The daily Alaskan., 1905-09-01
A HERDS
 COWARDICE? ?

sound of beating drums he marched away in the ranks to the war group of girls stood on a porch waving. On all the faces save one was a pleasur' able excitement That one waved sad ly. sanguidly. as # bidding adieu to In visible spirits. She was blind
 During the four years of campaign Ing that followed he never forgot that face. When raln or snow beat upon him. when the bullet seng its melOdious vet terrible song, when shells walled above or solid shot showered 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, distinguished soldier. The line of march led past tte porch where he had seen the blind girl, but she was not there. In hls disap- pointment he forgot his honors, the clanoring throngs, the shouts that ran abreast of him like an Incoming tide. Then farther on his pulses Quickened at seeing her at a window. She was standing between two friends. AS he approached he saw her say something which he could not but Infer was re quest to be told where was the hero of the hour. f,V one of them directed her hand, In which she held a small flag. so that when she waved it it was to him. He reined In his horse, faced toward the window and reyercntly raised his hat Then when he had seen her friends tell her what be had done and saw that he had given her a pleasurable emotion he turned ani moved forward.
 The excitement Of that emotion gave him his first fixed purpose in life. He had been emlnently fitted for 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- compllshment of achievements in pro portion to the hazard of the undertak- Ing. but this human delight was to die away before hls newborn spiritual pur- pose as a storm that has passed gives place to the soft sunlight The insplra- tlon that had been klndled In his heart was to comfort bereaved soul.
 But his time was not hls own. Therc was much to do In closing up the work of the war and In dlSbanding the armies, and he was retained even after this had been done In On 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, he assumed the plain garb of citizen and went incognlto to an unpretentiOus summer resort As he 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 he would not be rec. ognized, 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 introiuc ton to the girl-he did not need one, No one needed m 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 chalr and grope her way Into the house, then | asked if he might assist her. Never bo 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 COD stant companion. Perhaps lt was her weakness that led her Co admire tho stern duties of a soldier, and when hS admitted that he had been In the strug gle of the states she begged him to tel her of his experiences. But he, llk' her. valulng hls counterpart, dlspar aged war and led her Into more en nobling topics. She grew to love tht tones of hls voice, the uneXpresset sympathy apparent In his every wort and action.
 Then came a time when. having pre- pared the way, there was nothing foD him to do but tell her that from th, moment he saw her he pitiej her ana of the desire that had been born In hin 10 devote his life to that which woul, be some recompense for her misfor tune But when he faced thls an nouncement a sense of-hls own un worthiness loOmed up before him. Tel her that he wished to give her comfor when he felt that he would be honore' by the right to do sol He shrank iron such a position.
 This was not all. He must drop hi lncognIto and become known to her al hero. The incident of her waving t him an his return from the war and hi