The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-06-29

devoted with that devotion most fiat
tering to woman's soul-the proprie-
tary, everybody else keep off sort? A
youth always perfectly willing to let
you talk about him or to do 1t himself.
Miss Farrar knew all about Brooke,
not only what he had told her, but
what she had observed, which latter
Brooke did not take into consideration.
though 1t was important. She knew
wears daughter All, what happy old
times they were ut the vicarage!
"Mignon was an only child; her IA
Their, our coach, Ralph's and mine.
What merry little tea parties we had
Just we four, the scent Of mignonette
everywhere. The garden, the windows
and the rooms OF the old house were
full Of it-mignonette, all mignonetteV
My glance wandered to the flowers
blooming at my feet as I tried to pic
ture the little scene put before me.
"And Ralph loved Mignon as well
as l." he pursued, though neither of
us knew the others secret. Well,
those happy days came to an end,
Young Stanley left us to study for the
army, while remained to stagnate In
my fathers Office In town.
"How I envied Ralph's luck! Not
that grudged him any good thing, but
my lot in life did seem hard in COM
parison to his. AS the time passed my
restlessness and discomfort increased.
Despite my attachment to Mignon, my
humdrum, monotonous existence was
so hateful to me. So, when the war
broke out and Ralph was ordered
abroad, made up my mind to go, too,
In the ranks Of the same regiment.
Here was an opportunity not to be lost
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 I antici-
pated the meeting with Mignon with
the love light that I-poor fOol-imag-
ined she felt for me shining in her soft
blue eyes. l though l 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 continues:
"Yes, IL had only known that she
cared for Ralph l should have been
spared pany heartache in after
years.
The old soldier gazed abstractedly at
his mignonette and doubtless lived
over again that memorable campaign,
while l wondered If the cross on his
breast had anything to do with his
history. He answered my glance.
81 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
few yards ahead of me fighting for
dear life. I can see the look on his
face now! 1t was TRANSPORTED, shin
ing with dauntless courage that
quailed not before the onslaught of
|
ment Ralph lived in every fiber of his
being. He gloried in a fight-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 strNs Cling and crushing through
countless forms and brandishing steel
until 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
ly round him, and as turned and
faced the lot of them-perhaps it was
fancy-but a change seemed to come
into their eager, glittering eyes as they
involuntarily fell back a 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 mincemeat but for an unexpected
diversion created just then by the ar,
rival of the Enniskillen 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 herT asked rather huskily.
Eyes; many years after, when they
came to see me here, l think, as they
carried away some of my mignonette,
they both guessed 1t for the first time"
A bell near by changed out the tea
hour as he finished speaking, so, with
a close clasp Of the hand, my old man