Bridgeton pioneer., 1905-02-16


It's privilege never denied freeborn
American. However, they became
friends in Manila because it was so far
from home.
'sTempleton was a sergeant of vOlun-
teers and homesick soldier If ever
there was one. He excited Jones' sym
pathy, which became acute when
Jones learned that there was girl at
home who had stopped writing to Tenn
pleton for an unknown reason. This
is a serious matter when fellow real
" cares for the girl and she is 10000
miles away and there's no method of
learning why she no longer writes.
Fancy waiting for letter to go half
way around the world and for the re-
ply to come lettering back or not to
come at all! Templeton was not nat
urally sensitive. but the experience
had made him SO. He told his secret
grudgingly because it was forced out
of him, but he never revealed the name
of the girl
I'm the latter part Of January TEN
pleton's company was sent up into the
interior to Il little forsaken village
where there was a peck of trouble. A
mail steamer came in the day before
the detachment marched. but it
brought no letter to Templeton The
poor fellow revealed this misfortune to
Jones with tears in his eyes. He seemed
to think that this was his last chance.
"A few days later Jones learned en-
tirely by accident that a letter for
Templeton had really come ON the
steamer and had been delivered by
mistake to surgeon of the same sur
name. The addressed side of the letter
had been wet, and the ink was mere
blot, so that the word Templeton was
about all that could be deciphered.
The surgeon, however, detected the
given name of George and did not
open the letter.
Zones had had it in his mind to try
to get through to this place where the
trouble was. He thought he saw a good
story in it. He told the surgeon of his
intention and was permitted to take
the letter. BY pulling all kinds of
wires he got leave to join small par
ty that was going up with dispatches
and the result was that he had adven-
lures enough to fill book. The party
got through alive, but every man of
them was wounded, including Jones,
who made the last forty miles of the
journey practically on one leg. But
Templeton's letter-which he was
morally convinced was the letter-re-
posed in his breast pocket when he
staggered into camp
He found Templeton fat on his back
and raving with fever in quaint CEN
tury old church that had been turned
into hospital. The surgeon in charge
told Jones that it was practically all
over; the man was as good as dead.
Win he be conscious againY asked
Jones. And the surgeon said that it
was possible.
''When is 1t likely to happen?
Heaven knows answered the sur
geon.
"I'll wait said Jones. And he sat
doEn on the foot of the bed. His
wound was dressed and he was fed
while he sat there. OF course they
tried to take him away, but he wouldn't
go, and as everybody was pretty busy
he was presently forgotten.
He sat there all night, sometimes in
that conscious sleep which is the prod
uct of physical WEAKNESS and mental
concentration fighting for supremacy
He was half crazy from dozer
causes. and he held that letter in his
hand every minute.
1T seemed to him that by continual
feeling of it while in that peculiar men.
tai state he gained an idea Of what
was in it, and at times he felt ashamed
Of knowing. The envelope was square
and there was hard inclosure that
seemed like small photograph. But