The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1900-02-17
, Duffer Of the Regiment :
hnOOR fellow, you are really aw-
fully hard on him, Stella!

''It's all very fine for you, Cousin
Jane, to talk like that, seeing that you
haven't been proposed to by him on an
average of once fortnight ever since
the Seventh were quartered here"
Stella was generally voted the pref
test and the incest girl in Exminster
by the Seventh, who paid her court in
large numbers, but none with such as
siduity as little Tommy Lascelles, "the
Duffer," as he was called by his brother
officers, who, Notwithstanding, were
roughly kind to him-kindness for
which they hardly guessed "the Duffer"
was supremely grateful; he had the
softest heart hidden away in rather
quaint little body, and-other things
of which nobody suspected him, or per-
haps this story would never have been
written.
But to return to Stella.
"Now," she said, "if it was Maj. Lans-
downe, could understand your cham
pionship, whereas the Lascelles boy
Really, Cousin Jane, where can your
eyes be?"
"In my head, like yours, my dear, but
perhaps they see trifle more below
the surface. Little Lascelles is one of
those people who are more or less
laughed at all their lives; then they
die, and, 10. and behold! people find, to
their huge surprise, that the work they
did in the world SO quietly and unob-
trusively could hardly be bettered, and
that they themselves will be difficult
to replace"
Stella's expression was a study.
Her cousin, Mrs. Ogilvie, shrewd but
Kindly student of human nature, could
have sworn that smile lowered for a
second on her lips, and that something
very like tears were in her eyes, but
The girls next words made her think
that she had imagined it.
''You love to dream that geese are
swans, know" she said, "and it's such
charming gift to have; but we aren't
all like that"
Almost as she spoke the door opened
and sMaj. Lansdowne" was announced,
then capt. Freke," and few moments
later ''Mr. Lascelles."
The last conner was relegated to Mrs.
Ogilvie's tender mercies. Apparently
Stella was too much occupied with her
pther guests to have word to spare,
and the little man sat beside Mrs. Ogil-
vie, slipping his tea and talked.
That lady observed that he was look
Ing at Stella with curious intentness.
1t almost seemed as if he wanted to
carry away some s'brain photograph"
of her, to learn her features off by heart
for future reference.
Presently he rose to go.
Stella laid her hand in his in hasty,
perfunctory kind of way, but she found
she could not withdraw it--young Las
celles held it fast for a moment.
This is a long good-by," he said,
very gravely; you know we are or
dered to the front--to-morrow / go
north to see my people, and on Thurs
day we sail.''
Mrs. Ogilvie saw Stella's face grow
deadly pale; she saw. too, that young
Lascelles had noted it, too, and that he
glanced toward Maj. Lansdowne.
If he had said out his thought it could
hardly have been palmer: ''She cares
for him and is anxious for his safety"
Then another thought as quick as
lightning and that he did speak out:
do believe me-" he said in his quiet,
gentle way, shat if can shield him for
FOUR sake in any way it shall be done"
An expression of complete bewilder-
ment on Stella's face, noted by Mrs.
0gilvie, was quite lost upon young Las
celles, whose eyes seemed suddenly to
have grown curiously dim.
He moved toward the door, STUN
bling once or twice.
A seemingly boundless veldt, here
and there its monotony broken by
strips of ground little browner than
the rest, with no growth of low shrubs
upon them, showing that the land there
had been cultivated.
But in the British camp there was a
busy hum going on. 1t was almost
city-so large, so full of life and move
ment and sound.
In the generals tent group of
officers were discussing the serious
situation of small detachment of
troops who were stationed at the
small town of N, and who (news
had just been brought) were to be
attacked by the enemy next day
about noon. The wires had been cut,
so to warn by telegram was impos-
sible--to detach regiment to go to
their help was equally so--every man
was needed to hold the present i'm
portant position until the reinforce
ments should come up. 1t was too
far to signal. The only possible thing
was to send a mounted messenger,
INIT The 0aparal bac;<a<aJ Ia