The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-29
THE DUTY SOLDIER.

Colonel Jemmett took chair opposite
his hostess, who was toasting her obVi-
ously pretty feet by the fire.
They had first met when he was tlir-
ty-three and she fifteen; they had not
seen each other since he had turned
forty, and she had awaited herself of hel
majority to marry foolishly, so their
early relations, if familiar, were unro-
mantle. Thanks to the line of forbears
wearing in succession the wig of Jurls-
prudence, he had been already bald and
serious when she had cast her childs
glance upon him; and now, quarter
century later. her widows scrutiny
found him much the same save that
the frame Of his badness, like his mus
tache, was gray, and the seriousness of
his face become gravity, almost stern
ness.
If he had changed not very greatly,
in the shaded light Of her own strate-
gically planned Wing-room she
seemed to him to have aged not at all,
The girl was grown full woman, and,
indeed, a widow of forty cannot prop
erly affect righteousness but her
weeds were rather becoming to her
beauty than illuminative of her sorrow.
They were alone, and would, inten-
tionaly, remain alone; for the game OF
hide and seek of chastened hearts is
not to be played in company.
You are looking we'll she observed
Better than when i saw you last"
The occasion to which she referred
was her wedding breakfast; and GER
tainly the then captain OF foot was not
looking his best that day,
THANK YOU" said he, nodding stiffly;
I'm pretty fit And you-you're as
well as ever, | SUPPOSE"
She smiled at the awkward speech.
you are as ironical as ever, | per-
ceive."
ME ironical.' he blurted--"not 1!
But | thought you seemed so well, and
| remember you always seemed we'll
Were you not always wel?"
She had not intended herself to open
a Irritation with him, but this tempta-
ton was irresistible.
She was silent with fire cast eyes, be-
fore she answered: Yes, when you
knew me | was we'll" A little pause.
''Since then l have not always felt so
very, very we'll" Another brief pause
Then, as the eyes Travelled gayly from
the fire to his face, to fall demurely on
his watch chain: But you see l am
quite myself again"
Colonel Jemmett was entranced;
of twenty years standing
faded from his eountenance, and he
tried to recall speeches imagined before
the wrinkles came; but the futility Of
the phrases crushed him now, and he
said with very little emotion: $50
you missed grandpa, after all?"
Used ] to call you grandpa?" she
asked; she really had forgotten it,
why should / have called you grand
papa?"
His right hand ascended to his crown.
Il think at first it wao because of
that" he said.
She stared, Because of what?" she
begged.
Colonel Jemmett writhed in his chair
Because of not having any hair on the
OPP of my head. | wasn't 50 very old
lon't you know" he answered.
Laughter rlpplad from the window
You are avenged" she said my own
hair io growing thin now, and I'm only
In spite of himself, he started; he had
ust ordered bracelet to be given her
N her forty first birthday
She saw she had made d slip. and
fastened to recover her balance.
Don't tell me you know better" she
allied hin--"since my birthday Is in |
Il
ng it only in leap year. But truly. 1
hall very soon have less hair than you.
Don't you believe me?"
He shook his head incredulously.
She deliberately loosened some half |
lozen pins and took from the center of |
Ter couture plat of not very great |
1T ID my own" she re-
marked incidentally 1T was cut off |
When l was very-not very, very we'll
had it made up, Now. come and |
ook at my bald spot
AS one who approaches shrine, Col |
mel Jemmett did her bidding. Two Of |
Ter long fingers diving into her hair |
discovered to him perfectly bald disk,
not bigger than a slxpenny |
'iece; perhaps it had been once tenant
q by contumacious patch OF gray.
can you give me nothing to make it
row again." she asked pitifully.
Colonel Jemmett's heart fluttered as
e stopped and kissed the place, but the
iss itself was reverential. The Widows
urprse was divided evenly between his
and his auaterity. She Won
erred what he would do next
II hope you are not offended with
le," he said.
"Oh, no, dear grandpapa," she an
Wered, with trace of malice. "Sit
own and tell me all about yourself;
bout your exploits in the east I want !
, hear particularly about them; for
he newspaper reports are so stupid l
ever can understand them
Exploits" said the colonel Il never
ad one to my name
Don't be modest with an old crony,'
ne returned. Il heard of what you did
! the Black Mountains-or were they
lue?-although | confess / could not
lake out exactly what it was"
Upon my honor" declared ~ colo
Fl, Il never did anything at d&2
"What?" exclaimed the widow laugh
gly. You never marched from some
ace to the relief of some other place,
FRYING your guns over snow noun
in?"