The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-02-22
SCARLET
AND GOLD.
THE STORY OF A GIRL AND A
BRITISH SOLDIER.

brick pierced near the ground with cabin
windows, through which one NAV see
brawny men with bare arms and shirts
open to the waist raking the furnaces
that never die; powerful fellows arc
these, and in the fierce heat and dazzling
glare the sweat stands upon their brows
and breasts and arms until they seem life
like figures cast in redhot gold. Upon the
other side is a building which would he
pretty anywhere, but which by virtue Of
the contrast with its opposite neighbor is
worthy of being perpetuated on canvas
by some master of the brush.
1t is a small cottage built of white
washed cob and covered with a steen
roof Of old tiles. 1t stands end on TO the
street, and facing the front door is n
barn exactly like the cottage save that il
has no windows. The Intervening garden
space is protected by a wooden fence
home made of odds and ends of timber
so that some of it is of upright blanks
and some of it of undressed poles laid
horizontally, the whole looking unconsid
cred and naturally artistic A kissing
gate in the middle of the fence-I wonder
is there such another gate in London?-
gives access to the garden. and the only
touch OF modern days upon the place is
a gas lamp on the cinder footpath
Ii was in September. and the weStering
sun fell upon the place. bringing out all
the rich glow in the tiles. tinging the cob
walls with a rosy flush and concentrating
itself in the scarlet flowers of a hedge of
beans and in the reds and ycows of
bank of single dahlias. Already the gas
in the lamp had been lighted. but the
fame showed wan and Sickly against the
clear blues and ambers in the sky. An
old man in a frayed black coat was sitting
in Windsor chair by the open door.
clay pipe in his nervous fingers and a
white mug with blue band round it
standing full of beer close by him on the
window sill. And by the gate with her
back to the old man. stood a girl of two
or three and twenty listening to what he
said, with a sad and tired expression on
her face, listening passively, making no
reply.
She was superb specimen of young
womanhood, with grandly nodded limbs
and head of more than common power
borne proudly on the round white column
of her throat and neck, womanly wom-
an, too. with large eyes curtaind by soft
lashcs and mouth of which the sweet
EbSS SbIlSutu the utlpIInlDeu StludfpnpSS
Of the jaw In the mellow evening light
which brought out every color in a mar
yelous degree, her lilac blouse became a
thing of beauty, emphasizing the strong
and supple roundness of her arms and
falling gently on the soft curves of her
bosom. Only the look of apathy marred
the perfection of the picture that sh.
made, and when for moment it vanish
ekd at something her grandfather said it
was replaced by an expression of disgust,
almost of dread.
His voice rose thin and querulous:
I'm not driving you to it. I'm not put
ting any what you might call compulsion
on you to do it. I'm only asking why you
won't do it, and that's what | want to
know"
lie paused, waiting for the answer he
did not seem to expect:
"rhe rent was paid on Friday, and the
club was paid today. and there's five and
ninepence left, and that's the last. 'Tisn't
for my sake I'm asking you to do it.
Spose it's only fancy that there's any
disgrace in going to the Union. But.
fancy or not, the mother thinks there is,
and she don't want to go. And | don't
want her to go. And | can't save her
from going. And you can"
The sentences came slowly, punctuated
by full stops, but the girl did not move,
and the old man sucked at his empty
pipe and spoke again.
Seven and forty years ago she came
here, and it's hard that woman who's
lived so long in place can't live in it
FOR the little time left to her to live any
where. She feels it, does mother. She
don't say so, but she feels it. | know"
For the first time there was note of
tenderness in the quavering voice. "'Jess
can't bring herself to it, she said. and
its not fair to ask her to try That's
what she said but if she only had seven
and forty days to spend she couldn't
spend EN- here on five and ninepence. |
put II to you, now, could she|
The proposition was undeniable and re-
CURED no reply.
When man can't work, he sets to
thinking things out. 'Tisnt for my sake
m telling you, Jessie, and I've been
thinking Of this. If so be as mother and
goes to the Union, you can 90 into serv-
Ice and then you needn't do it, but it's
an Ill Kindness transplanting such old
trees as we, and makes out that mother
deserves some returns for all she's done
,or you, and if you do do it she can 'bde
mere along until she's carried out for
good and all, and there'l be a bit from
christopher to pay somebody to do the
chores for her. He's man of his word
IL christopher, and he told me so, and
mother could accept of it from him.
wouldn't be charity if so be as you do
helentlessly and pitilessly the old man
hammered the phrase into his grand
chiids brain. Fluency came with the
speaking, and he drove on with his argu-
mcnt.
And what is it I'm asking you to do
ior mothers sake, mind you, not mine?
marry man as worships the ground
you tread on and steady man ASH be
sood and faithful husband to you. His
BUSINESS is prospecting too. He've got
another man going round with a pram
unu bought two more cows only a fort
nlsnt ago It's sound thing, is milk.
uoh say he's Il fine figure of a man, but
ue loVes you true, and he'll make it all
r ,g for mother" Then suddenly pitt
~ vibration rang in his voice. ''Fo.
mothers sake, Jess"
nate him." said Jess. and the quiet
"iay IN which she said 1t carried convic-
t,on even into her grandfather's mind,
t ne carried on the struggle, the poor
ta "m oid man, for love of his even more
wo "ra oid wife, pleading with the young
OF piety.
"XOu'I