Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-24

Charley smiled sadlp and leaned aga inSi
decreasing.
quarters selected suit. and away W.
went. Brainard walking beside me-
When we reached the examiners ofIic,
/ asked Brainard to wal; outside fe'
moments while could speak few
words with the surgeon, with whom
thought ! might have some intluenc.
Charley smiled sadly and leanc
against decreasing. while I entere,
with my heart beating so violently tn
] feared it might burst before the 81
geon could examine it. At last can
the CALL
CHARLES Brainard"
"Here.' | shouted.
The surgeon looked at the list a
then at me. at which began
tremble guiltily and wondered hc
soon | would be shot or hanged afr
discovery. But the surgeon went
with his examination, exactly as
had done three weeks before, and tn,
he marked the list and gave it to 4
sergeant with the words:
"All accepted"
The sergeant dug his Est into Il
ribs as we passed out. His fist w.
big, and he used it with th0uchtlcS
vigor. but imagined there was niue
more force in similar familiarity
bestowed upon Branard as we rejoin
ed him. and the old sergeant said:
Come along"
won't he even see nle?" asked Cha!
ley ptifully, as we marched toward
the mastering officers quarters.
He's changed his mind about you"
| explained. "All you now need. to
be a soldier once more, is to take the
oath and BE- mustered in"
"Eurrah" shouted Charley. with a
glad look which | thought absolved me
at once Of whatever crime had for his
sake committed Lets rum"
There was no chance to run, the two
offices being near each other. At the
mastering officers it was my turn to
stand outside. but got near enough to
look through the door, and | wished
all Summerlon might be there with me
to see how handsome and manly lit
tie. thin. fiat hested, round shouldered
fellow could look when his heart was
full of honest JOY.
And how glorious it was to help Sc
lect uniform for Brainard when he
returned to headquarters. True, his
trousers had to be turned up several
inches to clear the floor, and the collar
of his jacket had to be turned down
until none of the yellow braid could
be seen, and the row Of buttons on the
front, which should have reached only
his waist. seemed to descend half way
to his knees. Still, he was a member
of the Thirty-eighth. duly sworn and
mustered, and nothing but death or the
end of the war could change the situa-
ton. How did wish my brilliant plan
had occurred to me sooner, SO that
Hanilton's father might have used his
Influence with the governor in Brain
ards favor also!
After | got into my uniform again
we sat and talked and planned as hap
PLY as If we were going into posses
sion of unexpected riches instead Of TO
war and possible death. The wicked
old sergeant strolled to and fro In front
OF us, smoking his pipe and eying us
strangely Suddenly he stopped in
front Of us and blurted out:
II never struck couple like you be-
fore. III tell you what I'll do. III
take you both out and get you drunk
at my own expense"
We declined. with thanks, explaining
that we expected to be quite busy for
an hour or two. as we had to make
some purchases and l had an engage
ment at noon with the major, whom
didn't like to disappont.
"Oh, no; of course not" he replied,
with a grim grin. II wouldn't keep
the major waiting for anything II !
were you. But. say"-here he drew
me aside and pressed something into
my hand-"youll take back your $40
anyhow"
| tried to decline, but he said that If
| didn't take the money he'd light his
pipe With it. He insisted that he al
ready had pay enough for his trouble,
and when replied that | couldn't see
how. he called me fool. He put lot
Of uncomplncnrary adjectives In front
| of the 80 81"
ITO RE CONTINI'EDl