Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-10-06
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The Majors Story.

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Perhaps 1: was partly her fault or
maybe 1t was all her fault. Anyway,
they had just had a quarrel-one of
those unpleasant little affairs in
which neither one nor the other will
give in or acknowledge being in the
wrong, but thinks it the duty of the
other--equally blameless participant,
Of course-to first say:z"I am sorry %
And it was their first quarrel, too.
Then he falls back upon that re-
sort, ard says: II am going to the
club" He gets his hat ard coat and
is about to open the door, when she
half repents and asks him not to go,
but to stay at home with her, at
least one evening in the week." But
he is either obstinate to her appeal
or does not hear her, for he closes
the door with bang and leaves her
alone, to return, perhaps, at mid
night, perhaps at dawn. Then she
takes the usual course-th-ows her
fself onto lounge and cries.
He goes directly to the club. There
he meets a few OF his friends, and
they sit down for a smoke prepara-
tory to the nights excitement at the
whist table. Thus they sit for per-
haps half an hour when the entrance
OF rather stout individual seems to
create, quite a commotion among. the
smokers.
He is besieged on the right and left
to come join them In their smoke,
and Robert Langdon wonders who
this rather stout individual who en-
joys SUCH popularity can be.
Major Hunt, one of the most cap
ttal story, teHers we have had for
some time answers one of the
friends in reply TO a laughing query
from Langdon, WAIT until you hear
one OF his stories. and you will think
SO, too"
Major. this is my friend. Lang
don."
ghe Major has hardly made him
self comfortable before he is asked
to 'telko3s OF his stories, and after a
while Yields to the entreaties of the
crowd. and begins:
There is not an army post In In
dia, nor in<the world, which has not
some little romance interviewer with
its history. But one which I espe-
cially remember is one in which the
faithfulness OF woman. as l will call
it, p@ed such an important part as
to fix the story in my mind forever.
1t was about five years ago, at an
Indian fort. that this incident oc-
> Cured. We. had there "a young
private. never did find out exactly
where he came from, and have even
forgotten his name now. He seemed
to be an Indifferent sort Of fellow,
rarely joining the rest OF the men In
their larks, aud kespins pretty much
to himself. He vas a,handsome young
man, too, nearly stx feet tall, If re-
member correctly. It was his mys-
terious manners which made US won
der what he die with himself during
his spare moments-that is, when his
time was not required by the govern
ment.
We tried in vain to find out. All
that we could ever learn of him was
that he was always in his mass-room
during these intervals, and his com.
panion soldiers there said; He reads
and reads all the time.' that's all.
Army life did NOT, seem to agree with
him very much, and We could not see
why he ever entered into it. Still,
there was no one with nerve enough
to ask the question we were anxious
TO have answered. He was the one
mystery OF the fort.
Perhaps you will wonder why we
officers should take any interest In q
common private, but before have
finished you will see why that was.
What was also q mystery I'd US
was how he had managed to become
well enough acquainted with the
s quartermaster's daughter to be seen
occasionally out walking with her.
Her name, you must remember dis
tinctly, Is Genevieve Nutle. She is
the belle Of the fort. I believe there
was hardly man in that fort at the
time who would not have stood any
torture if she had so wished-5ut
don't be alarmed. gentlemen. No
such thought would have entered that
girls mind.
And then she wsIs very beautiful.
Perhaps this had something to do
with IT,. Those among US who had
been Ill had special reasons for feel
Ing grateful to her, for as soon as she
heard Of case of fitness she seemed
to be ON pins aud needles until she
received consent from her father to
nurse the sick one, whether he was
an officer or private. In truth, her
Kindness and charitableness to all
made adorers out of half the men in
the fort. and the other half were dead
IN love with her.
Now to get down to the story.
One day there came the announce
ment that the natives in our district
contemplated a rising, and that the
men should be got in readiness to
leave at almost any moment. One
morning the command came, and a
troop Of cavalry was detailed to so
out and, If possible, bring them in.