The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-12-20

spain he had returned TO the United
States posthaste to offer his services
to the government and had had the
good fortune to be sent to the front al
most Immediately. There is, after ALL
something In good luck. though per-
haps more In good manners. Hard
worked as he was In General Grub's
division. he still found time to be mis-
cradle over the fact that Kathlyn
Schuyler had refused to marry him for
the excellent reason that she was going
to marry some one else. She had con-
fided this fact to him under the inno-
cent impression that anything which
made her SO tremendously happy must
be good news to him, and the poor jun
iOr surgeon was made to feel for the
first time the bitterness OF the old ad-
age that what is one mans meat is
another mans poison. He sighed again
as he stuck his hand into the pocket
where he kept one OF the girls short
characteristic notes. wondering who
the lucky fellow was. for no name had
been given him.
The rlythmical beat of faraway
horses hoofs broke in upon his thoughts
abruptly. While he listened, his heart
hnmmering against his ribs, for the
sound coming out OF the stiffness of
the early morning WAS as thrilling as Il
midnight extra cried through deserted
streets. the soft piping Of birds in the
forest turned into an eXpcctant silence.
and 1t seemed TO the junior surgeon
that he alone in all the big. dim world
around him was waiting for the soil
tary borseman.
Pushing the tent flap hastily aside.
he ran with long strides past the can
vas colony to the clearing beyond. The
sentry. alert with the fear Of the some
thing unknown which was drawing
nearer, salutcd him as he put the qucs-
tion which was in his own mind:
"What is t?"
Something queer. sir. Listen to the
BIRDS
"Was the general expecting news"
"Nothing's expected. sir; 1t amt
nothing that we're expecting. Nothing
but Il ha'nt rides SO deadly quick"
"a ha'ntv'
"Onc Of them as has been killed
ugh!" Tie soldier drew in his breath
with frightened, sucking sound as Il
bay mare. covered with sweat, cantcr-
cd into view. She stopped short OH see
ing the camp, then with half ulcased
whinny 1T being among friends; again
allowed the sentry TO catch her bride
ucr rider hung, an inert mass from the
saddle, and the junior surgeon wonder
ed rs he lifted him down what had
kept him from falling under the horses
hOofS.
''By Jove" lie exclaimed suddenly as
the mans face came into view, and the
sentry added, as though it were sol
emn response: Lieutenant Fielding.
sir! The pity of it!'
When everything necessary had been
done for Fielding, the junior surgeon
picked up the coat he Lad to cut away
from the wound in his arm anu in SO
doing split the contents Uf one Of the
inner pockets on to the floor. Some pa
pers. bound together by an elastic,
which snapped with the jar Of the fall,
were scattered to right and left, and
on STOPPING to pick them up lie gave q
start Of surprise ut the sight Of Il small
photograph. lying face upward under
his hand. "Kathlyn" he exclaimed in
bewilderment. "IIow the dcvil?" He
stared at 1t moment. then absently
turned it over and read the writing on
the back.
"Only come back, my dearest" it
ran, land l will marry you on nothing
a year or do anything else you want
me to. l know now whether l love
you, and. OH, Dick, DO! Don't let them
kill you. l would ever so much rather
You ran away ut the first shot-so long
as YOU ran back to me-
The junior surgeon turned toward
the man OF the cot. $50 it was Field
ing" he said gently. Tie tears in his
eyes suddenly blottcd out the scene
about him. but not the vivid relncm-
brance Of Il slim, tallish young girl,
whose face and figure, fresh ana erect
as daffodils, held out the alluring hope
of fuller beauty later on-the hope
which makes spring SO adorable
An hour later the junior surgeon was
ushered into General Grub's tent,
where that testy little fighter sat eat
ing his breakfast Of soft boiled eggs,
toast and coffee. Willie Cassandra wab-
bled abOnt the table in search of
crumbs. 10 see the general eat eggs
was monstrous spectacle, for it is
dishcartcning fact that good table man.
Iers and Grcatnc ) rarely dwell to-
:,cthcr. They hao known each other
many ycars-were, in fact, friends of
long standing-sincc it had been on the
auspicious occasion Of the junior sur
gcon's first pair Of brooches that Cen
eral Grub had offered his hand and
heart to Miss Lucretia. the junior sur
gcon's youngest aunt. For purely per-
sonal reasons Miss Lucreta had re,
fused to marry. but she had not the
power To keep that pighcaded Off Ger
from considering her ever after as the
only woman in the world.
"How the deuce did YOU find Field
ing?" he asked when the junior sur
geon had spoken. The young fellow
told his tale with Il simple brcvity nat
ural to him, yet at the end the listening
general was conscious that Fielding de-
served every honor that could he con-
ferred upon him.