Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-01-22
Wedding Of
Sergt. McMa anus
PHILIP MANILA

HATI FINNEY leaned on the win.
IA dow sill and looked out at the
white tropical moonlight and softly
wept. She was going home the next
day. Going back to ''the States" and
far away from hot, dirty Manila. Yet
she was crying.
She heard her mistress calling her
and hastily drying her eyes, went back
into the front room of the house,
where the colonel's lady was sitting in
state.
~ 'You were crying, Katie" said the
colonel's lady in voice pitched sew.
! eral tones above C.
eyes, ma'am," said Katie with an ill
disguised shuttle.
''Katie," asked the colonel's lady,
are you crazy?"
Katie meekly said she thought not.
"Then, Katie" went on the colonies
lady, "don't you see that there is moth
ing for you to do but stop crying and
quit acting the fool? You can't stay
behind in Manila. There is no place
for you here. You have no excuse for
staying. I cannot pay your wages un-
til we get back to the states, and what
would you live on? Katie, could tell
your good old mother that you were
hanging around Manila waiting for a
man to come around some day when
he got good and ready and marry
you?"
"Boo-hoo," mourned Katie in indig-
nant sobs.
"Of course not, Katie. You are q
good, honest girl, and such news would
kill your father and mother. You
must 20 home with us, and if that ras-
cally soldier thinks as much of you
as he says he does he will come back
as soon as he gets his discharge and
marry you in a church in proper
manner. Now let me hear no more of
your crying"
The "olonels lady, convinced that
she had settled things, returned again
to her book, and Katie retired to her
old place at the window and resumed
weeping.
She was going away without even
saying goodby to the one person in the
entire group of the Philippine islands
for whom she cared most. But it was
his fault after all. Why did he not
find time to come in from the line and
see her for a few minutes at least?
Then suddenly she stopped crying, for
she heard her name called softly from
below.
eyes, yes" she answered, while her
heart beat wildly. ''Is it you, Mr.. Nc
Manus?"
"'Tis the same" answered Sergt.
McManus in hoarse whisper. can
will We come down into tn garden for
a mint, Kitty? want to talk with
you"
In almost no time Katie was down in
the garden and standing in the shelter
of the deepest shade that Sergt. Nc
Manus had been able to find.
"And why didn't you come before?"
she said, reproachfully, as he took her
hand "an' me grieving for you all the
time and going home tomorrow"
"Phwy didn't coom?" asked Sergt.
McManus. "Phwy? An thot old divil
of kernel awatchin' me loike cat
would watch mouse an akapin' me
on OUTPOST duthy all tn tonne an
niver a chance to come for desertin' me
post in tn presince of tn inimy, an be-
ing bobtailed, err drawn ell quartered,
er shot at sunrise, err something loike
thot."
49," gasped Katie. "No, of course
you couldn't come in that case. But
why did he do that?''
"Becuss, Kitty" said the sergeant,
che knew we'll enough if got jist wan
moore chance would make We marry
me, an then he wouldn't have any
noice lady slavey loike you to take care
of his wheedlin' old wolfe an git her
safe back to tn states"
co." gasped Katie, "that's it, is it?"
"Yis," went on the sergeant, ''but,
Katy, we can beat them all. You shall
not 60 home tomorrow"
II must" gasped Katie. "There is
no way; the colonel's wife said there
was none. A good girl could not stay
here just waiting for man"
''Gwan wild yer idle talk" Sergt.
McManus drew Katie to him and
kissed her ever so gently, cts mar
ried we're agoin' to be this night
Visions of a justice of the peace or
some obliging chaplain in the front
room of a Filipino shack foated
through Katie's head. mo, no. she
said. 81 could not"
"Ah, now, have no fear" said the
sergeant tenderly. "'Twill be in the
church and by priest, no matther if
he is as black as me old saddle. An
sure an the banns have been published
in that same church, an it's my parish,
an everything is proper, an We need
not be afraid to trust to me- An I've
got little shack all ready in Manila,
an here We stay, as happy as ye please,
tn wolfe of Sergt. McManus, and to-
morrow We can snap yer fingers at tibet
ole she dragon thet's thryin' to tear
We away from the man thot loves you"
II can't understand" said Katie
weakly. "It's all so sudden. And if