The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-01-14

captain at least-cro"NNN
mind and with his hopes there MN
g,ed. singing sweet, the sense thae al
iast no might have brought home 10
Lucy and her people rea .izatloh On
tbe fact that he was not all bad ne
even imagined the old "grouch ply
inc him, and in the thought was ihe
orin satisfaction that now at least he
6od martyred himself. He swore SOFT
Iv n himself that he would never drink
nor gamble again, and when he leIU
for Chickamauga with his regiment ne
had not fallen from grace
A scrubbed note on a postai earu
telling Lucy that he was gone INTO the
army" was all they heard about him u
Buena Vista for three years after that'
The Hardings read all the war news
with eager curiosity at first hoping
to get some news of Louis, but their
interest waned again and again, TO be
family renewed with the actual begin
ming Of the fight. But there was not
a word about Louis, not even his name
among the wounded, sick or dead, much
less notice of his gallantry or promo
ton. Not until the Cuban and carrier
Philippine campaigns had dwind4ed
down into intermittent skirmishes in
far parts of the islands did there come
a hint that he was yet on earth. Then
lust line in the list of dead from dis
ease:"
"Tappan, private company X, Tween
ty-third infantry; dysentery.
And there ended the career OF Louis
Tappan, the worthless young man of
Buena Vista.
The station agent al Culver, ten miles
below Buena Vista on the Louisville
d. Nashville, saw the last train hest
tate" at his door, and was getting out
his key to lock up when a wel.-dressed
swarthy young man with small bag
dropped off the rear coach and ap'
preached him.
"This is Culver, isn'titP"
Eyes, sir"
"Do you know where Mrs. Tappan
Mrs Louis Tappan, lives?"
Don't live here, leastways not in
town. | know 'em all. No Tappans
and nothing like that name round here
I'm pretty sure"
Moved here from Buena Vista" sug.
gested the stranger, wistfully; "moved
up about year ago"
ooh, hold on! Tappan-oh, her name
amt Tappan no more. She's married
to Bill Chesebrough They was mar
ried at Buena Vista a year ago, and
come up here to live. Sure I"
The stranger coughed a few times
looked up and down the tracks, and
then:
Her first husband, Patten, la7-
fen"
"Tappan," murmured the uneasy
visitor.
"Tappan, he died in the Philippines
He was a no-good bum and deserted
her and the kid, so she ups and marries
Bill Chesebrough. Bill is rich. owns a /
them quarries over to Hopeton. II
show you where they live; take you
right past the door"
'No-oo." unused the visitor. hall
aloud, and fumbling in his pocket, 81
guess | won't go up; what did you
say her first name was, Lucy?"
Yes. that's her. She was Miss Inc,
Harding. daughter of old 'Skinflint
Harding. down TO Buena Vista, richer'r
he'll and meaner still. He"
Yes, know" was the interruption
but you're going past the house, hei
house?"
Yep"
Would you mind stepping in with
this?' handing over a photograph
ITS picture of Tappan for the hoy
his boy. You see, we, Tappan and /
were in the same regiment, and wher
he got sick, he asked me to-for tn,
boy you know; his daddy's picture.
promised to give it to him"
oh, the Tappan kid; the one by he,
first husband, he"
Yes, that's the one. How is he,
Does he look like"
oh that one died the first weel
they come here, diphtheria got him
He just" -
BUT the newcomer was out of earsbot
before the station agent could finish
Down the tracks he went toward the
east walking like fury. with his head
Gown and his little bag swinging in thu
am light of the yard lamps tin the
night swallowed him.
me station agent whistled a note "a
WONDER looked at the photograph he
yet he'd in his hand, saw If was 81 :
young soldier standing bravely AT sa'
lute' and turned it over. On the bacl
was written: D'ei
For Louis Tappan's little bow"
The station agent showed il into ri,
overcoat pocket. " ~ MS
IN bet that chap was a bug" bo
mused' as he walked toward Cbeso-
orough's house, but guess ia bst
Yer give the picture TO Mrs. CbesbN
10000 ~, come to think of it. I ones,
q better not. Tappan is dead the lila
Is dead and Old Bill Chesebrongb -
Jealous as an Old maid"
~, de tore the Photograph into small
o!'s after another look and flicked tha
pieces INTO the air as he walked boma-
aius-Chieago Record Herald.
h.