The daily Alaskan., 1905-08-12
A HERDS
 COWARDICE ?

ly, hnguidly, as If bidding adieu to in- visible spirits. She was blind.
 During the four years O; campaign ing that followed he never 10 got that face. When rain or snow beat upon him. when the bullet sang Its melodious yet terrible song, when shells walled above or solli shot showercd him with the soil of the south, his eyes were fixed, not on the "cOlors." but on that re membered face-sweet, melancholy, en- during.
 When he returned he was riding at the head of the column. a distinguished soldier. The line of march led past tAc porch where he had seen the blind girl, but she was not there. In his dlsap- pointment he forgot hls honors, the clamorlng throngs, the shouts that ran abreast of hlm like an incoming tide Then farther on his pulses quicken j at seeing her at a window. She Na' standing between two friends. As be approached he saw her say somet ing which he could not but Infer was re- quest to be told where was the hero of the hour, for one of them dire ted her hand, In which she held a sm lll flag. SO that when she waved 1t lt was to him, He re.ned In his horse, faced ' toward the window and reverently raised his hat. Then when he had seen her friends tell her what be had done and saw that he had given her a measurable emotion he turned and moved forward
 The excitement of that emotion gave him his first fixed purpose in life. He had been emlnently fitted for a soldier, whose career Is like the wind which bloweth where It listeth. He had felt a pleasure in the roar of battle, In the ac- compnshment of achievements In pro | portion to the hazard of the undertak- ing. but this human delight was to de away before his newborn spiritual pur- pose as a storm that has passed gives place to the soft sunlight The inspira- | ton that had been kindled In his heart was to comfort bereaved soul.
 But his time was not his own. There was much to do In closing up the work of the war and in dlsbandlng the armies, and he was retained even after this had been done in an important command. Weeks passed Into months and months into years, and the object of his life seemed as remote as ever. One summer while suffering from the effects of an old wound, deslrous Of change and rest, be assumed the plain garb of a citizen and went incognito to an unpretentious summer resort AS be mounted the steps of the porch he saw sitting In a wicker chair the blind girl. He had purposely chosen this re- mote place where be would not be rec ognlzed. and after he had seen those who were staying In the house he was | pleased that there was none who knew | him. He did not ask for an intrOduc- ton to the girl-he did not need one. | No one needed an introduction to her, for her blindness caused her to be d. ways dependent. He waited one morn ing until he saw her rise from her chair and grope her way Into the house, then asked fl he might assist her. Never be- | fore had he experienced the sacred emotions as when he took the hand and directed the steps Of thls stricken girl
 From that moment he was her con stant companion. Perhaps lt was her weakness that led her to admire the stern duties of a soldier, and when he admitted that he had been In the strug- gle of the states she begged him to tell her of his experiences. But be, Ike her, valuing his counterpart, dispar- aged war and led her Into more en- nObllng topics. She grew to love the tones of hls voice, the uneXpressed sympathy apparent in his every word and action.
 Then came a time when, having pre- pared the way, there was nothing for him to do but tell her that from the moment he saw her he pltled her and of the desire that had been born In him to devote his life to that which would be some recompense for her misfor- tune. But when he faced thls an- nouncement a sense of his own un- worthiness loomed up before him. Tell her that he wished to give her comfort when he felt that he would be honored by the right to do sol He shrank from such a position.
 This was not all He must drop his incognito and become known to her as hero. The incident of her waving to him on hls return from the war and his stopping to salute her must be made known to her What reason would he give for all this secrecyi He thought of a dozen ways In which it might be misconstrued. He who had stormed Qualifications shrank from telling blighted girl that he was hero. Again and again he started In to make a breach In these imaginary ramparts, always to make an inglorlous retreat
 And what was the resultI He threw up his command-and that In face of the enemy-and shifted the responsi- bility to another. He went to the girls mother and begged her to speak for him words that he dared not speak.
 There is a poem In which perl is described as gaining sdmittance to bao,ov h,- ,orrvinc thera the rl,nsf val