The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-12-12

Marvin" said l, slowly, you are a
thieving scoundrel, and I have a mind
to run this blade through your belly!"
And yet" said the cool villain,
"'twas I married We to the girl we
would most have!".
Married me, you scoundrel?" cried
I. AYE, at the point Of a pistol"
And would we have me undo IT.
now?"
THAT is none of your affair, man!
Do you get out of here before I send
you to the place where you belong!"
Tut, tut! Merton" laughed Acton,
the reverend doctor is here by the
special invitation of a lady"
wheeled about and looked at Debby.
you see, Merton, dear'-and for the
first time since I had known here I be-
lieve she was a bit uneasy-"you see.
you see-I didn't
Feel quite sure whether she was
Mistress Balfort, or Philipse, or kings
subject, or rebel, Or"
Merton" interrupted Curtis, this
was. all arranged by Debby, and we are
here to witness the wedding"
I looked at her again and found her
brown eyes grown large with anxiety.
And, for my sins, I caught the CLINT of
a biz tear ready to break loose at the
first signal. What could a big fool like
me do but take her hand and turn
again to the scoundrel that, somehow,
could not feel much real anger against.
Marvin, you thief" said I, because
Of this fair lady you go free for this
once. Do o marry me to her here
and now! But il l ever ruiz across
you again, I'll slit you in two-I will,
SC help me-" But I could get no
further, for even Curtis began to laugh
al such a wedding. '.
And so in that same grim room the
old wretch did indeed marry us again,
while Debby placed a hand that shook
now a little in mine, and looked up at
me as I had never known her to look
at me before, with a faith and trust
and gentleness that I swore to heaven
should never go from her face and
heart so long as I could give my poor
life to keep them there. And beside us
stood John Acton-serious, too, for the
moment-and Robert Curtis Philipse,
her brother, with a sadness upon him
that nothing could ever lift, for that his
life was scared by this war that had
bereft him of all family ties. Deborah
gave answer to the simple service in a
low, gentle voice; and when we were
done I kissed her for her brave heart
and her dear self, and-be it confessed
in general thanks to God that she
should come so freely to be with me
for as long as He should give us life.
And so the little ceremony was done.
Merton said Curtis, as we sat
down to some food, II have a message
for o that means much, 1 suspect"
and he gave me q great official package
that I knew came from headquarters as
soon as my eye lit upon it. I was for
letting it lie for the time, but Debhy
was for insisting on opening it to see
what it might mean. And so I broke
the seal, and found over u command
er's great hand my appointment to be
a major under dear old Putnam, and
with this an order to join my regiment
in Connecticut at once.
Acton slapped me IN the back; Cur
tbs gravely shook me by the hand; and
Debby-aye, what would Debby do
now? ,5.a
'Will you go?" I asked.
"Why not, dear?" said she simply
as simply, as unhesitatingly as she has
said the same thing every time from
that day to this. y
And so in the early afternoon I shook
those. two tried friends by the hand and
babe them farewell, as we started rid
ing eastward. Both were ordered
South, to go they knew not where.
Whether we three should eve meet
again, no man could tell. But a higher
authority decided that it should never
be. H @
AS I said when I began this egotistic-
Oh 49, - oOtAS SHNSN
that day, and we have lived u life to-
gether till I have passed the half CEN
fury. Our lot lay in camps for more
than two years yet, n then peace and
something that is even greater came
to our devastated land; and peace and
quiet came to Debby and to me. My
lot has, after all, been a happy one, and
I cannot complain.
Those two friends of mine went
further and further southwark, until
at last they came with the great com
mander before the now historic yillige
of Yorktown. There they say and
made part Of the siege:that CAV us
the right to say american" before all
the world. Acton returned In 'S3, and
found us at home in Boston, where to
this day he finds us still,-and where
we sit together and smoke and talk OF
other days. But the other, Robert Cur
tis-as i always love TO call him
stayed behind, lying for evermore in
the trenches by that famous southern
THE END.