The National tribune., 1903-06-25

| yVu ineiu 90. My WIG was
about your size, but she has a small
| hand.''
| Maria took the gloves. her eyes too full
| of tears to tell if they We're white or
black. She had thought about having no
gloves, but would not mention it to anyone
She had even wondered if she could man
age n pair of the cheap cotton things the
men on duty wore. but had given up that
| icea also. Before she could command her
voice. Annabel broke in gaily
| Now, Maria, you are Just fixed out
all right. You know the old rhyme:
Something old and something new.
Something borrowed and something
blue"-
You've got the old and the new and for
the borrowed these gloves will just fill
the bill. 1t was very good Of you to think
Of the gloves turning to the young Lieu
| tenant.
And you won't mind my wanting them
back:' ne asked. You see they are all
have to remind me OF my wife. Her
picture was stolen. and these touching
| the Gloves have covered the dear hands
that nursed me back to life. I'd like to
| keep them always"
| oh. it was so good Of you; so generous.
to loan me the dearest treasure you have"
exclaimed Maria impulsively. Indeed
you shall have them back. Amt every
body good to me, Annabel?". and then
ndIii DTohe uoWn III perfect storm OF
| tears. but the shower soon passed. and
the Lieutenant went away feeling that he
| had done very gracious thing-which.
! indeed, he had.
| Maria spread the gloves out on her
knee, and smoothed the wrinkles out of
the stubby fingers, then began putting one
of them on. They are awful tight" she
| declared, and L am most afraid I'll tear
| them, but L guess after L have rubbed my
| hands with cDrQmp1l thpy will ha
sticky and l can get them on all right"
Say, girls" said Mrs. Klegg coming
back from a brief visit to the ward-rooms,
for she would not let even the engrossinc
preparations make her neglect the poor
| sick boys whom she was mothering back
to life and health, the flies are just about
| eating up that poor little Warrick County
boy in there, and all 1 can do won't make
that wuthess wench keep 'em often him.
Won't one Of You run down there and
break off some of them walnut branches.
and put around his cot? Thatll help
| drive off the flies"
I'll CO." said AnnabeI. jumping up.
No, no; you stay. I'll CO." said Ma
ria, eager for diversion. you're too
valuable just now to run errands. Stick
to your needle, dear. for all that your
worth. Every minute with it is golden
now. I'll CO."
Maria sped away in the direction of a
| clump of young walnuts some distance in
tie rear of the house, and near the creek
| bank. Just as she was reaching up to
pull off a branch filed with the thick,
gummy, odorous young leaves, she caught
sight Of someone moving through the
brush little ways ahead. She had got
tel used to seeing men all around and
| everywhere, but there was something in
| the appearance and movements of this
one which startled her.
She looked a little more closely, before
| thinking of screaming or starting to run,
and saw the neat, trim, soldierly Harry
Joslyn's head, and his muddied cap ap-
pearing above barrel labelled mo. 1
| New Orleans Sugar" which he held I'D
around his waist with one hand, while
| with his left he was brandishing branch,
trying to drive away the flies and bees
which were eagerly swarming about him.
Below the barrel appeared a pair Of small
army brogans, which had lost all trace of
their neat backing, and were covered with
mud. the tops of pair of red socks, such
as the sutler sold, and stretches of gray
army drawers.
'Why, Harry Joslyn. what on earth's
the matter with you?" she shouted.
Whats come over yOu?" -
20, Miss Maria," walled Harry, sit
ting down overwhelmed with shame and
confusion, and trying his best to make
the sugar barrel cover everything of him
but his head, sis that you? Please go up
to the house, and tell Pete or Sandy to
run down to the company as quick as he
can, and get me a pair of pantaloOns.
and my gun. and bring some of the boys,
with their guns. Please don't look at me,
Miss Maria. Go as quick as you can,
please. Don't ask me any questions,
please. l amt wearing this sugar bar
| rel for my health, or because of its ven
tilation, but it was the only thing l could
get. and l only picked it up right out
there. Go and send Sandy or Pete here
with pair of pantaloons and my gun.
Tell them to bring their guns, too. Hurry
up. please"
Maria hurried back to the hospital, was
lucky enough to find Sandy and Pete COM
| ing in for something to eat, and hastily
communicated Harry's message to them.
| While Sandy hunted around for a pair
of pantaleons, Pete ran down to the COM
pany for the guns, and get more Of
the boys. Maria went in to tell the Won
| dering women what she had seen, and
guess what it meant.
Lets go right back this way, boys"
said Harry. When the squad reached him,
he had dOnned the pantaloons, felt once
more clothed and in his right mind, and
had his gun in hand. He had told in a
few words as possible what had happened.
and the men were wild to get on trail of
i INC idSI uifiHiOUu 1uSN DrODdDfY
on the ground by this time, hunting
for the ring. If we go this way we can
slip up on them, and surprise them.
! They'll see us coming any other way"
Harry was developing that strategical
mind which was afterward to make him
so valuable an officer.
! Corp1 Yawman placed himself at
the head of the squad. and they started
back on the double-quick. As they neared
the place they slowed down, and ad-
vanced cautiously. for they could hear
the camp-followers there, swearing vic
iously. as they dug around the torn-up
soil. in search of the treasure.
| With a wave Of his hand Corp1 Yaw-
man deployed his men around the thick
ct. and, as they rushed in, they heard
one exclaim with an oath:
| "Here it is. I've found iti'
Yawman jumped for the man who had
| spoken, while the rest began knocking the
others down with their gun-barrels.
The finder started to carry his hand to
his mouth, but Yawman promptly knock
ed him down, and caught his hand as he
| fell
| mighty lucky for you you didn't get
| chance to swallow it." he remarkedsto to the
PROSTATE man, as he opened the package.
| and found the ring all right. "Fd've had