The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-07-04
RED COAT OR BLUE.
REVOLUTIONARY STORY.

FROM ire brfahVAA"l
The gravel walk sounded crisply under
the feet Of the blue g,ated Colonial Cap
tain, a~ he s,rndc with clinkinE spurs up
the walk to the vine covered cottage He
Wa a well >ct.up youu- fellow. lonc
le.,.e,l. broad shuuld,rri. aud 1.-the as
panther Of hi, own native wuols altogether
a sprndli type Of the Colonial who had
dared to bid dedanoc To an empire
IL had been tLrec years ,inoe Captain
Ruaer Guodtellow hal ira that walk last
time, three YEAR Of battle and marching
aud priyation, Of bitter c,ld aud iutolersble
hea, and guawing hungry, The drums
had beat thu. funeral march over many
las,y cumrade. the while great nation was
being buiIde,I IN ,ol aud suffering
Perhaps Roger ,soodfellow thought of
tEr~r tl<sn..s A. he kuoeked at the stout door
or pcthags heshough uuly ii the fair
haired blue eyed girl who bad stood there
thrcv ,ears before and waved misty fare
wcll to him. half proud and halitearful Tie
had beeu fighting his country battles, and
be wuadere,i whether the Scoth Lieutenant
Forbes had been winning the girl he left
behind him. STORIES had come 10 him of
what assiduou> court the young spr'g Of
fashion bad paid to Polly Ward, hos he
had singled her out as the mark Of his
attentions, aud by his persistent deyo,ion
bad made her the fashion among his set
Il vas With ,.,methio. cold elutchiug at
hi. heart that the Captain waited for the
auswer to hi- knock
tie heard hurried whispering OF voices
FROM wiih,ug. the scarFy Of feet along the
soor a-atu the low toned murmur, aud
after q ,.sar the >ouni II the light step be
kncw So vel crossing 10 the door
Il uas startled face he looked on when
the d,or ogenei. oee 10, devoid "f larking
fear and aFpsebru,ions When she Fecos-
uitr,l blm her hands came cut impulsiyely.
The a.ad light dashed into her eye,--and
then died out Il vas A. Il the shadow oi
sue uu-evn trrror had sr.pPed her
What. Roerr-ycue she cned
Why have yoa waited all these months?
/ did MT kuow yoa even To be ahre Not
osr .,n-l, h,,le message Ia your cid time
friend, Ne, the city has beeu in the
hands Of Geucral Washington fer three
month,
She wa. speaking with a hurried ner-
you.us--, aud the catch Ia her yoioe was a
lltie trrmulosls The Captain, hooking
eagerly for the signals her eyes might hoat,
thought her something les than candid,
lt va, uu, that she va, iHsincerr - he read
welt,.,ne IN the sirl manner not To be de
nied hut rather >omethIn. divided and
ii,srau. something a little embarrassed in
her grrrtiag much A. II hl> Appearance
we're m4lapropos.
The yauug man brushed aside his ianeies
.Ies-l. Pol = Faith. IL not my fault
| W., nat herr SIX months ago. have
been ou the Southeren service with Gen
rrd Greene Twas only thus month 4
,e u night ago, that got my exchange,
and promise you, Roger Goodtellow
pasted north with all speed There be
weary cattle on the way. methinks but
YOU. Pol llow wear the years? | do not
need 10 ask. i faith, ior yodr face tells a
story Of time standing still. Dear lass, art
glad to see me?
Bold he was and blunt more confident
of manner than of mind What he wanted
to know he asked rouudly, with something
of the placid, unruffled imperturbabihty Of
the mother country selt-containment.
Goodfellowwas neither to hold nor to bind
until he had found an answer to the ques
tion which troubled him.
Twas always you, Pol-never any but
you With me, he told her quietly, much
A. il he we're telling her of some military
operation The fancies of the other
lads wayered, but my love for you was firm
a. a rock always loved you from the
first. even in the days when you played the
goldenhaired queen among us rough boys.
Then saw you grow up into one of the
bellies of the Colonies, made much of by
the Macaronis and the officers ofthe King,
and the hope almost died out in me, but
always the love was there. There have,
no doubt, been Others more deserving, but
none swear, who loved You longer or
better. Whether | win or lose shall always
do that. and can shake the hand OF a
better man, if he wins, and wish him gooA
luck, even if he be British officer like
Lieutenant Forbes Or
She had tried to stop him without avail,
but at the name her eyes leaped again IN
voluntarily to the closet door, which tren-
bled ever 50 slightly. The Captain stopp-
ed in an omnious silence, looked at her for
moment searchingly, then continued
grimly the broken sentence.
like Lieutenant Forbes, of the
Highland Regiment of His Majesty, who
is at the present moment behind the press