, 1906-01-17

tOriginal.l
The battle WAS over; the last volley
mad been fired; the last boom been
borne away Oh the cold winter wind.
A cessation in the firing was followed
by the cries of the wounded. The lives
of some were ebbing away who knew
that if they could get a surgeon they
might live. Others would give up life
and hope of returning home for a swal-
low of water. All over the field the dead
and dying were mingled, the dead wait
ing burial, the wounded waiting re-
moval.
Two wounded officers lay side by
side. They had never met before, but
now a common misfortune had made
them friends. Captain Eliot Noble was
seriously though not MORALLY wound
ed; Lieutenant Mark Preston had a
very slight chance for his life. The
former was striving to keep hope alive
in the latter.
Remember" said Noble, that at
home there are those who are praying
that you may come back to them"
There is but one who will pray in
my case, and she will probably pray,
If she prays at all, that | may never
return. She married me thinking the
man she loved had gone back on her,
but she found out later that he hadn't.
1t was all a mistake"
Noble sighed. 1t must be sad to be
dying and feel that the person who
should grieve for you will be pleased
at your death.
Il don't know who the man is"
Preston continued. MY wife would
never speak of him to me, and | never
even heard his name. | hope that as
soon as he hears I've been thrown into
n trench he'll go and make her happy.
She's a good woman, and I'm no dog
in a Manager"
1t was getting dark, and the cold
was increasing. They could hear sue
cor parties moving heal them, but
none so near that they could attract
their attention.
Noble always kept in his pocket a
little flask containing an eighth of a
pint of whisky to be used in just such
III tiilt StntA us lllS. w lcI1 lie QUIZ
that his comrade was getting chilled
with the cold he pulled his flask and
put it to Preston's lips. Half the con
tents was all he would allow him to
drink, reserving the balance In case a
rescue We're delayed. AL hour later
the captain drew the flask again and
poured the balance down his com
AIDES throat in an effort to restore
him TO consciousness. Noble was by
this time becoming himself benumbed
through loss of blood and cold. Never
theless he took off his o%vercoat and
threw it over Preston. This was the
last act he remembered on the battle
field.
When Noble awoke he was in a tenn
porary hospital, from which he was re-
moved to a more commodious one. As
soon as he got out he wished to make
inquiries about the man he had be-
friended, but it was impossible since
he had not taken his name. All he
could learn was that on the spot where
they had lain a trench had been dug,
and many dead had been buried in it
without any attempt to learn their
identity. Noble had no doubt that his
comrade had died and been shoveled
into the trench.
=
Captain Eliot Noble is a very happy
man. He is no longer in the army,
having been Il volunteer and mustered
out after the close of the war. He is
prosperous in business, has married
and is happy in his marriage. His
wife. who was a widow, has inherited
a dwelling from her first husband, and
in this the family, consisting of hus-
band and wife and a babe that has
recently come to them, live.
One evening Noble and his wife were
sitting before a bright fire of logs.
The husband occupied an easy chair,
and the wife sat on one of the arms.
His arm was around her waist; her
arm rested on his shoulder.
Without a man had stolen up to the
window and was looking In at this
picture of connubial happiness. Fortu-