Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-05-14


1 Over at the Palace, where SO many
Of the general officers and their stats
were quarcre he had dozens of
friends. Here at this favorite old
resort of the regular service he stood
alone, and to his proud and sensitive
! spirit it seemed as though there were
q barrier between him and these pro.
1cssonal soldiers.
There was the whole secret of his
trouble. Abxurd and trivial as it nav
seem, Stuyvesant shrank from the
enterprise, even at the very threshold
-shrank even from sending his card
and asking for Lieut.. Ray. for no
other or better reason than that he
did not know how a volunteer would
be welcomed.
And so for nearly half an hour he
lowered irresolute about the Office,
unconscious of many glances of in
tcrest and admiration from the keen
eyes of the officers gathered in laugh
ing groups about the marble floor
| Not one of their number was his
superior in form and feature, and his
uniform was the handiwork of Goth
ANS best military tailor. They saw
that the instant he threw OF his
cape.
One of their number whispered that
1t was Mr.. Stuyvesant, Gen. Vinton's
aide, for everybody knew Vinton, and
more than one would have been glad
to take the aide-de-camp by the hand
and bid him welcome to their coterie,
but for that Same odd shyness that,
once away from camp or garrison
and In the atmosphere Of metropol-
itan life, seems to clog and hamper
the kndlier impulses of the soldier.
Presently, as Stuyvesant stood at
the desk looking over the register,
he heard himself sccosted by name,
and turning quickly, hopefully, found
to his disappointment only stocky
little man in civilian dress. Yet the
face was familiar, and the trouble
in the honest brown eyes looking up
| to him, as though for help and sym
pathy, went right to his heart. Even
before the man could give his name
or tell his need. Stuyvesant knew him
and held out cordial hand:
why, you're our brakeman I'm
glad to see you. What's wrong7"
"I've lost me Job. SIR" was the an
swer, with little choke. They let
me out two days ago-for sayin' their
rotten old car caught fire from the
boxes, reckon"
you don't tell mel" exclaimed
Stuyvesant in s honest indignation.
Now, how can 1 help your What
shall we do?"
Take me to Manila, sir. I don't
need this place. There's no one de-
pendent on mel can't soldier. They
won't list fellow with only two
fingers" he held up n manned hand.
Lost the others in freight smash
up six years ago. But there's rail
way out there that'll be ours in few
months. Then you'll want Yankee
train-hands. Can you do that much
for me. lieutenant"
Come to me at the Palace ut eight
o'clock in the morning." answered
Stuyvesant. "l'll have had chance
to talk to my general by that time.
| Northumberland with blush he be-
gan drawing forth his purse.
| The brakeman smiled. i've got
money enough, sir. They paid me off
and had some put by. Thank you all
the same. Mr.. Stuyvesant-Oh. yes.
sir, I'm ready" he broke off sudden
ly in addressing some other person,
and stuyvesant, turning quickly to
,, see, was confronted by Lieut.. Ray.
"Oh, how-de-do? Going to be here
long?" promptly queried that young
| gentleman. Haven't seen you since
the night at the Presidio. 'Scuse me,
will you, I've got to take-er-my sis
| ter wants to see the brakeman, you
| know. With you the night of the
fire" And with that Mr.. Ray hoped
briskly away to the elevator, the ex-
trainman following. leaving Stuy-
yesant standing enviously ut the coun-
| ter.
Even a brakeman could go to her
and hear her pleasant words and re-
ceive that beaming smile and perhaps
clasp of that cool, slender little
| hand, while he who SO longed for it
all stood without the pale.
Then an impulse that had been
squirting him for half an hour over
mastered him. The parlors were pub
lie. At least he could go and take
a peep at her.
He started for the elevator, then
changed his plan, turned, and, with
| his cape still thrown over his arm,
assembled the stairs. The clerk at
the office desk glanced curiously at
him, but the uniform was sufficient.
In a moment he found himself in the
broad corridor and almost in front
of the doorway to the parlor. Half q
zif AHA II