The Winslow mail., 1899-09-07

pdny II, ISduCeQ 1Or OrlnA1uS. NhoiI
the deuce this brat means about him |
can't make out" Then aloud:
''Well, my bold young petitioner, how
shall l save Private Boutelies ife?''
"You have The power, senor. He-he
slept last night ON the guard-line, and
they tell me he will be shot in the morn
ing"
80, so," commented the colonel
'Who told you he would be shot?"
"An officer at the guardhouse, lieu
tenant, 1 think, senor.''
III settle that Lieut.. Robertson's
business if he keeps on with his joking
| tricks" muttered the colonel to him
| self. I've told him once he ought
to resign from the army and join the
minstrels.'
you know, Good-by," he resumed,
"that sleeping on post is a very Sc
| rious offense in the army. An enemy
| might surprise an entire camp if a
| single sentry failed to keep on the
| alert
YVES, yes, senor," replied the child,
| with anguished dtterance, ''but he is
such a fine big soldier, and so good! Can
you not pardon him?"
Il don't know said the colonel, COM
hitting the same cruelty for which he
blamed the lieutenant.
"Oh, coronel, l beg it Of you! If l.
if L"
IF you what?'
"Ohl" cries the child, dropping the
wrapped-up machete and passionately
| clappinB her hands together, while
tears stand in her eyes, "if [ thought
my life worth anything L would give it
to make my friend live. He is young
! and handsome, he has many friends and
relatives at home in America. Espe-
cially there is a beautiful young lady
that he-that he is very fond of. I,
am nothing. [ am an orphan. 1 would
like to die for him.
The colonel is a man of family, and
has little daughter himself. Very
likely he is bit ashamed of having
abetted and brought to this height the
torture of the diminutive tangle-haired
creature that stands before him with
moist eyes and heaving breast.
Your petition is granted, Good by"
says the colonel, hastily, clearing his
throat and tossing his pipe into the
! tent.
How can Good-by's infinite relief and
joy, frantic as her late grief, be de-
scribed? She cried: 'Gracias, gracias!
thousand million thanks, most super
latively kind and great-hearted
colonel" and rushing forward, seized
and kissed one of the colonel's sun
burnt paws.
The colonel laughed little, and, pat
| ting GoOd-by on the head, said:
Yes, my child, there won't be any
executions in this camp while I'm here.
You needn't salute my other hand.
Now tell me how you came to take such
an interest in Private Boutelle. What
do you mean by this fiery regard?
think you are the youngest young lady
l ever met that was willing to die Off
hand for somebody else. In America
sometimes the young men pretend they
are going to die for young ladies, but
they hardly ever do"
Good-by blushed, smiled and endeav-
ored to explain in a happy, serious little
voice just how the matter stood, with
all the why's and wherefores. 81 think" 5"
she concluded, lit may be as his rever-
ence the priest said one Sunday, that
the sun here in Cuba shines down
straight into our hearts and makes
them warm and quick. Do you think
that so, Senor Colonel? Are not hearts
also warm and quick in American"
"Well!" quoth the astonished colonel,
''here is science from babies and suck
lings. Yes-I don't know-perhaps-
you can study these things in books
when you get older, Good-by."
Meanwhile the colonels orderly had
been sent to the guardhouse to fetch
Private Boutelle. The well-propor-
toned, handsome giant of a soldier
marched up across the parade ground,
and, stopping half dozen PAGES from
the colonel's tent, silently saluted the
commanding officer, at the same time
rodding imperceptibly to Good-by,
whose strange tete-a-tete with the
colonel had perhaps been reported to
him by the orderly.
'Boutelle," said the colonel, whats
your offense this time, anyway"
Liquor, SIR
1.-The old fault. Now look here, Bou-
telle, 1 might tell you what fine fellow
| you are and what a bad fellow that
| friend of yours, the bottle, is. | could
preach you a regular temperance SER
mon, and bring down the house by in
Producing the story of this little Cuban
girl that thought you were going to
be shot and wanted to give her life
for yours. [ could, but it's out of my
line, and perhaps the chaplain can do
it better. The chaplain gets paid to
talk on temperance and preach SER
mons. l suppose I'll give him the story
of Good-by so he can work it into a
sermon some time up home. All [
want to say to you here is this: If
[ had friend that thought as much
of me as Good-by does of you, I'd try
never to disappoint or lose that friend
She's persuaded me to pardon in you
an imaginary offense whose penalty is
death. I suppose that pardon covers
all lesser otfenses--and you may report
to your captain
l think both Private Boutelle and the
colonel were moved considerably, for
moment later they shook hands, thing
exceedingly unmilitary. Boutelle also
shook hands with Good-by, and told
her: 'Muchos gracias, senorita," for
SAVING his EyinO-maral1, q foul+ :,