Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-12-03

Never shalt thou leave the lake country.
But my heart. it is sad for the leaves on
the Pasig.
The last words died on the air like
the sob or the faint cry of a passing
spirit. The soldier sat mute, like one
bewitched by fairy music. Simplicia's
lips, pressed against his cheek, brought
him back to her.
Il do not care for him. On my soul,
| do mott" she whispered. She was
pretty, and her arm frightened coaxing-
ly about his neck. His better nature
was conquered, and the devil in his
blood reigned supreme. The situation
suddenly seemed highly amusing, and
he laughed a suppressed laugh of reck-
lessness. To be serenaded by a native
poet while the arm of the troubadour's
lady love encircled his neck-verily he
would have a great tale to tell some
day.
There was a faint sound of a foot
fall on the deck of the casco. The SOL
dier disengaged himself. A face peeped
in through an opening in the thatch,
and the American struck it a sharp
blow with his fist. He would have
rushed after the intruder, but Sim
plicia held him.
ut is only a foolish man." she said,
do not follow him. 1t would make
trouble"
81 would not bring you any trouble"
he said. What is the matter? You
tremble."
ut is nothing" she replied. 81 love
you."
The soldiers conscience smote him.
He swore that he loved her, and tried
to believe that it was true. She seemed
almost happy again.
Tomorrow the casco goes up to the
lake again, and we will be gone three
days. Oh, that is Sc long!"
very long," he assented.
But you will wait and think of me
always"
Eyes, l will watch the leaves on the
river"
She %shuddered.
"No! no. Do not speak of them.
Madre del Dios! l hate the river, and
1 hate the leaves it drags along. l
think | hate everything but YOU"
The soldier was young, and this was
his first experience with hysteria and
woman, which combination often dis
turbs even wiser heads. 1t disturbed
him exceedingly, but he soothed her
finally with the widest VOWS and many
kisses. He kissed a tress of her long
hair as he stepped from the casco's
polling platform into his canoe.
For the second time she watched the
till it glided into the shadows.
Then she shivered violently, chilled to
the bone.
A sergeant of a certain regiment of
United States volunteers was prowling
along the brink of the Pasig, outside
the Quartet Infanteria's walls, looking
for a pet monkey that had disappeared.
Something in the long grass caught his
eye and he stopped. de stepped back
quickly and hurried around the corner
of the wall, returning with four SOL
diers.
He parted the grass with his arms,
and they saw the dead body Of a Fill
ipino girl. Her face was concealed by
a disordered mass of black hair, and.
pinned to her breast by a rudely fash
Toned knife that raj buried to the hilt,
was a miniature insurgent flag.
They tenderly bore the body to the
pathway, and the hair fell from the
face. One of the soldiers let go his
hold and tottered to the ground.
"Harrison's a softy," grunted one of
the men. Take hold, sergeant. He's
tainted, l guess"
The form was placed in an unused
storeroom. When the news went round
the men came to view it, not out of
curiosity, but to show respect such as
they would pay to their own dead.
"This is the way l make it out" said
the sergeant, sagely. "The girl was
killed by %Aguinaldo's gang, and it must
have been because she spoke a good
word for our people,"
And We'll take it out of their hides
when the time comes" said one of the
soldiers, swapping his jaws together,
which resolution the regiment unani-
mously adopted. Even the chaplain re-
Trained from Gliding when he heard
of it. He knew his flock.
There being no way of finding out
anything about the girl, a fund was
quickly collected and arrangements
made for the funeral. Several hun
dred soldiers followed the hearse to
the cemetery at Ell Pace.
The regimental chaplain read the
regulation burial service, while the
men stood with barred heads. They
placed at the head of the freshly made
mound a plain board that read: