pour-
ing coffee at side table, When Mat
thew, Aunt Barbara's boy, came rush
ing in, his face on is usual broad
grin. -ersf rffsf = :
9. Come TO the front door for Jest a
minute. he said So 1 dropped every
thing and ran.
''Shall 1 ever forget that scene? At
first l saw only a great many soldiers
gathered about the horse-block in the
front yard. Some were on the road,
some in the yard, but all pressed close
to the steps. Then one of them moved,
aud / saw Derry standing bravely
among them, herlwhite dress blowing
in the breeze. worn soldier-cap on
her erect little head and in her out
stretched hand along dipper.
while looked and could scarcely
believe my eyes. her ringing, little
voice called ont smeetiy, Flesh water,
nice flesh waterf and she was lost
again behind the crowding bluecoats.
--'' She done got me TO fetch dat
bucket nnd put it;on them steps, and
weren't studyin' what she was gwine
to do till ] heard her callinH ont and
them soldiers crowdin' up to get a
drink, explained Matthew. She
looked so kind o businesslike wild dat
cap on, 1 went right ON and done like
she told me-, What tyon reckon male
dat chile . think i'bout gettinh 'em a
drink?' he asked .ff
II believed i knew aud erept quiet
" oxerstol the sedgelofs the crowd to
watch aud listen. / could see her
plainly then. The earnest gray eyes
looked Straight into each bronzed face
from under the rim of the old cap.
She watched each soldier as he drank
from the uptqrned dipper, then called
again, Water, nice flesh watefY
Down she would piange the dipper to
the bottom of the big bucket and bring
it mp Hospitality full.
''The men crowded around her, full
of surprise aud curiosity. Her little
sigh of satisfaction when some dusty
throated old veteran drank deeply from
her hands was very evident Once,
when a yonng fellow psked for sec
ond supply, the dimple came into view
for minute, the little face relaxed into
a shadowy smile.
'Nicer shelasked, kindly, STOPPING
TO look nnder his cap. and ripple of
sympathetic laughter ran through the
crowd.
:" 'TaintIikely ber folks set her to
doin' this, said one soldier. 81
: "a '0h, they must have, said
another; let's ask her.
''5he was leaning over the bucket
when he pushed his way through. but