The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-11-13

Shut up while copy out this scrib-
bic. There's a plug of tobacco over
there; cut some up for me, and al
your own pipe as we'll / don't sup
pose you have any of your own"
Amt /, though! I've plesty OF
bacca now I'm on the steady" and
Brown triumphantly iished a plug Of
tobacco out of his jacket pocket Look
here he said, as he thrust 1t under
the sergeant's nose-"see that? I'm
a-going to buy a box Of cigars next
pay day and be a tOfi!"
Shut up, will your" And the ST.
lence was broken only by the scratch
ing Of the writer's pen and Browns
heavy beathing as he sliced away at
the tobacco with a huge clasp knife.
For a cavalry sergeant's bunk the
little room was very neatly furnished.
The bed cot and accoutrements were
hidden from sight behind a curtain,
and a few cheaply framed engravings
hung on the walls. A small book shelf
was filled with a number of red-cov-
cred drill books and a few dog-eared
novels. On the table were some pho
tographs in upright frames, and one
which occupied the centre place seemed
to have a great attraction for the SER
geant, for he repeatedly looked at it as
he wrote. 1t represented a tall, slim
girl of about Is with a lovely true
looking face. 1t could hardly belong
to Sergeant Hollis, for on the back
of it was written, ITO my own dear
Douglas-from Marie" and his name
was not Douglas"
Suddenly a trumpet call rang out
sharp and clear on the night air, and
the sergeant jumped to his feet.
There's first post going, and
haven't finished the parade slate yet.
It's all your fault, Brown" he ex-
claimed angrily, forgetting that he had
taken an hour over five minutes work.
Hastily finishing the letter, he handed
it to Brown, and said There you are
clear OUT" But, before Brown had
left the bunk" he added, in a kindli-
er tone, Mind you so to school to-
morrow and keep off the drink. You
can come in here in the evening and
tell me how you've got on"
All right, sergeant. Good night"
And the door closed on Brown, and the
sergeant was alone.
Mamma, what are you going to do
about it now? We don't know where
my poor Douglas is, and his father
says that they have not heard word
from him since he disappeared. Some
thing must be done"
How ridiculous you are, Marie!"
said Mrs Crowther, as mother and
daughter sat together in the morning
room of Taunton court "Wnat can
do in the matter? It's his family
place to find him out and tell him what
has happened"
Mono, mammal objected Marie,
with a tiny spot of red on each cheek.
ut is our place to do so. 1t was
through one Of our family that he was
disgraced, and we ought 10 be the very
first to let him know about it."
How unfeeling you are, Marie! I'm
sure your poor dead brother never in
tended that Douglas Gordon shoulu
have to bear the blame. If Mr.. Cor
don hadn't been so stupid, there need
have ueen no scandal; you might have
been married to him now, and your
brother might have been alive"
Notwithstanding her mothers quer-
ulous speech Marie felt impelled to de.
fend the absent one, and said
: Il cannot imagine what makes you
talk like that mamma. You know
: why Douglas took the blame, and ye
every time we speak about him yol
: pretend that you don't know how noble
3 it was of him." And as she thought O
, all her lover had given up to save tn,
f honor of her family, the girl grew mort
vehement in her championship of him
] Poor Douglas! He wouldn't maxi
. any defence; and to think that he CAV
: up his name, his home and me, all t
save our name from disgrace, and nov
s we can't find him to tell him that hi
innocence has been proved! Oh, nam
f ma, have you no pity for him?"
= Softened for the moment by the pas
S sionate entreaty of her daughter
voice, Mrs. Crowther smoothed dow
= her frills with her bejewelled hand
and said:
D My dear child, of course I'm sorr
v for him, and I've no dorbt he'll tur
v up some day. But you are most fool
e ish to keep thinking about him in tn
d way you do. You've lost three goo
chances since your engagement to hir
u was broken off by me, and don't sur
), pose he has thought of Won once since