Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14
eyes. but was only in the ranks;

s'Friend--aye that we were; from
our schoolboy days we were chumsl
When Ralph was sent to the Crimean
war I threw everything to the winds,
enlisted in the regiment and went,
too, and we fought in many fierce
battle together, but one thought kept
US up through all, dear little Mignon,
the wears daughter. All, what happy
old times they were at the vicarage
"Mignon was an only child; her
father, 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 mignonette, all mignonette!"
Ny glance wandered to the flowers
blooming at my feet, as tried to pic.
ture the little scene put before me.
'And Ralph loved Mignon as we'll
as T." 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.
Glow I envied Ralph's luck. Not
that I grudged him any good luck, but
my lot in life did seem hard in COM
parison to his. AS the time passed
my restlessness and discomfort in
creased. Despite my attachment to
Mignon, my humdrum, monotonous
existence was so hateful to me. So,
was ordered abroad I made up my
mind to go, too, in the ranks of the
same regiment. Here was an oppor-
tunity not to be lost of leading a more
glorious life; to fight for my country,
my people and for the love of old
England,
sHow dreamt OF the home coming
after the work was done. Death had
no place in my mind. How 1 antic-
ipated the meeting with Mignon, with
the love light that I-poor fool-im-
agined she felt for me, shining in her
soft blue eyes. thought I would
pour out my heart and tell her I had
come back to claim her, never to part
any more. All! if had but known!"
He smiled again in his melancholy
way, and continued:
eyes, if I had only known that she
cared for Ralph should have been
spared many heartache in after
years.
The old soldier gazed abstractedly at
his mignonette, and, doubtless, lived
over again that memorable campaign,
while 1 wondered if the cross on his
breast had anything to do with his
tory. He answered my glance.
81 am coming to that now, lady.
One bitter November night, or rather
morning, we awoke to find the enemy
bearing down on us in overwhelming
numbers before our camp was astir.
The men, however, soon reused and
fought shoulder to shoulder amid the
roar aud din of cannon, which mad
dened alike man and beast. After
awhile I became conscious only OF one
thing-a figure few yards ahead of
me fighting for dear life. can see
the look on his face now! 1t was
transfgured, shining with dauntless
courage that quailed not before the
onslaught of the Russians. I be-
lieve, at that moment, Ralph lived in
, every fiber of his being. He gloried
in fght-no one more. He was sur
rounded and cut off from the rest of
us by six or seven of the enemy,
double his size Suddenly he stag
gered and fell; then I found myself
struggling 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 instinc-
lively round him, and as I turned and
faced the lot of them-perhaps it was
fancy-but change seemed to come
into their eager, glittering eyes, as
they involuntarlly fell back a space or
two. It was only for moment. They
again pressed forward, and no doubt
the pair of us would have been quick
ly cut into mincemeat, but for an un-
expected diversion created just then
by the arrival of the Innlskilling ORA.
goons. With their aid the Russians
were completely routed, and in the
confusion of their retreat and fight I
managed to carry Ralph back safely
to camp.
"An9 rou escaped unwounled?"
''No unluckily. lady, received
some very bad cuts on my head and
back, which brought about my dis
charge from the army as being unfit
for active service. When I had some
what recovered Ralph told me that
Mignon had promised to become his
wife, and six months later they were
married"
"Did Mignon ever know that you
cared for her?" asked rather huskily.
eyes; many years after, when they
came to see me here, think, as they
carried away some of my mignonette,
they both guessed it for the first
time"
A bell near by changed out the tes
hour as he finished speaking SO, with
close clasp of the hand, my old mar
and parted