The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-07-07
wears daughter. All, what happy old

NlCdI u&uSuteI. AL NudJ ndppy Olu
times they We're at the vicarage!
"Mignon was an only child; her IA
ther, 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 mignonetter'
My 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 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 | envied Ralph's luck, Not
that grudgcd him any good thing, but
my lot in life did seem hard in com
parison to his. AS the time passed my
rcstlessness and discomfort increased
Despite my attachment to .MignOn, my
humdrum, mOnotonous existence was
so hateful to mo 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
of leading Il more glorious life-to fight
for my country, my people and for
the love of old England
How dreamed of the home coming
after the work was done. Death had
no place in my mind How | antici-
pated the meeting with Mignon with
the love light that poor fool-imag
ned she felt for me shining in her soft
blue eyes. | though | 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 continued:
''Yes, If had only known that she
cared for Ralph | should have been
spared many hcartache in after
years"
The old soldier gaZed abstractedly AT
his mignonette and doubtless lived
over again that memorable campaign,
while | 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
inc we awol,o IN find tho onornv hoor
Inp dawn IN no IN ovnr,rbclu,irc MN,
bers before our cann ,vos oeti, ,rho
mon howovnr soon ronsnd oud forrht
shoulder to shoulder amid the roar and
din Of cannon which maddcned alike
mon and hoost >ftrr o,yhfI, I hoco,,,,
conscious. onIv of on, thina--o Gp,rc
a few yards ohnad or me- fghtiro fo,
doar life I can snn tho IooI, on his
face nov, II was tyonsfi.ured. shin
inr with douptloss courage that
ouailad not hrfrrr thp ony,argnt Of
tho Russlops brucvr. ai trot mo
mcnt. Ralpb Ilypd in cyrry llpr az bie
being He rlyrird IN Gght no one
moro. He was stIrrg,n,lrJ and riIt of
from the rest of MS bv six or seven of
the enemy double his size SuddrnIy
he staggered and fell Then | found
myself struggling and crushing through
countless forms ana brapdisaing steel
until reached the stricken figure.
There he Law. so white ana still. with
his brave younr face upturned to the
Ieaden Sky. NV arms went instructive.
Iy round him. and rs | turned and
faced the lot of them-pcrhaps il was
fancv-but change seemed to como
into their eager, gljttering owes as thew
involuntarily fell back mace or two.
IT was only for moment They again
messed forward and no doubt tho
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