Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-04-28

lAUW I enVleu KnipIlS TICK! MOI
that grudged him any good thing, but
my lot In life did seem hard in COM
parlson to his. AS the time passed my
restlessness ana discomfort increased.
Despite my attachment to Mgnon, my
humdrum, mOnotonous existence was
so hateful to me. So, when the war
broke out and Ralph was ordered
abroad. l made up my mind to CO. too,
IN the ranks of the same regiment.
Here was an opportunity not to be lost
OF leading more glorious lifc-to fight
for my country, my people and for
the love of old England
"How l dreamed of the home coming
after the work was done! Death had
no place in my mind. How | antic-
pated the meeting with Mignon with
the love light that I-poor fool-imag-
1ncd she felt for me shining in her soft
blue eyes. l though would pour out
my heart and tell her had come back
to claim her. never to part any more
All, If had but Known
He smiled again in his melancholy
way and continued:
Eyes. If had only known that she
cared for Ralph should have been
spared many heartache. in after
years."
The old soldier gazed abstractetlly at
his mignonette and doubtless lived
over again that memorable campaign,
while l wondered IL the cross Oh his
To, Il Lit
history. He answered my glance.
Il am coming to that now, lady. One
bitter November night, or rather morn.
Ing, we awoke to find the enemy bear
Ing down on us in overwhelming num-
bers before our camp was astir. The
men, however, soon reused and fought
shoulder to shoulder amid the roar and
din Of cannon, which maddened alike
men and beast. After awhile became
conscious only of one thing-a figure
a few yards ahead of me fighting for
dear life. can see the look OH his
face now! 1t was transligured, shin
ing with dauntless courage that
quailed not before the onslaught of
the Russians. | believe, at that mo-
ment, Ralph lived in every fiber of his
being. He gloricd in a tght-no one
more. He was surrounded and cut off
from the rest of us by six or seven of
the enemy double his size. Suddenly
he staggered and fell. Then | found
myself struggling and crushing through
countless forms and brandshing steel
until l reached the stricken figure.
There he lay, so white and still, with
his brave young face upturned to the
leaden sky. My arms went Instructive
faced the lot of them-perhaps it was
fancy-but change seemed to come
into their eager, glttcring eyes as they
involuntarily fell back Il pace or two.
1t was only for a moment. They again
pressed forward, and no doubt the
pair of us would have been quickly cut
into mincemcat but for an unexpected
diversion created just then by the ar
rival of the Enniskillcn Dragons. With |
their aid the Russians were completely |
routed, and in the confusion of their
retreat and fight l managed to carry |
Ralph safely back to camp"
"And you escaped unwounded?"
mo, unluckily, lady, received some
very bad cuts on my head and back,
which brought about my discharge |
from the army as being unfit for active
service. When l had somewhat recov-
cred, Ralph told me that Mignon had
promised to become his wife, and six
months later they were married"
"Did Mignon ever know that you car
ed for herr" l asked rather huskily.
"Yes; many years after, when they
came to see ME here think, as they
carried away some Of my mignonettc,
they both guessed it for the first time"
A bell near by changed out the tea
hour as he finished speaking, so, with
close clasp of the hand, my old man
md parted.-Chicago Herald.