Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-03-10
HOW THE SERGEANT
FELL IN LOVE
BY F. H. MELOON

DOLCE SERGEANT JAMES BRY
AN, with the humorous twinkle O
the ancient O'Briens In his eye, sat fac
ing me In restaurant stall.
Il was younger once than am now,
remarked the sergeant, suddenly.
This was q truth could not deny
though anyone who saw the sergeant a
So would have placed his age score O
years behind what 1t really was. With
q half laugh the sergeant, who never
hesitated at telling q story on himself
proceeded.
"The days when first got accustomed
to life on the force were full OF fun and
frolic. Some hardship, OF course, but
for the most part was about as light
hearted a chap as could be picked out
in any county In New Hampshire. | was
the same sort of fool that many young
man had been before me and has been
since, and when looked up to the sec
Ond story window of q house on Essex
street and saw Blanche Stirling smiling
down at me my heart went faster than
ever and l walked giddily for quarter
of mile thereafter should have
stopped stock still right on the spot, but
~ soon as ! caught q glimpse OF her
black-brown hair combed up In q great
wave over her forehead and saw her pref
ty lips part in one OF the most taking
smiles Of pearl I've ever seen the vision
vanished behind curtain and saw 1t no
more for three or four days.
In the meantime wore my back COL
lar stud In front, mixed up my cuff but
tons, went without my suppers and all
that sort OF thing trying to get of to
catch another glimpse of Blanche. had
learned her name within an hour OF the
time first saw her looking down at
me and learned, too, that she lived alone
with her mother In the upper part Of the
tenement. As pretty as picture didn't
express anything in speaking of her I'M
less you added that 1t was picture by
one Of the old masters, sir"
But, sir, II you could see her to-day as
she was then, you northumberland AS
II is | can hardly tell you any more Of
how she looked to me, and not to me
alone, sir, but to others as well, who
gazed upon her in the old days.
in the next week passed her on the
street two or three times and she did
not so much as deign to glance at me.
began TO think | must have been mis-
Iaken in believing | was the object OF
her smile the week before, But one
night as she was walking home unescort-
I'd, Blanche Stirling was accosted by a I
fellow. In an instant, as 1t
we're, had him by the collar and he was |
brown into the street with no gentle |
land. can be tolerable rough at times.
ir" And Sergeant Bryan smiled as he |
tent his right arm In the manner pecu- I
lar TO youngsters who show OF their \
muscle"
Then came another OF those entranc-
lg smiles, and tell you, sir, actu- 4
lily felt faint all over. Just the way u
1lljah must have felt when they lifted b
i'm up to heaven in a golden chariot o
ranche thanked me very prettily and q
ivited me 10 call at the house the fol- m
wing day, II ! were OF duty. in order u
allow her mother the opportunity Of a
ranking me more fully. You may be-
ave that ! accepted the Invitation with 81
0 eagerness that she saw was too real TO Vi
} assumed. w
The man who wouldn't have yielded TO "a
at Invitation under the same circum- k
ances would have had to have harder ell
art than the folks In Seabury, OF whom
q current rumor that they stone the :
nerals that pass their doors so that m,
that place no undertaken can be hired M
use an ordinary sort Of hearse, sir. ~
The next day the Widow Stirling re- ~
lived me pleasantly and might say al ~,
ost overwhelmed me with her efusive =,
anks for what had done for her No
lighter. which was mere nothinE. sir. IA
d all In the way Of my duty as an on n,
!, not to add a. q man, sir.
The days passed on and net Blanche
going with her to theaters
q dances and such like and all the Of
lie getting deeper and deeper in love m
,alf love, mind you. for ia never loved nnl
lors--and felt Just like a rat In ten
ther mattress that can't tel where PEI
. a. an hst cone out Off. SIR. TAI