The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-16

4
cared for another fellow, and the emp
ty feeling at the pit of his stomach,
which every cue has felt on occasions
of great disappointment or after long
fast, getting the better of his sense of
humor, he sighed as only young people
who believe in the enduring quality Of
their Affections can sigh.
The darkness about him was chang
ing to the cool. silvery light of the
dawn. Somewhere in the distance a
cock burst into shrill crow, like all |
early risers proud of being the first
one up, and in the forest the drOwsy |
tweedle of little birds grew with the |
growing light.
The Junior surgeon had been born, |
one might say, with a silver knife, fork
and spoon in his mouth and, as the
only nephew of four rich maiden aunts,
had been Systematically spoiled from
his youth up, but with little effect for
viewed in the light of spoiled darling
he was complete failure. But it had
made an optimist of him. His career
in the university and in the hospital in
Vienna. where he had been a general
favorite, merely confirmed him in this
view. On our declaration of war with
Spain he had returned to the United
States posthaste to offer his services
to the government and had had the
good fortune to be sent to the front al
most Immediately. There is, after all,
something in good luck, though per-
haps more in good manners. Hard
worked as he was in General Grub's
division, he still found time to be mis-
erable over the fact that Kathlyn
Schuyler had refused to marry him for
the excellent reason that she was going
| to marry some one else. She had con-
| fided this fact to him under the inno-
cent impression that anything which
made her so tremendously happy must
| be good news to him, and the poor jun
| ior surgeon was made to feel for the
| first time the bitterness of the old ad
| age that what is one mans meat is
another mans poison. He sighed again
! as he stuck his hand into the pocket
where he kept one of the girls short.
| characteristic notes, wondering who
| the lucky fellow was, for no name had
been given him.
The rhythmical beat of faraway
| horses hoofs broke in upon his thoughts
| abruptly. While he listened, his heart
hammering against his ribs, for the
sound coming out of the stiffness of
| the early morning was as thrilling as a
| midnight extra cried through deserted
streets, the soft piping of birds in the
forest turned into an eXpectant silence.
and it seemed to the Junior surgeon
that he alone in all TIE big, dim wcrld
around him was waiting for the soli-
tary horsemap.
}, Pushing the tent flap hastily aside,
! he ran with long strides past the can
vas colony to the clearing beyond. The
sentry, alert with the fear of the some
) thing unknown which was drawing
nearer, saluted him as he put the ques
: ton which was in his own mind:
"What is it?"
] "Something queer. sir. Listen to the
birds.''
"Was the general expecting news?
Il "Nothing's expected, sir; it ain'1
t nothing that we're expecting. Nothing
5 but Mt rides so deadly quick"
) "a ha'ntr'
zone of them as has been killed
ughr' The soldier drew in his breatl
with a frightened, sucking sound as ;
: bay mare, covered with sweat, canter
:, ed into view. She stopped short on see
e ing the camp, then with half pleased
D whinny at being among friends agail
q allowed the sentry to catch her bride
/ Her rider hung an inert mass from tn
O saddle, and the junior surgeon wonder
n ed as he lifted him down what ha'
l. kept him from falling under the horse
e hOofs.
by Jover he exclaimed suddenly a
the mans face came into view, and tn
p sentry added, as though it were a sol
U emn response: Lieutenant Fielding
e sir! The pity of it!'
When everything necessary had bee
done for Fielding, the Junior surgeo
picked up the coat he had to cut ava
e from the wound in his arm and in S
doing split the contents Of one Of tn
z inner pockets on to the floor. Some pf
q pers, bound together by an elastic
e which snapped with the jar of the fal
i were scattered to right and left, an
Is on STOPPING to pick them up he gave
e. start of surprise at the sight of a sma
lie photograph, lying face upward unde
n his hand "Kathlyn!' he exclaimed i
m bewilderment. "How the devil?" II
l. stared at it a moment, then absent
L turned it over and read the writing O
Us the back.
"Only come back, my dearest"
7 n
|. year or do anything else you wal
~ me to. | know now whether l 10y
Is you, and. oh, Dick, do! Don't let the
~ kill you l would ever SO much ratht
U you ran away at the first shot-so lor
~ as you ran back to me-"
III The junior surgeon turned towal
ie the man on the cot. $50 it was Fiel
e ingr' he said gently. The tears In h
~ eyes suddenly blotted out the scel
ne about him. but not the vivid remer
ei brance of a slim, tallish young gil
whose face and figure, fresh and ere
as daffodils, held out the alluring hol
~ of fuller beauty later on-the hol
III which makes spring so adorable.
'l An hour later the junior surgeon WI
ID ushered into General Grub's ter
where that testy little fighter sat ea
81 ing his breakfast of soft boiled egg
H. toast and coffee, while Cassandra wa
bled about the table in search
crumbs. To see the general eat eg
is was a monstrous spectacle. for it is
lg' lisheartening fact that good table ma
ITO ners and greatness rarely dwell
ut gether They had known each 9th
ne many years-w&re, in fact. friends