Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-04-06

NOlh SAA al ANillllE UP camp 1 urn OuN
the company, sergeant! Brace the tent
cords and align tents" and mourn
full wave of his forage cap was the only
greeting he dare trust himself 10 give,
as after a few minutes of fruitless wait
ing, the vacant seat was given 10 an
other officer and the carriage rolled
rapidly away. 4 second or two il was
hidden from his sight hehipd the LARGE
wall tents along the line of fence, then
shot into full view again as he stood
at the end Of the company street look
ing eagerly for its temperance. And
then occurred little thing that was
destined 10 live in his memory for many
a day, and that thrilled him with new
and strange delight. lie had never been
Of the so-called "spooney" set at the
varsity. Pretty girls galore there were
about that famous institute, and he had
danced at many a student party and
romped through many a reel, but the
nearest he had ever come TO something
more than mere jolly friendship for a
girl was the regard in which he held
his partner in the "miXed doubles"
but that was all on account of her ex-
uberant health, spirits, general come
Illness of face and form, and exquisite
skill in tennis. But this day new
and eager longing was eating at his
heart; a strange, dull pang seemed 10
seize upon il as he noted in fash that
the seat that was 10 have been his was
occupied by an officer many years his
senior, a man he knew only by sight
and an enviable reputation, man
whose soldierly, clean-cut face never
turned an instant, for his eyes were
fixed upon lovely picture on the OPP
posite seat-Amy Lawrence bending
eagerly forward and gazing with her
beautiful eyes alight with sympathy.
interest and frank liking in search Of
the sorcly disappointed young officer
There he isl she cried, though too far
away for him to hear, and then, with
no more thought Of coquetry than n
kitten. with no more motive in the
world than that of conveying 10 linn
an idea of her sorrow, her sympathy,
her perhaps pardonable and eXagger-
ated indignation at what she deemed
an act Of tyranny on the part of his com
mandcr. with only an instant i'm which
10 convey it all-her sweet face flushed
and her eyes famed with the light of
her Cirlish enthusiasm-in that instant
she had kissed her hand to him, and
then Col. Armstrong, turning sudden
~ and sharply TO see who could be the
object Of interest so absorbing, caught
one fitting glimpse of Billy Gray lift
ing his cap in quick acknowledgment,
and the words that were on the tip
of Armstrong; tongue the moment be
fore were withheld for a more auspi-
cious occasion-and it did not come too
soon.
IT was only four days after that in
itial meeting in the generals tent the
foggy evening Of the girls first visit
TO camp, but both in city and on the
tented field there had been several oc-
casions on which the colonel had been
in conference with Mr.. Prime and in
company with the young ladies'
Junior officers had monopohzed the
time and attention of the latter, but
Armstrong was a close observer and
man who loved all that was strong,
high-minded and true in his own sex,
and that was pure and sweet and win
some in woman. A keen soldier, he had
spent many years in active service, most
of them in the hardy, eventful and Wig
orous life on the Indian frontier. lie
had been conspicuous in more than one
stirring campaign against the red war
riors Of the plains. had won his medal
Of honor before his first promotion,
and his captaiucy by brevet for daring
conduct in action long antedated the
right TO wear the double bars of that
grade. lie had seen much of the world,
at home and abroad; had Travelled
much, read much, thought much, but
these were things of less concern 10
many woman in our much married
army than the question as TO whether
he had ever loved much. Certain ii was
he had never married, but that didn't
settle il. Many man loves, said they,
without getting married. forgetful of
the other side of the proposition adj
vanced by horrid regimental cynics,
that many men marry without getting
loNths AIluS lIouH NOulu uol nav 4
proved an easy man TO question on that,
or indeed on any other subject which
he considered personal to himself.
Even in his own regiment in the reg
ular service he had long been looked
upon as an exclusive sort of fellow
n man who had no intimates and not
many companions, yet, officers and sol
diers, he held the respect and esteem
of the entire command, even OF those
whom he kept at a distance, and few
are the regiments in which there are
not one or two characters who are not
best seen and studied through a binoc-
ular. Without being sympathetic, said
his critics, Armstrong was square"
but his critics had scant means of know
ing whether be was sympathetic or
not. lie was steadfast fellow. an un.
swcrving, Incorporating sort OF man,
a man who would never have done for
diplomat, and could never have been
elected to Office. But he was truthful,