Hutchinson gazette., 1900-04-05

over her white muslin robe, and round
her waist was broad sash OF black
ribbon, tho sight Of which sent fresh
pang to her lovers heart,
"A great sorrow nobly borne 10 a
great dignity" As Don looked at her
he realized almost with feeling OF
awe, that such dignity had fallen upon
Lille now, The dire calamity she
had 30 dreaded had come to pass, yet
she had not sunk beneath the blow.
The passion Of her grief was spent
and resignation had come Anguish
had left It's pallor on her cheek, but tho
hopelessness OF despair was not past.
Don looked at her, marvellng at her
fortltude and calm; then the next In
slant his arms we're closing round her
like q Wise and straining her to his
beating heart, for her calm had given
way, and she had flown to the shell
ter OF his embrace, with q tender, sob
bing cry,
"oh, Don, Don, my all on earth
now" she cried
He held her tight, and kissed her
again and again. II was as II he
dreaded the moment might come when
he should never hold her thus any
more, and he was drinking to the
full this embttered cup of bliss, Pres
emily she withdrew herself, for there
was something almost fierce In the
fervor Of his caresses, She sank on
dlvan, and put out her hand to him
to sit by her,
"Tell me-" she said family, "all
about II"
And Don told her, with low voice
and averted eyes that story which the
press paragraphs so comprehensive,
yet 80 cruel in their brevlty, had al
ready burnt like a gearing iron into
heart and brain,
It was shortly before the mess-hour.
Several successive shots had been
heard In the valley, and two had
penetrated one of the mess tents and
wounded an orderly whilst In the act
Of laying a table. Captain Derwent
and himself were returning from
stroll along the banks of the nullah
when q bullet whlzzed between them
which struck Captain Derwent, and
he dropped instantly at the narrator's
feet, shot through the heart
Every effort was being made 10
track the perpetrator Of the crime and
avenge the captains death; but 80
far the rebels had escaped,
"And you yourself were the only one
near when he died?" she sald through
the tears which were now streaming
silently down her pallld, lovely face.
Eyes, And owing to the dense un-
dergrowth, It was impossible for me
to follow the direction the shot came
from. Directly he fell did my utmost
to stop the bleeding; but saw at once
1t was useless. Death had been in
stantaneous, | got help from the
camp then, and we carried him down
to his tent Next night we buried him
close to where he fell" Don's voice
was husky and strained, and suddenly,
at sight of his ill-concealed emotion,
she checked her tears and laid her
golden head upon his shoulder with
a trustful tenderness that went to his
heart
my poor Don! how you, too, must
have suffered"
He caught her to him with passion
ate caress, all the more passionate be-
cause the thought assailed him how
once not love, but mere ambition, had
urged him to lay siege to this conid-
ing heart,
81 have suffered" he said, very low,
more than / can say, Lille"
She looked up in his face and saw
that he spoke truly.
His brow was lined and his cheek
pale; his brown eyes had haggard
look she had never seen in them; and,
remembering with great rush Of joy,
he, too, might have never come back
from that wild pass which had made
her fatherless she returned his en-
brace with all the sweet naivete Of a
child who clung now to her sole pro-
tector.
ITO he continued \