The age-herald., 1899-11-05

people of wealth, those who could afford to pay the necessary $25 which the seats brought
 High upon one of these privileged grand stands, the day of the Dewey parade, sat a pretty girl. She was tall and slender with chestnut hair and the color of wild roses in her cheeks. By her side sat her father and on the other side was a little boy, plainly her brother, for he called her Sissy, and the same clear look shone out of his honest blue eyes.
 ''I wish Evan were home, Slssy," said he. Evan would look so handsome riding down Fifth avenue in his uniform"
 You forget that Evans uniform is a dirty brown and his lnat a slouch," said Sissy, between a laugh and a sigh.
 All the same she thought as sine spoke that Evan would have made a fine figure. Poor Evani
 Evan Miller had gone to Manila with the Astor battery a year before; and Sissy had heard no word from him all ilhat time. She knew he must have been killed, for Evan, II alive would have written to her. They were all but engaged whe nthe regiment went away, each waiting for the moment When the love of each would declare itself. Evan did net feel that a poor seldier, with out his straps, should speak the word which bound a rich girl to him; and Sissy felt uhat she must wait and test Evan.
 As the boy finished speaking there came Salloping up Fifth avenue a solitary horse- iI.'h ui uie unllorm or the Daittery. And Sissy, looking at him, saw lthat it was Evan. No, she must be mistaken All sol- ulefS looked so strangely alike in that queer bloWn cloth. No, it could not be Evan. Inc soldier who was out on military er- rand, rode past the reviewing stand re- turned, galloped up to the officer in charge, whispered a few words, took off his hat and wiped his forehead and rode on.
 And in that brief interval Sissy had rec ognized Evan.
 Fortunately Bobby had not seen him. The crowd in the seats settled back and waited. It would be two full hours before the procession would arrive. Meanwhile there was nothing to do but sit and wait and chatter and admire. What grand pa- rade 1t would be-
 But Sissyl After she had seen Evan she had no ears for anything Bobby had to say nor eyes for anything that was passing around her. She had seen Evan. Evan was alive.
 Yes, the whole truth dawned upon Sissy at last. Evan was not true He had forgot ten her. After leaving for Manila he had left her out of his mind- She had been no part of his war thoughts. Evan was no longer her sweetheart The very thought made Sissy sick and the wild rose faded from her cheek and she grew very quiet as she thought of the words of troth Evan had spoken before he went away and which he must have forgotten when his ship sailed out of sight of home.
 It would have been a long wait to Sissy, but the minutes passed as she went over in her mind her happy acquaintance with Evan. Yes, acquaintance all that she would call it now. They had been the mer est acquaintances. But as she said this to herself Sissy thought of the roses he had given her at parting, and remembered them as she had looked at them this morning, perfectly preserved and put away in her holy of hoes.
 Well, many a girl had been forgotten in the same way. Sissy knew that, but It was hard.
 "Hurrahw great wave of applause arose a mile north on Fifth avenue and canie floating down in great wave. "Hur- rah, 1hurrah," It was the voices of thou- sands of people cheering they saw the heads of the immense procession approach ing.
 First came the police in their brilliant uniferms. Then came Sousa and his band, marching for the first time in their history. Then leading the great parade, came the admiral seated in his carriage of state And behind him were the crew of the Olym- pia and the many miles of martial hosts, naval and military.
 The procession paused at the grand stand, behind which upon her elevated station Sissy sat, and the admiral alighted. Es- corted by the mayor he took the seat of s.aite and the troops filed past him. salu't- ing while tine bands played their best.
 t'cfs''NA' saluted as they reached fine stand, and Sissy and her friends had the pleasure of seeing the finest troops in the world in the very flower of their beauty.
 And what a long time it took. The ad- miral reached the grand stand at 1 o'clock and from that time until the soldiers went filing past.
 Last of all came the Astor battery. What a noble lot of fellows they were. headed by Colonel Asltor in his uniform. all marching 10 llhe beautiful strains of Onward, Chris titan Sodiers." Sissy heard bt and was thrilled. Evan, too heard it. for he was one of the soldiers, mounted aid.
 As the battery swept along to the grand stand, Sissy held her breath. for sine saw Evan, and Evan was looking straight up al her.
 Then she felt Bobby tugging at her sleeve Sissy, how much that soldier looks like Evan. See Sissy, he is looking up here.'
 Halt! The word was passed through the ranks. Every man in the great procession paused The mighty body found it neces- sary in the ceremony of reviewal to pause before passing on; there was too little space for the fine military maneuvers.
 For minute the soldiers rested on their arms and Evan. letting his horses reins fall on his horses back, looked up to where Siss sat. Bobby stood straight up. "Oh, please, Sissy lift me up," he said Please lift me up, I must see him better"
 But Sissy could not move. She only sat and stared.
 surely, he was lifting his hat and waving it.
 Surely, he lifting his hat and waving it. Other soldiers were doing the same as they recognized their friends in the brief interval of rest.
 Sissy smiled and bowed and waved her handkerchief and Evan picked up his reins again for the order had been given to move onward
 That evening there was a ring at the doorbell and Bobby answered it. He could not wait. He knew it was Evan. And Evan it was.
 "Oh, Evan." said Sissy later that even { ing, after they had talked it all over. q thought you were dead. At least l was afraid SOL
 ''And I thought you were untrue to me, I wrote you many times and then I saw that announcement in the papers,"
 That was my cousin," explained Sissy all over again. "You know our names are the same. How stupid of you, Evan"
 A week later when Evan felt sure of his ground, Sissy was wearing flashing ring. Evan said: Do you know, Sissy, dear, that