The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-21

now. The shouts of his countrymen
sounded faint, and the yells of the hill
men close.
"Confound it!' cried the colonel 81
cannot let him be murdered. For
wardn
Go back-Pm done for gasped Pin
sent. Let it be one instead of two"
Put your arms. around my neck, .
| growled Granville, gruffly. That's it.
Hold tight. I'm going to run"
rush of men came up the hill-reach-
ed the bloodstained man who staggered
under his burden-closed round him
passed on.
Ten minutes later a ringing British
cheer rent the hot air. Men grasped
| each others hands, and now and again
caught their breath as they found the
| friend whose hand they longed to grasp
most was not among them.
Another victory had been added to the
| long list that lies behind the flag that
bears the cross of the Prince Of Peace
but the colonel swore softly. Bravery
| had been plentiful, but it was the sort
that increases the list of the killed; and
as that list swells, the future glory of the
commanding officer diminishes.
Dead! said the surgeon, dropping Pin
sent's lifeless arm
and the other?"
Zone through the arm and another
through the chest; but I'll get him along
all right. Pity he couldn't have saved
his man, though Only married year
ago. believe. Well, if women will mar
ry soldiers, they must take the conse-
quences."
The surgeon did get Granville 'along all
right"
In a week some of the men were allow
ed to- pay him a silent call. They were
allowed to go into his tent, Just to press
his hand, and then go out again. He
thought them wonderfully kind, and re-
marked on it to the surgeon, who was the
only man he was allowed to speak to.
"Kind!" said the surgeon. cts not
kindness; it's admiration. You know,
even men who are not capable of bravery
themselves. can appreciate it. But, consid-
ertng what you did"
"But what did I do?"
"What did you do?"
Yes; I did nothing but go up the hill
and fetch Pinsent down. even did that
too late and got winged, SO that L couldn' t
take part In the attack"
Hear him. said the surgeon, appeal
ing to the canvas walls around him.
Hear him. When it's " c., and the
only one in the whole fizzle."
"Who'n get v. C.?'
"You, my modest friend"
"Pshaw" Granville turned his face to
the wall and refused further conversation.
And later on, when it was sent out to
him, and the band played and the men
were paraded in honor Of the occasion,
he said he didn't know what there was
to make fuss about, and got away as
soon as he decently could. But the letter
that Belle wrote him thanking him for
having done his best to save her husband,
he carried about with him all day and
kept under his pillow at night, though
| he often called himself fool for doing
| so-but he went on doing it.
At length a rich old uncle Of his died
and left him a very comfortable income;
| so he made up his mind to give up SOL
| diering. For though he thought no more
| of shooting one of his queens enemies
| than he did Of eating his breakfast, while
the fury of the battle was on him, yet in
the still hours of the night, when the
fighting was over, the thought of the
women he had made widows and the
children he had made fatherless kept him
from sleeping. And he also often thought
of the woman he had tried to keep widow
hood from and the child whose father he
had tried to save.
So he sent n,his papers. And one April
morning, when there was a green mist of
| baby leaves on the elm boughs, he found
| himself back in Silminster rubbing his
eyes and wondering whether he hadn t
! merely dreamt the events Of the last few
years.
Belle had put off her mourning, and
wore fresh muslins, when the weather
graciously permitted her to, just as she
had in other springs; and drove about in
the same yellow dog cart, drawn by the
same tat, brown pony. Beside her now
sat small boy who had not been there
in the old days, who answered in very
undeveloped English. to the name Of
Jack Pinsent, and had large brown eyes
and fluffy fair hair like his mothers.
Granville was glad Jack had taken it
on himself to resemble his mother, though
he often took himself to task for being
! So That's the worst OF setting up a very
high moral standard for oneself-its so
hard for its setter-up to live up to it.
He found old Brab and the new men at
the barracks quite as bad" $50 he phras-
! ed IT'D as the people in India, where his
| V. C. was concerned.
81 couldn't leave the poor chap to die
while there was a chance of saving him.
/ only did what any other man would
| have DONE" he kept on telling them,
| plaintively.
''You only" said the man who reigned
in old Brab's place, "did what every man
ought to do but few do. Thank God. for
Ergland's sake there are some Of your
| SORT le4l.
sdu. Granville was trife proud of that
V. c. all the same.
This went on until one night when old
Brab, who had looked in for an hour
chat, rose to go, and, as he put on his
coat, cast an eye on the wall above the
mautelshelf.
81 WISH" answered Granville. that
had saved him for her, while I was about
it,"
There was somthing in his voice that
caused old Brab to look at him with a
face that had a world of comprehension
In ii.
Look here, lad" he said, don't you
complain about that. If you had saved
him you'd have done her one of the
worst turns you ever did any one. He
| well, he wasn't quite as good as they
make EN-. There was an ugly story about
him, but there's no need to tell it to you
He wasn't the right man for Belle.
soon found that out; so Gid she, think