The Irish standard., 1898-03-26

angcrel him beyond repair. His last
act had been orc of fond thoughtful
care. He had spread the shawl over her
and fingered over it as though he loved
to touch her, mad, miserable, ugly.
hateful as she had been, and she had
spi,cfnlly thrown it off. She picked it
up now and strorc TO arrange it as he
had done, but could not. She arose
and bathcd her face and eyes, and gazcd
out over the now deserted parade She
had not even stirred when the Riflers
marched away. She paced the floor
again and felt TINT she was weak, and
became conscious that she was most
automatically hungry, and then-Oh.
heavens! how could she!--how could
she have forgotten? Here was Randy
on guard, up all night, and never before
since they came back from their we'd
ding tour had she failed when he was
officer of the guard to have delightful
little chatting dish supper all ready for
him at IL o'clock, and he used to como
over from his duties for half an hour
and cat with such an appetite and praise
lcr Welsh rarcbit. or her oysters, and
then take her in his arms with such love
and delight in his fond eyes, and hero
and here it was one o'clock and she'd
utterly forgotten It, Oh. poor randy
must be starving!
In ten minutes Mrs. Merriam had
bundled up her disl,cvcllcd hair, donnctl
some more becoming gown than the
tumhlcd wrapper, and had hustled
downstairs and lighted the parlor lamp
to signal Randy to come home and DO
fed and forgiven. and then she ran
sacked the cupboard and started her
fire, and then pccpcd over toward the
distant guartlroom and saw no sign Of
his coming. She trotted through tho
Kitchen and banged Justify at Hop
Iing's door and hadc him rise and go
summon his master, but the mental an
severed NOT. He. too. had Slipped away
to the .Junction---not so much to see the
Iitlrrs off as to have !, shy ut fan tan,
and Florence was alone. Never mind.
She hnh been born and reared in Harri-
son. No one could teach her the ius
and outs OF post life. Why shouldn't
she run across the wide 1imly lighted
fat ard surprise her darling nj his desk,
hIl>A t'lt NUN COME h)Iut NltIl HtT anu
let her Irvine herself about him, AID
have n happier cry rs she told linn lrw
weak and wicked ard cruel and hateful
she had been, and beg TO be taken back
into his love and trust Yes. yes, wcll
she knew that he was too noble, too
grand to treat her stcrnly. coi,lly be-
cause of her tclnpestuouS outbreak. 1t
was all because she loved him so-lovcd
him SO hat it WAS torture to think amy
other woman could claim or hold or
even attract him. With frightening
eyes. with bounding heart, she threw
over her head aud shoulders II light
wrap and stepped ont on tho piazza.
Somebody was coming across the pa
rade-from the guardhousc--cvcn now.
lie was still too far away to bc rccog-
nizcd. but rs he halted one minute and
turned rs though to listen to the SEN
tries just beginning to cnll hnlf-past
one, the moonlight glintc,l on the steel
scabbard. and she knew it must DO
Randy. Then lie was coming to her
after all. and she need not have TO sccle
him and be the first to "mnkc up" as
she used to say in girlish days. The
call went round with ccloing ring. and
then on came her loving husband again.
How she loved that martial stride OF
his! How erect and strong and SOL
dierly he seemed! How -why--he
wasn't coming straightto her. lie had
reached the tlngstnfr. There lay tho
beaten pathway right before his eyes
and hers. lie must sec the bright lights
OF his home bidding him come and find
love ond welcome. But hc had turned
away--was walking. not toward tho
west end, but straight for the middle OF
the row, straight TO where the Graftons
d-whcrc--thnt woman lived.
But that meant nothing. Oh, mol
Florence we'll knew TINT meant moth
ing. Had lie not said only little while
before that never would he sec or speak
with her without coming first to Ills
wife, his Florence, and letting her
know? Yet, why should he go thithcr,
at this hour of the night? That was not
the way 10 the sentry posts. Uncon-
a2-~sA,sy.a ga,