The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-03-04
By ALLEN FRENCH.


q And yet at the end it might have gone
g hard, for the Spaniards were begin
ming to creep around the TANKS; but
e an aide came hurrying through the
n woods.
1t "All right" he cried We've done
), what we came for. Fall back to the
e main body"
:. The captain drew his men back skill
d fully. The Spaniards pressed So clo~N
that the company turned often to
e drive off the pursuit. The men obeyed
It every signal of their veteran leader;
y they relied On him
# The Cuban followed the surges back
: and forth, calling to each acquaint-
= ance: This is glorious!" but at last
he came running to his friend.
Il "See," he cried There was red
n blotch over his heart. He staggered
0 and fell. Il die for my country" There
S was half admiration, half contempt, in
S the captains heart for the dramatic
S southern nature. He seized the slen-
: CT body and bore it aong. Still direct
S ing cleverly, even brilliantly, he fin
y ished the running fight with every
i man of his company safe within the
S lines of his brigade.
: But the Cuban was dead That night
the captain stood by his grave And
4 from that time he carried about with
. him and ever increasing weight There
T was load on his breast, and in his
mind ran ever a formula: Give per-
+ cent on ten thousand dollars is five
dOIJ
dollars Will pay rent at home and
> servants wages Five percent on ten
, thousand dollars is FIVE hundred dol
lars year. Five hundred dollars will
pay rent" Oh, heavens! To get rid
OF the idea-anything! He attended his
duty rigidly, spared himself no work.
but always the idea forced it's return.
he even woke himself in the night
with the words: Five percent ON ten
tousand dollars is five hundred dol.
year: 20 E '.a ss$ss;sssaas '1s:=zsz7.r.s-as
ON, said his colonel, whats upF
not right in your mind"
n SAID the captain, tits moth
Oh. Just-business. Home af-
II sNs~-S,sss~
s." mel looked sober. "Home |
he cok iao' nave no place for us /
HRS, old aVent we enough to do
t now. up? Are the girls sick: I
it is? What.
It Mary Well ut, said the captain.
They're all ria very cheerful Bnt I
heir letters are You know, what
at help thinkinA
T. SSmate 1Ookinc |
'Yes." said his cfa v-tbe old su-
m in the eye. 81 knoN q and al, 49,
roke this cursed climaA rong Wa
ct Look here. Tom 81 p. 7
v a straight word to YOU
"Of course" the o,,. i
"weu if you mean to stann ~ ch- v
o+o ouit worryins. Get Ma ~ and
,e girls off your mind. look cdA "a ~ w. 9,
nd keep yourself in good spifaGs Nv b
innate won't break you down sEs Ia asc Il
-, Sor are breaking yourself since S;
sot little skirmish the other Day a,
~, Won I'D so we'll. you've gomez OF
ho,,t noniug. See here. that Cmoan ts
~, ~ voc killed was fond OF yog> lt g,
I'D" 49, loss Of him that weighs on NJ
gou?" -, .
"He? On no' no. h" 81. ~
>.'vUeu, go easy now. old fellow' owe q
yourself a rest; ,,+----sr',Sss,-'''F'.ss v
The The colonel Sseal away. Within s
three minutes the capfalh. seft atone. t
was saying to himself; Five p7.oen. C
an ten thousand dollars" He we>sl t
ont tn the trenches, and for the vici- ?
ous Measure i'm IL tried his hand at
THOSE weary days before Santiago
were terrible to him. The news OF the
naval victory scarcely made HIM smile :
".Five percent on ten thousand collars
- And in what should he invest the ;
money? For Heavens sake, Tom, !.
cried his colonel, "the wbale Spanish :
feet wiped out. and yet you say never ,
a world" I
.If only." Thought the captain.
"there could be another skirmish, ana
could get killed The money would
be found on me; no ono would KNOW
whence it came. 1t would go tn Mary
and the girls
B,;t he was in no more skirmfsfes
The city surrendered. The captain was
among the troops that took possession.
In day he saw enough of Santiago's
moor to realize what might be done
with the money in his pocket. .Reai-
" said his colonel to himself, Tom
is growing terribly haggzrd Come, oiu
man he said, we've of duty. Let's
| II