The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-05-16

felt rather than saw that bundle of
letters, rolled in tissue paper and tied
with ribbon, ribbon long since faded
and wrinkled, lay within. This he care
fully placed in a large-sized military
letter envelope, moistened and pressed
tight the gummed flap, slowed it in the
inner pocket of the overcoat that hung
at the rear tent pole, reduced the wrap
I per and its superscription TO minute
fragments, and dropped them into the
waste-basket, all as carefully and meth
odically as though life knew neither
/ hurry nor worry; then bowed his lined
face in both hands a moment in utter ST
lence and in unmistakable sadness.
Presently his lips moved: "Can you
look down and see that l have kept my
word, Agnes?" he murmured. God
help me to find him and save him-yet."
Once again the laughter, the gay
young voices, rang from the other tent.
All over camp, far and near, from the
limits of the park to the very slope of
the height at the north, the evening
bugles were calling by thousands the
thronging soldiery to mess or roll call
Slowly the general rose, drew on his
overcoat, and in another moment, I'M
der the sloping visor of his forage cap,
with eyes that twinkled behind their
glasses, with "a genial smile softening
every feature, his fine soldierly face
peered in on the scene of light, of merri-
ment and laughter under the canvas
roof of the only home he knew in the
world-the soldier home of one whose
/ life had been spent following the flag
through bivouac, camp or garrison,
through many march, battle and cam
paign all over the broad lands of the
United States until now, at the hour
when most men turned for the placid
joys of the fireside, the love of devoted
and faithful wife, the homage and af-
lection of children, the prattle and play
ful sports of children's children-home-
less, wifeless, childless, he stood at the
border of the boundless sea, soldier
duty pointing the way to far distant,
unknown and undesired regions, con-
tent to follow that flag to the end of
the world if need be, and owning no
higher hope or ambition than to follow
and uphold it to the end of his life.
There was nothing in such a face as
his to put check to fun and merriment.
yet, all on sudden, the laughter died
away. Three young gallants in soldier
garb sprang to their feet and faced him
with appeal and explanation in their
speaking eyes, although only one of
their number found his tongue in time
to put the matter into words. There
were only two girls when the general
left that tent to meet his officers at four
o'clock and now there were four, and
the four were having five-o'clock tea.
At least anyone would have said they
were four blithe girls, innocent of
graver responsibilities than social calls
and dinner or dance engagements, for
never looked four young women so free
from the cares of this world than those
who were picturesquely grouped about
the generals camp table and under the
brilliant reflector of the generals lamp;
but the plain gold circlet on the slender
finger of the merriest and noisiest and
smallest of the four, and the fact that
she had nothing to say to the senior of
the four attendant officers except in
the brief, indifferent tones of assured
proprietorship, and very much to say
to the other three, told different story.
The generals manner lost none of its
Kindness, even though close observer
would have seen that his face lost a lit
tie of its light as he recognized in the
evident leader of the revels and mistress
OF the situation the wife of his senior
aid-de-camp. An hour before he
thought her thousand miles away
and so did her husband.
Bless your dear old heart!" ex-
claimed the little lady, springing to her
feet, facing him with indomitable
smiles and thrusting forward two slen-
der, white, bejeweled hands. NO
don't say you disapproveN Don't scold!
Don't do anything but sit right down
here and have cup of your own de-
licious Crank, some boiling wa
ter)-that no one makes for you as
do-you've owned it many time. And
then we're all going in to the Palace
for dinner and then to the theater, and
I'll tell you all about it between the
acts. oh, you poor dear! 1 ought to
have come before-you've been work.
ing yourself to death!"
And by this time, resolutely pulling.
she had towed the general to a chair.
and into this, his favorite leather
armed, canvas-backed, hickory framed |
companion of many year, she deftly
cropped him and then, giving him no
nance for a word, gayly pirouetting.
she seized one after another upon each
member of the party present-an ac-
'omphshed little mistress of ceremon-
es' eneased In tailor made travelling
'u,' mat rendered her proof against
uo]en MINOR ills, so beautifully was it
'ut and fitted to her pretty fgure-and.
WITH lnexhaustible flow of merry words