Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-09-26
a. .niIitary.Romance.of.S .South. Tfrica
ljT0l(f7l@t7l@tQl@ 57ll0l@(3I@(j
BY 3. W. CROKER


time to lose. I'm trying to get my kit to-
gether."
Miles glanced at his beautiful fiancee
and was amazed to see that she had be-
come very pale, and that her lips were
Quivering strangely. r.
Your second battalion is going out,
too. see by this mornings paper. No
chance OF meeting you out there, eh!
Well, gOOd-by, l must be of; time is
money. ,Good-by, Miss Brabazon.'
Next morning the Brabazon ladies',
young and old, departed from the metrop-
oils with loads Of luggage, and Miles was
left to put in a whole Yeek. intervening
before his wedding day. as best he could
The fourth day Of this time had passed.
and he was beguiled into going down to
Portsmouth, to see an old friend of. to the
Cape He met: his chum at-the Pier
Hotel, where they lunched together. and
then sailed forth to the dockyard. The
trooper was alongside, and a regiment
Of lancers IN the act OF embarking
Horses, 0bstreperOus and otherwise, were
being put OF board. and crowds were
watehiag the proceedinxs with the gray
est interest Miles md his friend, after
Inspecting the latter 1xentleman's cabin.
''horse-box," ascended to the upper re-
gions, and began to pace the deck togeth-
er and have a few last words.
II rather envy you fellows going out"
said Miles, nodding his bead at the crowd
of soldiers between decks. "and only for
circumstances l would be going. too."
"You mean matrimony," said the 9TH
er. smiling. "And5when are you to be
told Off" -
The day after tomorrow" .
Married men are best at home; il plays
the deuce with a fellow having to leave
wife or a sweetheart. I've always done
my level best to keep out of such matters
look ropnd now -on dds pscksof wfetched
women, cry ing their eyes out Come to say
good-by, and take their last look at fe-
lows they will never see again. You're
q lucky chap not to have to leave your
sweetheart like that poor fellow :ovei
there there under the-lee of the shed.
Look, it's a desperate bad case: the girl
seems heartbroken. I don't believe she'll
ever let him go"'
Miles glanced indiRerently over in the
direction Indicated, and beheld q tall.
handsome young sergeant Of lancers, who
was evidently making a brave struggle
to keep his feelings well in hand, and a
girl. with her back toward him, leaning
on his arm in a perfect abandon of grief
The lancer appeared to be trying to
soothe andeomfo<t her.SS
"She loots. like q lady said Maj. We're.
specufativeiy; "and would not wonder
IL she was a pretty girl in the bargain.
Its rather a shame to watch them"
returned Miles; land hard lines that they
have to say good-by to one another at ali.
poor grill" 'F.r
"A fellow-feeling makes us wondrous
; kind" quoted the other, with laugh.
There was a time. old chap, when you
would have called them q pair of fools" :"
"Ah! L" Whatever else he was go
itng to say remained frozen on his lips,
for the girl had suddenly turned her face
toward them: he could see it plainly now.
and one glance at those familiar features
was enough. 1t was the face of the girl
| who was to be his wife the day but one
following, the face Of his cousin, Esme
Brabazon. Esme, pale and distracted.
her eyes swollen with crying, but stil
Esme. :.
And he als0 recognized Miss James own
maid, Mrs. Eliza Flack. pacing up and
down at Q discreet distance. In one in
stantaneous scorching Cash everything
twaa ravealed to his mind, evsrything ac-
counted for now. The meeting at the
gate, the photograph. Eme's unaccount-
| able interest In this particular regiment
but all Miss James solemn asservations
were lies, she and her niece were part
ners in a league and covenant to deceive
and delude him. In an instant this had
passed like fire through his brain; he felt
as if he were going to choke, and dizzy
with rage and bewilderment, and for a
moment the dockyard and sky seemed to
reel before him, but he clutched the bull
warks with -vise-like grasp and nerved
himself to look once more; as he gazed
with livid face and dilated eyes he com
prehended. that the houyso parting had
-tconse, y
| Esme flung her arms around the ser
Igeant's ueok and kissed him, and clung tC
him in avid sbandSn ofSdespair, and a.
if she would never release him, and he
Miles Brabazon, was looking on quit,
sane. quite in his right mind; 1t was Al,
tdelusion,r no dream. At last the lancer
who seemed good deal moved, beckon
ed to Flack to approach and take charge
of her young lady, and Esme made NJ
lresistance, but allowed herself to be led
away toward a fy that was evidently
waiting f0r-them at a short distance. But
fatal-he was doing the same; in a secone
she had rushed to him and clasped hin
once more in an agonized embrace. A,
last. with an heroic effort, she motionec
him to leave her, and with her fac,
buried in her hands, was instantly seizet
upon by Flack, who taking her arm in {
lperemptory, manner, and shaking hel
head very impressively, led her youn;
lady away, seemingly bowed down to tt.
livery earth with grief. The whole seen,
had horrible fascination for Miles; no
look, not a gesture had escaped him
and now that it was all over, now that hi.
betrothed had passed weeping from hi
J sight, he turned his whole attention Il
her late companion, who was coming vi
the gangway. pale. indeed, but not 20 pal
as the man above him, who was literall
devouring him with a pair Of glowing
dark eyes. -f-
, Tell me-" he said to Mai. We're, as b
pulled him by the sleeve, who is tbs
fellow Of yours coming on board now
. there, the tall sergeant" pointing Wit
unsteady finger, and speaking in a voiC
\ that sounded strange and far away eve
to himself. ..--. .....,,.. -
"Oh. that" returned the other, brisl
iy, that chap is our young sprig Of NJ
/, bility, as some viii have it; any way, b
goes BY the name OF Lord Brown, Z
, Gentlemen Brown; Hooks -frightfull
/ down in the mouth, too. Did you see th
/ | girl? Hullo, Brabazon, what ails yo'
old chapT suddenly looking around I
| his, ,srispd, and struck .by his altered a
.'peaEanee. his drawn and CHASTITY face.
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