Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-01-22

| his gun raised to his shoulder and his
! left arm thrown so as to hide his face
"Don't," gasped Katie. Was her des.
perate lover about to kill the man who
had come between them?
"Halt," commanded the sergeant
savagely. "Who's there?"
"Wha's that?" gasped the colonel
who seemed to be walking unsteadily
and then as he looked into the frown'
ing muzzle of the Krag he answered
quickly, "Fren'." l..
advance, friend, and be recog.
nized," ordered the sergeant.
"Im Col. Francis, commandin' Shir.
zie-sec' cav'y, shentry; who poshted
you ou' herein my garden?"
"Pass, Col. Francis, commanding the
Shirzie-sec' cav'y," ordered the ser
geant without a tremor.
The colonel looked for a moment as
though he was going to make further
inquiries, but his legs wers unsteady
and he seemed to realize TIC fact, SC
he drew himself up as stif11y al he could
and continued his cratic progress.
"Now, Kitty" begged the sergeant
che may sind a corporal around here in
a minute and I'll be caught. My horse
is down the street. There's a pony
there for you. Will We trust tn man
that's risked everything for We an go?''
20, I can't" gasped poor Katie, with
the direful warnings of the colonies
lady passing through her mind. ~
can't, Jim. love you"
"Corpl of tn guard" Il was 4ie
voice of the colonel hallooing down the
street.
''The guard will come in a mint. d
said the sergeant, grimly. "Here I'll
stay, and they'll find me, an may hiven
have mercy on me soul, fer the colonel
will soak me wild all tn 800 of tn rules
of war all to once"
&C.," gasped Katie, Ego, for you'll
drive me crazy"
"I'll not bulge wan step widdout
you, Kitty" said the sergeant. EITHER
you go wild me to be married this night
wild full benefit of clergy er it's me
goes alone to the guardhouse to be
charged with willful desartin' me post
in tn prisince-"
"Corpor'l of tn guard" beloved the
colonel again.
eyes, yes" gasped Katie, "Ill go,
I'll co.
The sergeant bent and kissed her.
Then taking her hand the two went
softly out at the back of the garden
and down the street to where he had
his horses.
A little later and they were riding
down lane towards the south. The
sergeant explained that some friends
of his were on guard duty there and
would pass them without any noise.
Once past the guard line around the
city and they were on road along
which they galloped without any at
tempt at concealment. For six miles
they rode hard, and then two dark
figures rose up and commanded "Halt."
cts me, Murphy" said the sergeant.
'Is Everything all right?"
"'Tis that same," answered one OF
the figures. "Come on now" The two
men in the road threw themselves on
their horses, which they brought from
somewhere out of the shadows, and led
the way along a trail as black as a
pocket, fringed as it was with heavy
jungle on each side. Suddenly Katie
found herself standing in front of a
church that looked somber and grand
on the moonlight.
"This is the church," said the SER
geant. "I'm all roight now. "fis where
I am stationed, and anything tibet do
here I kin boast of, for tits no wan
has a betther roight to be here then
meself. Come, now, Kitty. The little
niger man is within, an the candles
are lighted an tits all roight. Come,
now, darlint."
Through the open door of the church
Katie saw the lights of the wax candles
on the altar. A priest in full vest.
ments stood in the light of the can.
dies, waiting. She was satisfied. With
a tired little sigh she allowed Sergeant
McManus to help her to the ground.
''Some of the boys are inside fer tn
audience said the sergeant, "an'
Fatty Martin, of the Fifth, is agoin'
ter give the bride away. And Silver
Jones is awaitin' up in the loft to play
tn couple out of the church when tits
all over. Come"
A moment later Katie was standing
in front of the altar. Soldiers, their
faces bearing two or three weeks
growth of beard and their khaki uni
forms dirty and tattered, sat in the
front pews. Four or five sick men
looked wonderingly up from their
blankets IS they lay stretched along
the wall. Slowly the little Filipino
priest read the marriage ceremony
and Katie made the responses like
one in happj cream from which she
was momentarily afraid of waking up.
She was hardly conscious when the
ceremony was over until the big ser.
geant bent down and kissed her, and
she saw a thin faced soldier who had
been peering over the railing of the
gallery disappear and Immediately
afterwards the walls of the church
reverberated to the stirring tones OF
ct Want Vo,, NJ, Horo1, vos r ~