The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-09-28


likely to lose my life."
"Ohl come" she said, "you are not
contemplating falling on the point of
your sabre. or drowning yourself in
the bay, or superinducing galloping
consumption, are you? l have had
men do number of things for me, but
never quite that"
81 am not contemplating doing any
of those. 1 may be good deal OF a
fool, but not enough of a one to put
an end to myself for woman who
cares nothing for me-"
"Yet that has been DONE" she sug
gested.
"What 1 meant was-and what l
intended to tell you when asked you
to come to-day, was that l am going
to the war;"
''That was to have been expected, of
course. Is your regiment ordered?"
"Not yet, l am especially favored. :"
"When do you leave?"
"The day after tomorrow. And now
I am going to ask you to'promise me
something"
They had reined i'll their horses by
the dynamite-guns, and sat looking
out over the white-capped blue sea.
$50 that it is not something l can
not promise.
.".Not that. l shall leave that until
/ come back-it l do come back. If l
do not-in short, if am killed"-she
gave little shudder; he saw that she
did, and repeatedly / am killed, l
shall leave orders that my most treas
ured possessions shall be sent to you. I"
"Do you mean this mare9"
81 mean the mare. 1t will make me
as happy as it would seem l am meant
to be, to know that if die you will
have her, and will ride her, and be
kind to her. For you are fond of her,
too"
Miss Leeds knit her brows and con-
sidered. "And if 1 should not?" she
said.
"She shall not go to any one else.
will have Dartmoor shoot her on
the day that he hears my death con-
frmed."
Miss Leeds switched at the skirt of
her habit. 'Is there no one else who
is fond of her, also?"
mo" he answered.
'But that other girl you told me
OFF"
There flashed back upon Lancas-
ter's memory how Dorothy had been
wont to stand with her arms around
the arched black neck, and her cheek
against the warm, soft nose; how the
mare had followed her tamely around
the garrison, as she would follow no
other but himself. Then Miss Leeds
turned the sun of her questioning eyes
upon him. They were serious now,
and their gentle light scattered the
mists of memories. She only valued
the horse for the masters sake, and
the master is no longer anything to
her. "Will you do as l ask?"
A little, ironical smile, the smile of
an easy-going cynicism curled her
lips. 'Unto the victor belong the
spoils. Yes, if anything happens to
you, I will take the horse. But you
must not be rash. / believe prefer
your safety to it,"
Two months afterward, Miss Leeds,
bending forward to stroke the glossy
neck OF the black mare that had be-
longed to Lieutenant Lancaster,
turned and glanced up into the face of
the man who was riding beside her.
"Who was the girl you bowed to
near the gates? The one with the big,
sad eyes?"
cit was Dorothy Terrence" he told
her. Lancaster used once to be en-
gagged to her."
''No wonder, then, that she looked
at me responsibility" She tried to
laugh, but the laughter broke and she
grew white as she set the mare into
gallop. "There may, you know"
she called to him, mockingly, above
the clatter of the hoofs-"th may
lurk the adder of remorse. among the
victor's spoils. ."-Argonaut.