The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-31
FARLEY voUs FRANCAIs.

friends of his youth, with whom he had
studied, with whom he had served as q
student and instructor, with whom he
nad been to sea in the good old ships,
a stranger to those who with him
hOisted the cOlOrS under which they all
had served? a stranger? y foreign
er? Buckner turred toward the pa
rade ground and raised his ewes to the
floating colOrs. When his resignation
should be accepted he would serve I'M
der that flag no more. These men
would he his friends no longer. Never
Ssrain would he be entitled to wear the
uniform which he had carried so proud
ly and which he had not yet discarded.
Without a word he turned and, walk
ing up the long path which led to the
entrance to the academy grounds. he
passed from their sight They stood
silently looking after his retiring fig
ure. When he had disappeared from
view one of them said:
You have hurt him to the quick
That is the last that we shall ever see
of old Buck. He has gone TO taSe the
train home"
such hurts do good" said the other
He has gone to think over his folly.
only hope he will remember every word
that I said. and that he understands
how much it means"
For Buckner the incident was a turn
ing point. For the first time his eyes
were open TO the full meaning and con-
sequence Of the decision which he had
made that morning. The mail which
would carry his resignation to the sec
rstary Of the navy had closed If he
could only Withdraw that resignation!
II was now too late to get 1t from the
mail Well. then, he cOulJ board the
afternoon train. which carried the
mail. go to Washington and beg the
secretary 10 throw his resignation into
the waste basket. He would do it. He
would withdraw that resignation
whether his state seeded or not. But,
would the secretary allow him to with
draw it? All that was the question,
Buckner hurried away to the railway
station, feeling in his pockets as he
ran, to discover whether he had money
enough for his fare. Yes, in that he
was fortunate Re mad not asked for
leave. He felt himself a foreigner now,
until the fatal resignation should be
Withdrawn and destroyed He had no
more rights at the academy. not even
the right to ask for a days leave. He
was no more one Of them. but indeed a
stranger. He had read it in the faces
of his friends. With these thoughts
surging within his heart, he reached
the railway station. Breathlessly he
sprang upon the pla form. There was
no train in sight There was no one at
the ticket office; the grating was down,
the window closed. The last train for
the day had gonei This was Saturday.
There would be no train on the morrow,
sunday. on Monday morning the sec
rotary would open the superintendent
envelope and his fate would be decided,
While he was too far away to make a
protest. on Monday who could tell how
many of his friends would be going off
TO the defense of the government a
course in which his insane folly had
precluded him from Joining?
There was still one chance. Buck
ner's mind was made up in a moment.
He set & determined face toward Wash
ington, and at a rapid pace he started
10 walk the forty miles, following the
rails which ne knew must lead him
thither. And as he walked thoughts
ana misgivings' surged in his brain
Should the Secretary go to the navy
department on the next day, Sunday.
all was lost, If ever Billy Buckner.
prayed in his life, it was as he strobe
along the track in the direction of An
napolis Junction. and the burden of his
prayer was that tie secretary of the
navy, Gideon Weiies. should be so re-
igiously inclined that he would not
approve of opening the navy depart
ment on the Sabbath day, even were
the enemies of the government at her
very gates,
Before the opening hour on Monday