Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-08-01
The Duty Soldier.

lucy ulu uISt luev Nucl uo was OC
and she 10; they had not seen each
other since he had TUNED 10, and she
had availed herself of her majority to
marry foolishly, so their early rela-
tions, if familiar, were unromantic.
Thanks 10 the line of forbears wearing
in succession the wig Jurisprudence,
he had been already bald and serious
when she had cast her child's 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 moustache.
was gray, and the seriousness of his
face become gravity, almost sternness.
If he had changed not very greatly,
in tho shaded light OF her own strategi-
cally planned drawing room she
seemed to. him to have aged not at
all. The girl was grown full woman,
and, indeed, a widow of 10 cannot
properly affect ingenuousness; but her
weeds were rather becoming to her
beauty than illuminative of her sor-
row.
They were alone, and would, inten-
tionally, remain alone; for the game of
hide aud seek of chastened hearts is
not to be played in company.
"You are looking WE'LL" she OBJ
served. 'tBetter than when I saw you
last"
The occasion to which she referred
was her wedding breakfast, and cer-
tainly the thon captain Of foot was
not looking his best that day.
"fhank you," said he, noGding
stidiy; "Im pretty tit. And you
you're as we'll as ever, I suppose?"
She smiled at the awkward speech.
"You arc as ironical as over, per-
ceive."
"Me ironical!" he blurtcd-:'not I!
But thought you seemed so well, and
! remember you always seeme9 we'll.
We're you not always well?"
She had not intended herself to
OPEN Irritation with him, but this
temp. alton was irresistible.
She was silent, with fire cast eyes,
before she answered: "Yes, when you
knew me was WE'LL" A little pause.
'tSince then have not always felt SO
very, very we'll. !" Another briefpause.
Then, as tie eyes travelled gayly from
the fire to lis face. to fall demurely on
his watch chain: 'sBut you see am
quite myself again. z
Colonel Jemmett Mas eatranced;
wrinkles Of % years standing faded
from his countenaice. and he tried to
recall speeches imagined before the
wrinkles came; but the futiiity OF the
phrases crushed him land he said,
with very little emotion: $50 you
missed grandpapa, after all?"
.'Used I to call you grandpapa?"
she asked; she really had forgotten it.
"Why should have called you grand
papa?"
His right hand assembled to his
crown. 'I think, at first, it was be-
cause OF that" he said.
She stared. Because of what?"
she begged.
Colonel Jemmett writhed in his
chair. "Recause of not having any
hair on the top of my head. wasn't
80 very old, don't you know?" he an
swered
Laughter rippled from the widow.
'sYou are avenged" she said; "my own
hair is growing thin now, and I'm
only 3e."
In spite OF himself, he started; he
had just ordered q bracelet to be given
her on her 41st birthday. y
She saw she had made a slip, and
hastenedto recover her balance. "Don't
tell me you know better" she rallied
him -''since my birthday isin F Febru-
airy may be forgiven for keeping it
only in leap year. But truly, I shall
very soon hnve less hair than you.
Don't you believe me?'
He shook his head incredulously.
She deliberately loosened some half
dozen pins and took from the centre
of her coiffure aplait of not very great
proportions ''It is my own," she re-
marked incidentally. at was cut Of
when was yery-not very, very we'll
II hai it made up. Now,
come md look at my bald spot"
AS one who approaches shrine,
Colonel Jemmett did her bidding.
Two of her long fingers diving into
her hair discovered to him perfectly
bald disk, certainly not bigger than q
sixpenny piece; perhaps it had been
once tenanted by q contumacious patch
of gray.
"Can you give me nothing to make
it grow AGAIN." she asked pitifully.
Colonel Jemmett's heart futtered as
he stopped and kissed the place, but
the kiss itself was reverential. The
widows surprise was divided evenly
between his gallantry and his auster.
ity. She wondered what he would dc
next.
"I hope you are not offended with
me-" he said.
ooh, no! dear grandpapa," she an
swered, with trace OF malice. "Sii
down and tell me all about YOURSELF
about your exploits in the East. ]
want to bear particularly about them,
for the newspaper reports are SO stu
Did I mover can understand them.
"Exploits!" said the colonel; 81
never had one to my name.
"Don't lie modest with an old
crony," she returned. 81 heard q
what yoa did in the Black mountains
they Blue?-although
confess conld not make out exactly
what it was.
Upon my honor" declared the
colonel, .T never did anything at all. >
"What?" exclaimed the widow,
la1ghingly. "You never marched
from some place to the relief of some
other place, carrying your guns over
snow mountain"
"Ah! know what you're thinking
Of" said the colonel. 'Tt was n mar
called Whippett did that. A splendii
chap he lis, too; yon really ought tc