The National tribune., 1898-10-13
WASHINGTON,

promised husband, that I've bin a-hunting
for for weeks. o, Patllrick, - she sobbed,
iiinging her compact form upon his breast
with an impetus that made him brace him.
self TO keep from falling, I've found We at
last, hev 2" l was ESQ feart that ye were
kilt, and that / WIS left n lone WILDLY once
more, afore | had married again."
The lady nurses gazed upon the-seene with
real womanly sympathy, as the development
of tender romance.
"Quite evidently a. pure little idy.l of love
among the lOwly," said one, as she removed
her glasses to wipe heT'moistened eyes
No doubt mature Gabriel and Evan
geline, with Hibernian variations" said an
other, who had laid down a copy of Long
fellows poems when she rose to her feet
Irish are always so warm-hearted and
emotional, said n third, who was evidently
of generalizing turn of mind.
The wounded ceased their groans and
| turned to watch the two.
"O'Neil knew nothing Of the sympathy.
He only felt that he was being made extreme
ly ridiculous, and to be made ridiculous
now-when ian officer and gentleman y in
the United States service-was uncomfortable.
He said in an undertone, charged with sup
| loosen her sinewy hands from their clasp
about his neck:
80. for the Inv Of God. don't make a sane
here afore all these payple Recollect yer
silf do.
An Oi heered they'd made We a Liftin-
ant" she said, cinging the closer the more
he attempted to remove, her; "but Oi didn't
know whether it was afore or afther ye wuz
| dead But, the Saints be praised, ye're alive
an sound, an OH niver lose soight of ye
agin."
cay, but we will. though !" said he, his
temper rising rapidly. Biddy, don't make
fool of yerself an me, too Take yer arms
away now, an behave loike daycint, re-
pectable woman. can't ye 2"
"No. Oil not lave ye-Oi'll not go u fut
away from We agin until we're married.
Olive had sich a wurrld of worry an trouble
on yer account since Oi last saw ye that OIll
not risk Iosin ye agin until ye are laVgally
mine AM Dim sure / dcsarve to be Lif
tenants wolfe as much as iver woman in
the wurrld did Olive worn mesilf to a
shadow a-grievin for ye."
ga pretty substantial shadow, should
say" thought Walter; not less than 200
pounds of firm bone and muscle"
"OTll hev no more of this nonsense" said
O'Neil. now thoroughly enraged. Sit We
down there an behave" and wrenching her
arms from his neck he took her by the shOul-
dcrs and sat her down in a chair with force
that made the chandeliers in the cabin jingle.
Why, he's a strong-armed barbarian,
said the lady with the Eyeglasses.
Hasn't particle of the innate chivalry
OF natures noblemen, said the one who had
been reading LongfeilOw.
Jr,c fro, MT fIu hrnt IN
their women" said she who was given to
generalizations.
Can hardly be said to be dying with
anxiety to get married, said wounded
man.
ONeiI bolted ont of the cabin, halfblind
with rage, and pushed down the forward
steps for the shore. At that unfortunate
moment there was'corifng up the stairs such
a one as stirred the mettlesome Hotspur to
wrath:
Neat. FIRMLY dressed.
Fresh as bridegroom; and his chin new reaped
Showed like stubbe ltld at harvest home;
He was perfumed like u millnor."
A jaunty, G-embroidered cap set upon his
curly locks and anattg semi uniform showed
him to be one Of those pnrely ornamental at
tacfes of the staff who focked to Shiloh
after the contest with the boatloads of sani-
tary stores, nurses, physicians. etc, to make
a show of doing sonet thing to justify their
uniforms and commissions
O'Ncirs brawny shoulder caught his thin
form at the head of the stairs, and the next
instant he was rolling in the dirt at the foot.
O Neil did not comprehend what had hap
pened, but imagining that the dandy had
struck him, for some reason, he gave pros
trate form such q kick in passing as would
have wrecked it had it not been providenti-
ally received ON the part that nature seem
to have thoughfully provided for such at.en-
tions.
A half-dozep Of the boat-guards sprang for
ward to arrest O'Neil but they went down
before his mighty fists like ninepns. the one
who attempted to bar his passage Of the gang
plank being sent flonndering into the water
But the patrol from the shore came up and
he was forced to yield and march off pris-
oner
A few days later conrt-martial was con-
vened, at which the staff officers who seemed
badly enough damaged to have passed through
the thickest of the fight on Sunday, aE-
peared and pressed against ONeil the charge
of malicious assault upon superior officer
He acted as if nothing else thar shooting his
assailant would satisfy his wounded dignity
But the court-martial contented itself with
revoking the application for commission
for O'Neil and reducing him to the ranks.