Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-10
THE FLIGHT OF THE SWALLOWS
By s. RHETT ROMAN.

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 sad-faced soldier, wearing the khaki uniform of Uncle Sam's army, his red stripes denoting he was in the artil- lery service, as did also the high walls
 of Fort Getty, before whose postern
 gate he was pacing, as sentry, up and 1 down.
 Fort Getty, splendid earthwork fortification. armed with the most inn proved modern guns, planned and built to defend a broad harbor, and located to overlook & bend in the chan mel which has been formed by long fine of jetties into deep rushing cur rent, up to the sea front of pictur- esque, sturdy old town, looks serene and peaceful, these September days, while the swallows go noiselessly by, fleeing from the approaching chill frosts of autumn, and the Atlantic gales which rush down the coast. when summer closes it's page of gay pleaE- ures and idle saunterings.
 The sentry, slight, erect and with rather foreign air, who was sta toned before the postern gate, kept looking upward, his gaze following the swallows, all going in the same direc- tion-southward.
 Until recently this man, who was an accomplished musician, had been the principal soloist of the Field band. whose reputation was we'll known everywhere.
 His name on the rolls was Gustavus' Berret. But somebody said his real name was Gustave Berriet, and that he came from New Orleans, and somehow, while he denied the story, everyone be- lieved it.
 It was very evident that his had been a superior education, for he would occasionally quote Latin, or the class ics, and he spoke French huently, in fact, better than English.
 And he would recall incidents of the time when he was ''lignard" in the "quarante troiseme de ligne" of the French army.
 His hair, now slightly gray, had been black, and his brown eyes and rather dark skin denoted Latin origin.
 But he declared himself an American, born in this country, and after all it was nobody's busine ss if Gustavus Ber-
 
 with the fellows at mess and held him. self aIoof from Jim Grady and John Conner, who was from Chicago, and declined to talk of his affairs.
 When Gustavus Berret declared he would no longer play the clarionetts in the Field band, there was q great clamor at the port, and loud protests, and the commander of Fort Getty was appealed to.
 But, as it is optional with a man to serve in the band or to go back to the the rules of the United States army, nothing more than remonstrance was attempted.
 Gustavus Berret seemed determined to forego the pleasures and privileges attached to the position of a member of the distinguished Seventh Artillery Field band, and to prefer the moro arduous and monotonous life of plain private, in L company.
 What were lis reasons? We'll, that, too, was exclusively his own business, nor did he take the trouble to divulge them to anyone.
 The band had been engaged to give concerts in the beautiful dancing pa villion of the Isle of Palms, three times a week, all summer, and it's well trained 40 musicians filled the immense hall with very delightful music. to which throngs of strangers, drawn from all parts of the country. listened with more or less apprecia tion. according to their lights and familiarity with Bach, Mascag gni Chopin, Strauss and others, and their previous residence in city or village.
 For the Isle of Palms is frequented by the usual pot-pourri of summer tourists, drawn thither by the entranc ing sweep of the Atlantic breezes, the thunder of the surf on it's long. low beach; by it's picturesque and broken sand hills, it's myrtles, and storfn- blown oak groves, and the usual pleax- ures to be found at all seaside summer resorts.
 There was man from Boston who risk the neck ofavery handsome young woman, on the beach, and along the queer, winding roads. running through tangled tropical growth the length of this ocean-girt island. and another from New York, whose yacht was ria- ing at anchor in the bay, and who was equally solicitous to take her and her grayeyed sister aboard for cruise down the coast, and there were quite a number of focal. talent" attached to the party. chaperoned by a gay and pretty widow. Mrs. Chatworth
 They were in the habit of sauntering in the big pavilion to listen to the concerts, and being conspicuous from many agreeable standpoints, good looks. wealth and fashion. and the girls always centering the of a number of peo- ple... it was not surprising that the musicians all grew familiar with their faces. and were pleased with the outspoken appreciation and ap- plause they gave.
 "Beautiful." exclaimed the one called Claire by Mrs. Chatworth, as the clarionette played Radowski's Pol onaise, with rare perfection.
 It was sweet, warm night in August,