The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-01-17

There Is much OF action. Of pathos, Of
hum0r, Of life fn one OF the new volumes
Of fiction recently issued by the D.. Loth-
ron company, Boston. entitled tThe WhirI-
wind written by Rupert Hughes, OF Keo-
kuk, Ia. The story follows the career Of e
boy through the trials OF a childhood Of
poverty, the bests Of early manhood, down
through a career as an officer in the fed
eral armies and afterwards ia political life
at washington. With II Is a pretty ro-
nance, q the following chapter repro
duced from the story by permissionso OF the
publishers, gives a little Of that romance.
IT describes the parting Of the lovers asthe
hero Was to Leave for the battAehelQ a1per
having been at home recuperating from a
number Of wounds and a severe Illness
nTANY were the walks and talks
that John and Lucy had together,
after that first perfect understanding,
Again the old gate grunted and whined
as both of them, well bundled up, but
rather snifhy with the chill November
evening air, leaned across it to each
other. But now there was no bar q
misunderstanding and Illustration be
tween them, as there had been the last
evening they spent together before he
first went to the war.
Old Mrs. Darr did not enjoy the idea
Of Lucy taking up with the Mead boy
even If he were aeoloneI of distinction.
She could not forget the humbleness OF
his origin. and she could not easily re-
sign her ambition to form a splendid
family alliance with the Wainwright
estate.
Besides, Bob Wainwright had grad
uated from West Point as a second
lieutenant of the regular army, and
though he was not yet 30, he was al
ready a brigadier-general of volun-
teers, one Of McClellan's most cher.
ished officers.
But in spite Of Mrs. Darr's garuIous
fretting, nagging and protest, Lucy
went her own way as serenely as the
very moon herself, whom clouds can.
not rufae or retard.
She sent her mother to bed early
and she and John sat together on the
horsehair sofa-which began to sag
perceptibIy in one corner. Their con
versation was intensely interesting tC
each other, though a literal copy Of il
would hardly make interesting read
ing. They had a signal by which they
knew that it was time for John to be
gone; when the lamp-a portly ant
commodious matronly old lamp-be
\ gan to gasp and sputter in its death
throes, John knew it was time to say
goodnight, or. at least, to begin to say
it. Their farewell was usually said OF
the instalIment plan.
Lucy filled that lamp in person, fol
fear the hired girl might not put il
every drop Of oil the bowl would hold
And poor Bob-or rather Gen. Rober
Wainwright, Of the army of the Poto
mac-was not there to play his han,
in the game of "~freeze-out, . as of yore
Days and evenings went by in a quie
rapture for the two lovers. And al
the while John felt himself growing
stronger and stronghold it almos
with regret, Eventually the next t
the last day Of his leave of absenc
swung around. 1t was a busy day 70
John.
First he must visit the cemetery
and put flowers on the fag-marke
mounds that covered the dead bodie
that were once his schooImates. The
he called on old friends, and on a fe7
mothers, whom he had last wa7
ing flags of farewell in wet-eye
bravery to the sons they were lenC
ing to the country. Last of all job
rode up to Elkanah's home, and scorI
ing to let down the bars, took the gat
with a greyhound leap.
Old Elkanah was just coming fro1
the stableyard and he fairly whine
with pleasure at the graceful prec
sion of the feat. Rosalind came fro1
round the corner Of the house an
Joined the old mans delight, and, a
usual, without quite understanding il
cause.
Afternoon, Uncle Elkanah an
Aunt Rosalindl' roared John. "Ty
/, brought back the clothes-horse 20
loaned me"
"What ails him?" asked Elkanal
anxiously; returned for repairs? ?"
"No, he's the finest fellow I ev'
saw. But I leave tomorrow to retuT
to the army" and John ~dismounted
"Well, John, my boy"-and Elkana
hesitated-"I got a favor to ask 70.
I got no place to keep a big horse iii
Othello. He's too proud and higl
steppin' to do much work, and he ca.
a powerful lot. You'll have to have
horse to carry your c~olonelshi
{ through the war, and I kind o. though
mebbe you'd just take that nag sout
with you, and ride him-just as afavC
to me and Betsy"
"UncIe Elkanah, you don't meant
"If you don't mind the trouble. B
sides, I'd feel terrible set up to thin
that the ,reat Col. Mead was pranci
? round the field of battle on a colt
my own raising"
'T2 a sort of coltof your own raj
ing, too said John, t'and you're Il
best man that ever lived"
"Then you'll take him along?" sa.
Elkanah, eagerly.
"Wil a gosEng take a whack at
millpond?"
Time permitted few more words, az
John planted a good-by on both
RosaInd's cheeks, Rugged Elkana
7 hard, and Ieaping to the saddle with