Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-07-12

was nothing less than madness. He In
teryiewed the Rstounded commanding OH
Ger at s o'clock in the morning. He beg
ged and prayed to be taken as a super
numerary, or, vaguely, anything" But
luckily for him, one Of the captains wa
on the sick list, one who would probabl,
retire, and with him he effected promp
exchange. He telegraphed to Burmah
he telegraphed here and thereto tn,
war Office, to outhtters, to any and ever,
where but Baronsford. He lived in
kind Of rain of orange envelopes. HI
made flying trip to the Horse Guards
and to his tailor's. He called at Annie's
she was out. But he Stunned the club!
as if the plague were raging in their vi
cinity. Did not all his chums know thai
he was to have been married man ere
this! Now the Second Battalion Roya
Marchers knew nothing Of his affa :irs
and he was comparatively at ease among
them. Down at AlderShot all was confu.
sion. Chaos reigned in the officers quar-.
ters and in the mess.
At last the regiment was fairly off to
the station, and played away in two troop
trains, by the band of another corps,
while a crowd Of sympathizing spectators
cheered and waved handkerchiefs. Twen-
ty-four hours later they were aboard the
Portugal, hired transport, steaming out
of Portsmouth harbor to the tune Of 1.-The
Girl | Left Behind Me-"
''The girl l left behind me-" What a
bitter irony that wellknown air implied
to Captain Brabazon, as he leaned his
arms on the bulwark, with his forage cap
pulled over his brow, and his eyes fixed
upon the faSt-receding shores of merry
England; and he laughed to himself a
grim, contemptuous, not very pleasant
laugh, as he glanced at q boy close to
him, whose eyes looked misty, whose
whole idea and expression conveyed the
idea that he had left some fair ladylove
in the land whose shores were becoming
DINNER every moment.
At st. Vincent's they put in for coal,
after nine days steady steaming; that
land-locked harbor presented a busy
| scene-colliers and small vessels and
transports. The Portugal happened, by
| good luck, to be the first of a batch of
| troopers all bound for the Cape. But first
come, first served, and after tWenty-four
hours hard coaling she steamed out
through the fleet, the band playing Rule,
Britannia" amid loud cheers from all the
other ships.
The Portugal put in for more coal at
Cape Town, and all the marchers were
delighted to land and have a run on
shore, after a month at sea. Miles, and
half dozen others, made their way to
the Civil Service Club, in hansoms, and
who should be standing on the steps, all
smiles and freckles, and blinking lashes,
but Captain Gee, promoted to the second
battalion, dressed in spotless white, and
having landed that very morning from
British Burmah Very heartily did he
greet the first arrivals, but to say that
he was astonished to his bosom friend,
Miles Brabazon, among the crowd, but
feebly expresses his feelings. However,
he had the sense and prudence to re-
strain himself fill opportunity suited.
No sooner had the door banged after
the last merry subaltern than Captain
Gee, who had been lying back in a very
deep, very low chair, suddenly clutcheG
each protruding arm, drew himself up to
the very edge of it, and, confronting his
companion, eagerly asked these three |
questions in one breath: "WeIl, where is |
she? What have you done with heri
Are you married"
mo more than you are, thank good |
ness," returned the other, knowing well |
that it was useless to attempt to evada |
or postpone a searching cross-examina- |
ton. 'It was near thing. l can hard |
ly bear toto talk Of it. We were with
in a day and a half of the wedding and |
there was an end of everything"
''Was the money a sell?' demanded |
Captain Gee.
mo, that was all right"
''Then," said Dicky, decisively, 'it must
have been TIE girl. No doubt you neg
lected her, snubbed her and shut her
up on all occasions. OH if I had only
had your opportunities
''There is another view Of the subject
that has not struck you as yet" said
Miles, gravely. 81 suppose" with vis-
ible effort, ''you must know it sooner or
later. Let US get it over now. and never
speak Of it again. Come out on the bal
cony, it's sitting in here"
Dicky responded to the invitation with
alacrity, looking up with sharp expectan-
cy into his brother officers face.
''It was not my cousin who broke OFF
the match; it was I, he said, with slow,
distinct utterance.
Il wouldn't doubt ye," interposed his
in an angry undertone
"And whatever 1 tell you is sacred,
Dicky; these other fellows know nothing
Of it," nodding toward the distant masts
smiling grimly.
go on, go OF, man alive!"
cts easily told in few words. We
we're within less than two days of the
wedding, when I accidentally discovered
hat she was madly in love with another
nan. 1 saw her kissing him with my
,wn eyes" /
''There was no getting over that, sup
,ose," said Gee.
"And So" not deigning to notice the
II just made my bow there
md then, got an exchange, and here 1 ]
mr. I
You're sure there was no mistake; it +
vas no other persona? inquired the willy
)icky, anxiously. t
mo, no mistake! 1 saw her with my +
wn eyes, and seeing is believing, is it t
lot? sarcastically. i
Poor old chap, I'm sorry for you, for :
our sake, but I'm precious glad to get p
ou back for my own," slapping him Wig '
rously on the back. Cheer up, man, I
nd don't look so down in the mouth; it's v
othing, when you're used to it; and re- e
lember thiS-that there's az Dood fish s.