The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-09-14

theirs could ever be repaid What right |
had he to use one cent of this money for
any purpose whatever when another
day might be his last?
VIM wished he still had the San
Antonio check instead of these bulky
packages of greenbacks. They were
now locked up in Trott's safe, unbro-
ken, pending action at department head
quarters on the new schedule sent
thither, based on the recovery of some
of the damaged stores. He thought Of
it all as long before gun fire that morn
ing the black care of his life came and
reused him from his fitful sleep and
babe him face his daily, hourly tor.
ment. He had risen, and as he softly
moved about the room, thoughtful for
her, she slept on placidly as happy
child, soundly as slept the nurse and
the little one in the adjoining room.
Downing his stable dress, he carried
his boots into the hall and down the
creaking stairs and sat there with soil
tary candle, at his desk, YEARLY jotting
down memorable figures The dawn
came stealing in the eastward window
From aloft querulous little wall was
uplifted on the stiffness Of the summer
morning. There was no answering hush
of loving, motherly voice. Laura could
not stand wakeful nights. He tiptoed
swiftly up again to rouse the nurse in
case she, too slept on, but he heard her
hand beating drowsy time on the cover
let, and the soothing "Shoo, shoe,
shoo,' with which she communicated
her own heaviness to her little charge.
Laura had turned uneasily, he saw as
he peeped in at the open doorway, but
again slept soundly, her lovely face
now full turned toward him, half pill
lowed on the white and rounded arm
he used to kiss with such rapture in the
touch OF his lips. Her white brow was
shaded by the curling wealth Of her
soft, shining hair. The white eyelids
dropped their long curving lashes over
the rounded cheeks, family tinged with
the rosy hue Of youth and health. The
exquisite lips, warm, delicately nodded,
parted just enough to reveal the white,
even, pearly teeth. The snowy, round
ed throat and neck and shoulders were
enhanced in their beauty by the flmy
fabric Of her gown, beneath which her
full bosom slowly rose and fell in health
full respiration. How beautiful she was,
how fair picture of almost girlish in
nocence and freedom from all worldly
dross or care! Even row, in the light
Of all the gradual revelation Of her shall
low selfish vanity, the heart Of the
man yearned over and softened to her.
If he had only realized, if he had
only known more Of the world and life
and duty other than mere soldier obliga-
ton, how different all might have been
What right had he to ask her to be his
wife? She should have welded a man
many years her senior-one fitted to
guide and direct her, able to lavish
luxury upon her. 1t wasn't all her
fault that she mad been so thoughtless,
poor grill What else had her mother
been before her? What else could one
' expect Of her? Would she miss him? he
wondered. Not long, not long, thank
God! Beauty such as hers would soon
win for her and baby home and comfort
such as he could never give. That was
all over. Something almost like sob
rose from his heart as he bent and soft
ly touched with his lips the floating
curl above her temple, then turned back
to resume his work and reface his trou-
bles. Thank God, Mullane's pistol
would soon end them all and save him
from the sin that was in his soul the
day he took his own revolver with him.
She was sleeping still when the morn.
ing gun shook the shutter Of her win.
dow and he went forth to meet the sor-
rows Of another day, as he had met
those Of the past-alone.
The air was strangely still, yet the
smoke from the kitchen chimneys back
of the barracks settled downward about
the adobe Gaping or drifted aimlessly
along the roof trees Down in the stream
bed and over about the low bluffs of the
farther shore swallows and sandmartins
were shooting and slanting about their
nests in clamorous complaining gyra-
ton. The flag, run up to the topmast at
the crack of the gun, hung limp and
lifeless, without so much as a futter.
Away to the northwest, over the pine
crests Of the range, a belt Of billowy
cloud cleaned snow white at their sum
mits, but frowned dark and ominous
underneath. Huge masses of cumulus,
balloonlike thrust distended cheeks to
the morning kiss Of the sun, but these
were well down to the west. The orient
and the zenith skies were feckless
Over at the stables two four mule
teams were hitching in, and army wag.
ons were being laden with tentage,
luncheon baskets, ice, boxes Of bottled
beer, band instruments and the like,
all going ahead to the White Gate,
while Frazier's bandsmen were to fol
low in another as soon as they had fin
ished breakfast. Their duty would be
to set up the tents, the dancing pavilion
and the lunch tables on the level greer
in lovely dell a mile within the gates
and have everything in readiness
against the coming Of the joyous party
y from the post. It was planned to carry
the women folk and such men al
Iouldn't ride in the available ambu
lances and spring wagons, while the