Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-10-24
CHAPTER XVII.

The Marchers had joined the column
10 which Teddy's regiment was attached.
They had recently encamped on 4 desc
late. widespreading plain, awaiting the
general advance. The force was divid-
ed into three huge laagers. inside Of
which were picketed the cavalry horses,
the stores and the oxen: outside were the
tents and guns, irregular troops. native
contingent and cooking fires. Captains
Brabazuu and Gee had had their little
bell tents pitched as usual side by side /;
the former is to be found in his at the
present moment, sitting on his bed read
ing letter by the light of a lantern at
tachcd to the pole above his head. lie
has torn open the envelope with hasty,
nervous fingers and turned it completely
inside out in the hopes of discovering a
line from Esme; but no, there was moth
ing; so with a sharp spasm of misgiving
be falls back on the epistle in his hand.
Dear Captain Brabazon." it says.
Your letter has just arrived. with a full
account OF your unhappy mistake and
fatal precipitation. l am truly and sin
cerely sorry for you. 1t is the most un-
fortunate thing l have ever heard Of in
all my experience. Esme's disobedience
and your rash. hot temper must. 1 am
afraid. share the entire blame OF course
il was a most painful time for all of us
last September: but luckily the wedding
was 10 have been such q quiet affair that
the real facts have never transpired be-
yond our own circle: and people ina gine
that you received a sudden order to join
your regiment. Esme was naturally
greatly troubled. Her pride received q
mortal wound; but l am glad to tell you
that a very gay visit to Brighton COM
petcly restored her spirits, and l cannot
be too thankful now that the dear girls
heart was never very much centered n
the match. OF course, when the marriage
was SO very advantageous in every way,
! did not analyZe her feelings too closely,
and | knew that you would make her an
excellent husband. But now that you
have hardly any means besides your pay,
things are quite different. as l need
scarcely point out. Both battaliOns Of
your regiment are abroad in countries
where il would be impossible for Esme to
live; and you see, my dear Miles, much
as | like you, l cannot consult my own
feelings in the matter. l stand in very
responsible position to Esme. l fill the
place Of both her parents, and it would
not be right to allow her to marry a cap
tain in a marching regiment, with nothing
but his pay. 1t costs me a great deal
~ WING tbIo, Dut ~ 40 ny ouhys ohN AAOAAA
my duty l may not shrink. l appeal to
your honor, to your love for Esme. and
your desire for her happiness before your
own, to renounce her completely. There
is nothing more wearing or more misera-
bic for a girl than a long and hopeless
engagement. ! am sure you will agree
with me. Esme desires me to say that
she received your letter, and sends her
kind regards; and l am, your sincere
well wisher.
SARAH BRABAZON."
This, then, was the death-knel Of his
hopes. Her kind regards" How unnat-
ural, how almost ludicrous, such mes
sage sounded! Firmly crumpling up the
letter into ball, he flung it down pas
sionately, and, burying his face in his
hands. sat without moving for many min
utes.
Some time later Captain Gee looked in,
TO borrow a bootlace, and found the tent
still empty; the lamp haring away In soil
tary extravaganza, an envelope on the
bed. He glanced at it distrustfuliy.
woman's hand, and an old woman s.
slight mourning. I'll bet it's from that
old serpent, Mrs. B., giving him piece
of her mind, breaking Of the whole busi-
ness" said Dicky to himself, blinking
nPrcely. AL lulS mOuhCht hnc
letter also caught his rowing eye. Ihere
was a suggestivenes Of wild, ungoverna-
ble fury in its present crushed condition
that spoke whole volumes to the far-see-
ing little gentleman, who surveyed med
ilatively, as he anxiously pulled Ms Ten
derby fostered sandy mustache.
so that's it," he remarked, after Q
pause. "as plain as a pike-stan. III say
nothing. I'll say nothing, though Know
a. much about it now as il he had toid
me the whole story. II he likes to make
clean breast Of it, well and good
think myself, he is well out Of it. A girl
without a penny! However, I'll say moth
ing-silence is golden" With this valua-
ble precept in his mind, and bestowing
one last significant glance at Mrs. Braba-
IONS ill-used effusion, he put his hands in
his pockets and slowly took his departure.
As TO Miles, he found plenty OF work
fine specific, and had now hardly ever
an idle minute. His mind was filled with
other things besides blighted hopes ana
black despair. Foraging parties, fuei'
firearms, forage, ration boards, ETC., occu-
pied his thoughts, and he had very little
leisure to dwell upon his lot. Love, as
Gussie had quoted, lis a mere parenthe-
sis in a mans life;' he is not so fond of
allowing himself to dwell on narrowing
recollectons as a woman, nor do his
thoughts, like hers find melancholy
pleasure in visiting the grave Of dead
hopes. Days and weeks went by, not SO
slowly as might be supposed: weeks spent
in foraging wood cutting, scouting and
bringing in spies, and listening to their
many marvellous tales-tales that would
have compelled the great Munchausen
himself to veil his face, for a Beers I'M
agination can bestir itself at times. Most
OF Teddy's spare hours were passed with
his cousin. and he had become very
popular visitor in the Marcher camp. He
was even welcomed by 1.-The ugly little fel-
low with freckles," as he mentally called
Captain Gee, who had now completely
got over what Miles termed Ibis ridicu-
lous stiffness about the legacy" and was
prepared to extend the hand of goOd-fel-
lowship to this other young Brabazon-
For instance, they were both fond OF
horses, of shooting, Of arguing the point
and of lots of red pepper with their daily
stew. To improve the favor Of this SAID
stew. with some ingredient foreign to the
everlasting trek OK, was the object or
many long expedition undertaken Dy
This pair. Miles did not lend himself TO
these excursions; q 2O-mile ride for
brace of quail was mot good enough,
he growled, in answer to their frequent
and pressing invitations, and he looked
rudely cOntemptuous when, as occasion
ally happened, the spOrtsmen returned
with nothing but a couple Of voraclous
Ifaa md 49, tSA