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

she stood up instantly whea he spoke
to her aud turned, facing him.
(" Did your mother send you ont to
do this, sissy he asked.
No, she answered.
" Who did, theng' he persisted.
" Nobody; ! iinted about it nv
self, she saia, gazing at him, a little
frown between her eyes.
Then, seeing that some explana-
ton was expected Of her. she said,
| quietly, though the dear voice broke
into sob over the words:
/" My papa died in the army cause
he coaldh't have a iink Of water, and
down went the brave little head. and
the men suddenly became as still as
death.
ut didn't take me a minute to get
through and snatch that blessed baby
IN my arms. sat right down on
that horse-block and cried over her,
! without. thinking once of how they
ware all looking at me.
"But bless me, when did look up,
there they were, wiping their eyes on
their coat sleeves. Two or three OF
them knelt down, patting her little
shoes. Some Of them had turned their
backs and stood looking hard at the
ground, while one soft it-hearted fellow
sobbed like girl.
81 wanted to take her away, but
they begged hard to have her stay,
aud, she was so anxious to go on, after
she had had her little cry out, that l left
Der aud hurried into the house. Dear
jim, white and trembling, after had
elurted out my story TO the tableful Of
soldiers, insisted upon going ont to
her, while mother cried. aud Barbara
Informed us a dozen times that She'd
always told us she weren't no reg'la
child.
When the soldiers fully understood
what it meant how they crowded about
her, touched to the heart by the pa
theiic. little story. For two hours
she kept to her post gallantly, Jim
standing over her, proud and pae,
while Matthew carried water from the
we'll.
"'I put the cap on so as they'd
know was papa's daughter. she
whispered TO me, in full confidence
that every man in the regiment would
Ieeognize it.
"Old men, grizzly and worn, stsug-
gled up,prold OF a word or smile; the
younger ones begged for a kiss when
they pressed forward for a drink, and
'Captai& Dorry. as they called her,
ladied ont the sparkling water, intent,
heart and soul, on serving her thirsty
soldiers. Then the time came fos
Them to move on, and Dorry was lifted
up ON Matthews shoulder to see them
e., ;
From her high post she waved the
old cap good bye, while the men, led
of by veteran on crutches, sent up
for Captain Dorry' three rousing,
roaring cheers that rolled away like
thunder and echoed back from the
hills..g
They formed in line; the drummer
aud the one lone fifer headed the pro-
eession, and down the road they came,
each man saluting as he passed, while
she, after one quick glance at Jim,
raisel the old cap and stood with un-
covered head. The tattered flag dipped
TO the gallant little figure; the last
blue coat disappeared; the sound of
fhe tramping feet died away.
Two months latert this box came by
express, directed to Miss Dorothea
Atkenson, and in it we found the cup.
NJ Z" To Captain Dorry.
From her faithful, loving soldiers.
So read Aunt Mary, lifting the cup
from its velvet bed and looking at it
with dim eyes.
my blessed little girl, how proud
she was. Nothing would induce her
70 drink out of it; she guarded it low
ingly by day and slept with it perched
on the foot of her bed.
1--WE learned afterward that every
man in the regiment had given his
mite toward the purchase of the cup.
Then they were disbanded and went
beyond the reach of her thanks. But
TELL them love every one of papa's
soldiers, Dorry said TO Jim, stretching
out hersa as if to embrace the
whole regiment.
"That's the end of the little story,
dear"
My aunt sat looking into the fire,
smoothing the old blue cap absently,
and ] could not bear to ask the ques-
tion that trembled on my tongue.
eyes, she said, bringing her eyes
back to my face and seeming to read
my thopghts, she died that very win
ter. We hung this over her bed where
She could see it always, and the cup
was on the pillow by her when she
breathed her last little sigh.
''My'blessed baby, my little Captain
Dorry, = said aunty, softly, while ],
looking down at the cup, saw it shin
ing through a mist of tears. Youths
Companion.
UlIAINT ANN CIi1lOIfc