The Washington times., 1901-12-01
l sing the hymn of the conquered, who
fell in the battle of life,
The hymn OF the wounded and beaten, VINO
died overwhelmed in the strife.
w. w. Story.

chairs had been pushed back from the ia
BILE. The scent of Havanas was in the air.
Dead stupid hole. this" drawled Brin-
ing between puffs; even that rumor
about the Sioux uprising seems to have
gone up in smoke long ago. After being
here two weeks. one forgets how to live,
and merely exists"
That's straight" said another officer.
"Now, at Fortress Monroe"-he tipped
back mis- chair and there was piaintive
reminiscent note in his vCice-''now, at
Fortress Monroe We had snap. Hops
every night at the Hygeia'-here the 9TH
er men groaned and moved their feet rest
lessly-" midnight suppeTs galore-real
dandies, too; lobster a la Newburgh and
pate de foie gras and ice creams. all hues,
and old Virginia egg-nog and mint julep
and champagne. cold as blazes. and"-he
paused and there was a sympathetic sigh
land pretty girls" he added. shoals of
them; and piazzas and palms and moon
light. and-and all the rest of it. he
wound up lamely.
Some OF them men laughed, but not hi
lariously for life was too much of bore
just then, to make any great effort.
"Carrington, you're a brute to remind
US CT that now" said one. Were like
that cid chap in mythology who lived in
a peel 5f water, in an unmentionable To-
eaii5y, and though dying of thirst couldp' t
get a drop. We're all entitled 20 such
luxuries. but-'s
NO hops, no suppers, no girls, no
nothin'," drawled Darlington.
Brining toyed with a spoon while he
looked across at the speaker.
How about Demain?" he asked.
An amused smile-a lock that rescmbled
q faint show of interest-spread over the
faces Of the men.
Darlington looked annoyed.
Can't you let that little girl from Gas
cony rest?" he demanded shortly.
ooh. yes, we can." said Brining sig
nificartly The question is, can you?"
What would you have me do-ignore
her entirely? She's awfully lonely strand
ed way eff here in this God forsaken
country. and-and bother it all, she's so
confoundedly pretty!"
seriously, but did 1t ever occur to youi
Iordship that what is only a pleasant lit
tie diversion for you may be real to her?'
An anxious look crept into Darlington
grey eyes: they were good eyes, cleal
and steadfast. 81 hope not" he said
sIswly. q should be sorry to think haC
hurt her he paused doubtfully, bu
johnson finished the sentence for him.
Heart" he said.
Darlington meant what he said, but some
how he had grown so accustomed to stop
ping about his collars and cuffs (he de
clared no oae could restore them to theil
pristine purity like this little French girl
to the chagrip of Mrs. Mcclure, the cor
poral's wife. and a former blanchisseus'
for the regimep) that when he took hi:
ride next day il seemed but a matter o.
course that he should draw rein before
the low rooted, whitewashed cottage.
1t may have been the soft glow Of the
dying sunset, clear and cold and beau
tiful even in that far northwestern eli
mate. or the scent Of the flowers that
grew so luxuriously and yet looked 50
strangely ont of place in that barren
soil; or perhaps it was the sight OF a
girls slender figure standing in the low
doorway, shading her eyes, that re
called TO him so vividly the first evening
he had seen it all. That had only been
two months ago, and but a few weeks
after he had been ordered from Fortress
Monroe He had gone out riding; he
was hot and dusty and very thirsty
and this spot of Towering ground. witt
the green thatched cottage in the midst
had seemed a veritable oasis in this par.
tIcuIarly cheerless desert. He hat
drawn rein. dismcunted, and holding his
bride over his arm, had paused to say
a few courteous words to the girl who
brought him the tin cup filled TO the brin
with the cool, sparkling liquid.
He had not stayed long, but it was loni
enough to notice the quaint garb anC
Quainter speech, the sun kissed hair ant
shining teeth. and the eyes that BELIEF
the smiling tace-deep. unfathomable
dark and full Of shadows. He recalled
them when he had gone, and they seemed
to haunt and follow him. The memory o.
them led him, three days later, to seel
their owner again.
That was the beginning. He meant NJ
harm. Her pretty manners and foreign
speech attracted him. He was always
deferential, he never forgot that he wa.
an officer and gentleman. Once he CAV,
her one of his shining military buttons
and had smiled at her almost childish
pleasure at the gift. He did not realize
that this strange young creature was NOR,
woman than child. Another time, jus
once, a week ago, he raised her smal
hand to his lips and kissed it, slowly, will
touch Of the old chivalry he had in
herited from his Carolinian forefathers
That was ali. No, he had meant NJ
harm. He had meaEt nothing more thar
friendliness; a tribute to her Sex II,
had not seen the girls mysterious eye.
dilate and darken strangely at his touch
he had not heard the throbblng Of tha
passionate heart; he never dreamed tha
the woman's soul had been awakened then
Little by little he had drawn her out. Il
her soft, musical voice she told Of her ol,
life in Gascony. and he. attracted by
nameiess charm, would linger there an
listen. and when after while he wouI,
rise to &c she would raise those shadowe,
eyes to his and question:
"Demasn?"
1t was thus she had received her name
would an officer ask when he might hop
fo- clean linen she would shrug her pret
ty shoulders. throw out her hands. palm
uppermost, and with an anxious, ques