The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-01
THE ADVERTISERS
 DAILY SHORT STORY

, d,alect when excited. perhaps he talked | 1t now, gently to himself. All anyone looking out from the barack window couIa see was a long stretch or snoW-cofereo nrairie and the brown woods that bor- dered it mile away in front, ana the yellow sides and red roofs or the o1nCeIs houses to the west. But here M Qunirr used to sit and watch the smoke peiIs ghirled from the long row of oncers chimneys like white piumes floating on the wind About o'clock would come tne sunset turning the sky ana pralIle .0 li.0 fiame Then the bugles soundeo Ieueas and d detail of the guard nred tne sdu down salute and lowered the nag, Oul on the long plazas the companies nheu up and stood at "attentloh uhul sne tcai9 reached the ground. Then the men again went to their cards or papers, anu fIl- vate MQuhirr to his lonely seat on .ne edge of his bunk beside the Wlnoo"ii MQuhirr would again fill his pipe ana this time. knowing that the men hevet . came upstairs at this hour, he Woulu set the picture of the girl up before nm ,ui Un the window sill She was pretty sIii and although MQuhirr had probably rev or seen her enter a ball room in gown of yellow satin with overdress or Wnite Paris muslin, he no doubt consldered her the most beautiful girl in the Worlu' ,'.I IiSIe he would set and smoke in silence, whlie outside the sun turned things req anu gold. Then some one would come 10 the steps and shout:
 "Dinner: fall in for dinner.
 MQuhirr would then go down to tle big dining room and eat dinner. but you could have found him again one hour later at the upstairs window With Ills pipe. s,;obt offence and put in the guardhouse. lne next day he was sent out to Work III tlle hay fields with a squad of prisoners Who were serving long terms, ana Who Were,
 Derhaps some of the most desperate men who ever saw the inside or military prison There was only one guard wltI this squad and he sat under tree anu a,lu | rested his rifle across his knees. ne cutters worked gradually over toward tn river bank. Then while the eyes or the guard were still on them two or them dashed for the shelter. of the WILLOWS anu cottonwood that grew along the bank; The other four prisoners scattered ana laid down in the long grass. M Qnhirr stood perfectly still, He was too oid il
 soldier to do anything i.a5n ana DesIues ,lso,s he lad no wish to escape. The two men had entirely disappeared when the guaru
 jumped to his feet and fired his rlhe | Three times he fired and when the smoke | cleared away there was nothing before | his eyes but a high field of yellow grass When the officer of the day and
 detail of the guard reached the spot they | found the four men crouching Tn tne grass They also found NJ QuhlrT He 1 was laying on his face with bullet hole | in his chest and the opening between his | shoulders. where it had come out They | carried him to the guard house TOT some | reason instead of to the hospital and he was still unconscious when the surgeon | arrived. "There's nothing can do for him said 1 the doctor. He can't live an hour. Couldn't we get him out of here? | asked Lieutenant Winslow. who had come | over as soon as he found out 1t was one | of his men. Ut seems shame to let | the old fellow die in place like this. | "Oh,' said the surgeon little impa- | tientlv lis that your reason"' Then h9 | added quito impassivcly. "I think we'll
 just let him remain where he is. | Winsow was young and impulsive; the
 surgeon had seen thirty years of service:
 A few minutes later M'Quhirr opened
 his eve sand tried to speak.
 What is it. M MQuhirr?' asked Winslow, | bending over him. o,.
 Could you raise my head a bit, sir?'
 he said. d.
 ran his hand into his breast pocket ana | took out the picture in the leather case. | "The face was completely demolished | bv the bullet" said Winslow when telling
 mo of it. but I don't think he knew 1t,
 because he didn't know me when l spoke | to him again.
 "Howover M'Quhirr clasped it in his
 hand and leaned back and said softly:
 "Oh but she was d bonny lassie."
 He turned his face wearly to the barred
 window and looked dreamily out upon the
 sunset prairie
 My ain sweet lasSie he said.
 And while the bugles outside were i sounding first call' for parade, and the
 young officer was pulling on his white
 Berlin gloves Private M'Quhirr answered here at the last roll-call.