Little Falls herald., 1899-09-29
Was A GENEkAL'S@ RK1DE

. 7er the poor brutes, clinging to their grow,
ing amer coats and choking their nostrils;
F." desolation Of Ole. Man Plain stretched
f.A1ad US. After the rains it is great tab;e
ef vivid green, hut now there was not
blade Of grass to break the monotory OF IT,.
ireary landscape, and not tree to c2st It's
chin shadow on the burnt ground-<a d3eary
expanse stretching unbroker t. tte hort
eon.
We were behind our time, and as we drew
near the sharty We could see the fresh team
e 4ve horses waiting for u.s. As we pulled
Up the groom sloucAed forward to unhook
our horses. He watched. me pretty narrow
" as got down from ths Sssty coach to lean
on the fence while i cut u7 my tobacco.
There was something IN thos< Sartive looks
that made me pause, with pipe kS'f hle1,
and take a good :.vk at the man. S,lrey
there was something diniy familiar ia the
tall, loose}y-knit figure, something that rt
called a time Wien rheumatism had not bent
the shoulders. Behind the thicxened fea-
lures l seemed to see a clear-cut face that
clce was handsome, and beneath the beard
a small, boyish nustache. Then I started
forward and caught him ty the arm. ''My
God, Car]ton!" said, "is it you?"
When our old general came back to India
efter his long leave in England ana aston
;shed US all by appearing with beautiful
young wife, of course there were not want
ing people at the hill station to prophesy
how it would end. He was not a popular
man. He was cantankerous brute to us
youngsters, and, though he was a great
"lades' man." we at the station had been
| wont to laugh at his efforts to captivate the
fair sex. But now we felt that we could
laugh no longer. She almost took my breath
away when first saw her, with her warn:
beauty, the full round curves of her, and
ner red lips | pitied her from the frs,
i,ur with some Indignation III my pity that
woman, who could have won h>.x~ young
4ervor Of devotion, should join herself tc
| wornout rake. feared the time when she
should find out her mistake-and ta::. ~nt
i Carlton, my fcllow-subalterr and cha,
burst into my quarter, shallirg al ever as
with ague, and told me, his voice |':c,. e.
with sobs, that this was the girl lie had 50
| often raved of to me- that it was size he Lad
worked and saved for; that it was he: 1T.
| ters that every month or 50 had SEN l:::.i
into a rush of tompestuous spirits \, ::-r I
| heard his voice trclnJle as lie tod cf t::
| tears in her eyes when she rc"ogi';2'u nm.
| and grow wild as he cursed the man WHO
married her and svore to murder him or
| put bullet in his own head, felt that the
scandal takers were more prophetic than
they imagined, and that coming tragedy
! had already cast its shadow over us. It
was worse still after the first dance Carl
ton would go, in spite Of my efforts to dis.
suade him, ard Of course they had an in.
terview and peri]ous explanations.
Jove! what night that was, that night of
our reg:mental dance! On the darkness of
the veranda, dirnly lighted here and there
by colored paper lanterns, the night air
gently rusted the leaves of the great trum-
breathed the soft hum of insect life. There
was spangled, starry sky outside with the
tall palms waving against it. The music of
the band, the softness of girls warm arm
and the fragrance of her breath were in
toxicating to us young fellows who had
been stewing in purgatory, and little time
had I to think Of Carlton, though / once
caught a glimpse of him as be went along
the veranda, and the gleam Of white satin
dress. It was Cartoons hour, for gout had
kept the general prisoner at home.
The great unrest Of an Indian night was
around us. There was clash of monot'
onous music from the village and the dirge'
like sound Of tuneless singing. The music
and clash of tonl-toms grew nearer, and
lights flashed along the road. A procession
of natives came past dancing and waving
their arms, some carrying torches and
others brightly colored lamps. The lights
blazed on the small-humped bullocks and
on the wagon they drew, on which high,
gaudily painted throne was built, and there,
perched far above the surrounding crowd,
sat two tiny children wrapped in gorgeous
silk and embroideries and bedecked with
shining tinsel ornaments that weighed
down their small shoulders. They cluna
nervously to each other and to the gilded
sides of their throne as it swayed from
side to side. This was their bridal process
sion.
"Alarriages are made in Heaven, aren't
they, old fellow?' said Cartons voice al
my elbow, with note of cynicism in it that
was new. We stood on the veranda steps
to watch the procession out Of sight. l hall
turned as he spoke to make some reply
when I saw the light from the open doo1
shining on the girls face that looked VI
into his, and my words died away as no
ticed its CHASTITY rsl}or and trembling whit.
lips. She drew her cloak round her, but he1
hand shook and could not fasten the clasp
Then she suddenly turned to me. "Pleas'
take NE to my carriage" she said, RI am 81
tired" She spoke no word as we threaded
our way through the guests, only now anc
then her hand frightened involuntarily or
my arm. "Good night" said as closee
her carriage door; but the only sound thai
came back to me was stifed sob.
Carlton came down to my quarters tha;
night. He laughed and talked so loudl.
that thought he had been drinking. ''You'<
better turn in, old fellow" I said, but as hi
stood there with his flushed face and heated
eyes another idea came to me. caught
him by the shoulder as he was going. carl
ton, old man." said, "for Gods sake dom
be fool" He laughed as he shook off my
hand, and his noisy song echoed with tn
banging of my door.
Next day even the most inveterate goa
sip had subject enough for talk, for tw,
people were missing from the station, an,
these two were the generals bride and ,
Junior subaltern. : =
These scenes passed one BY one before n,
mental sight, and then opened my eyes d
| tho dKeary track, tho broken fence whereof
i leaned, and tho shabby, worn:out groom
Of my side. turned and glanced at th
al,antv with il iron roof rAddenad VIII