Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-03-10
ciety o. a single stan omcer, and 70 &c

ciety Of a single stan omcer, and 70
gathering darkness.
kindly say to Mr.. Prime, or
friends, that I will join them in m
ment," said the former, present.
without so much a. uplifting head
eye, and the aid-de-camp left a. nois
lessly as his predecessor, the humorii
But when he was gone and "The Chic
sat alone, the sound of merry chat al
laughter still drifted in with the mi
at the half-opened entrance. Shadow
forms fitted to and fro between the O
fetal tent and the lights beginning ,
twinkle at brigade headquarters acrol
the wide roadway. An orderl
scratched at the tent flap, but got no al
swer. The lone occupant sat well bac
In the gloomy interior and could barrel
be distinguished. The waiting soldie
hesitated a moment, then entered an
stamped once upon the wooden foo
then turned and noiselessly steppe
out, for. anticipating his question, tn
general spoke:
mo light just yet, orderly. I'll. cal
youth a moment. Just close the tent.
AT his hand, be needed no light to fn'
1t, lay little packet that had beef
passed in to him with the mail Will
the council was still in session. It wa
stoutly wrapped, tightly corded, ant
profusely sealed, but with the sharI
point of an eraser the general slit tn,
fastenings, tore off the wrapper, and
felt rather than saw that bundle O,
letters, rolled in tissue paper and tied
with ribbon, ribbon long since faded
and wrinkled, lay within. This he care.
fully placed in q large-sized military
letter envelope, moistened and pressed
tight the gummed flap, slowed it in the
inner pocket of the overcoat that hung
at the rear tent pole, reduced the wrap D.
per and its superscription to minute
fragments, and dropped them into the
waste-basket, all as carefully and meth.
odically as though life knew neither
hurry nor worry; then bowed his lined
face in both hands moment in utter 81.
lence and in unmistakable sadness.
Presently his lips moved: "Can you
look down and see that have kept my
word, Agnes?" he murmured. God
help me to find him and save him-yet."
Once again the laughter, the gay
young voices, rang from the other tent.
All over camp. far and near, from the
limits Of the park to the very slope of
he height at the north, the evening
ougles were calling by thousands the
hronging soldiery to mess or roll call.
slowly the general rose, drew on his
'vercoat, and in another moment, un.
Ter the sloping visor of his forage cap,
With eyes that twinkled behind their
classes, with genial smile softening
very feature, his fine soldierly face
'eered in on the scene of light, of merri.
nent and laughter under the canvas
oof OF the only home he knew in the
vorld-the soldier home of one whose
ife had been spent following the flag
trough bivouac, camp or garrison.
Trough many march, battle and cam.
align all over the broad lands of the
nited States until now, at the hour
'hen most men turned for the placid
'ys OF the fireside, the love of devoted
nd faithful wife. the homage and at.
'ction of children, the prattle and play.
IL sports OF children's children-home.
ss, wifeless. childless, he stood at the
order of the boundless sea, soldier
lty pointing the way to far distant.
Unknown and undesired regions, con- 1
mt to follow that flag to the end OF
re world II need be, and owning no
CHER hope or ambition than to follow ,
I'd uphold 1t to the end of his life. r..
There was nothing in such a face Al !
to put check to fun and merriment.
t. all on sudden. the laughter died j..
way. Three young gallants in soldier .
70 sprang to their feet and faced him !,
tn appeal and explanation in their =
eaking eyes. although only one Of a,
cir number found his tongue in time :
put the matter into words. There
re only two girls when the general =
I that tent to meet his officers at four E
lock and now there were four, and
four were having five-o'clock tea. a
It least anyone would have said they II
re four blithe girls, innocent Of W
yer responsibilities than social calls d
dinner or dance engagements, for t.
er looked four young women so free o.
m the cares of this world than those ell
were pictnresquely grouped about b
generals camp table and under the s.
liant reflector of the generals lamp; b.
the plain gold circlet on the slender d.
,er of the merriest and noisiest and Vi
'llest OF the four, and the fact that la
had nothing to say to the senior of je
four attendant officers except in ci
brief, Indifferent tones of assured be
prietorship, and very much to say w
he other three, told different story, lie
generals manner lost none of its bu
mess, even though close observer a
ia have seen that his face lost lit Gl
Of its light as he recognized in the kr
ent leader of the revels and mistress tn
he situation the wife of his senior to
de-camp. An hour before he ia,
lght her thousand miles away- TO,
so did her husband. str
Bless your dear old hearth" ex- wi,
ned the little lady. springing to her at
facing him with indomitable up
es and thrusting forward two slen- flu,
white, bejeweled hands. mo
say you disapprovel Don't scold! ter
t do anything but sit right down vid
and have a cup of your own de- Til
us tea-(Frank, some boiling wa 20,
that no one makes for you as l
you've owned it many a time. And ane
we're all going in to the Palace wit
inner and then to the theater, and cas-
Tell you all about 1t between the We
Oh. you poor dear! ought to stri