The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-07-29
The Dead Soldier S
Afterglow
Bv HEEL WIN BRATON
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.


and said:
This command has been anDihilat-
ed"
The colonel turned to his men and
told them that, having been annihisat-
ed. they could fight no more. Then he
gave the order to stack arms and per
mission to do as they liked till retreat.
Billy" said Wagstafr to Captain
Drummond, Il want you to do some
thing for me-"
what is it?'
go up to the house and tell Belle
Harka way that our regiment has been
annihilated. that I've been killed and
the jiS's UP all around
What tOr:''
Il want TO see how she'll take it,"
she is certainly not so silly as to
take it literally"
''She's pretty stupid
Stupid girls are most attractive to
men-that is. If they are pretty-and
Belle is very pretty decidedly pretty"
III you play your part we'll you can
fool her. I'm curious to know if she'll
mourn for me-"
"All right; I'll try it on. Suppose she
wants to see your dead body"
II never thought of that Perhaps
I'd better lie dead on the battlefield
You can bring her to see the corpse
But first ! want to know II you're
going to give me away"
mo: ! won't do that. though it
would be a good joke to do So III
nj no norff
can"
And you'll tell me how she takes
it?''
mo. but If she wants to see your
corpse you can judge for yourself
about that
"Al right. You'll find me under that
big oak over there. So long"
Billy departed for the house. and
Wagstafr went over to the oak. spra wi,
ed himself on the grass and. to kill
time while waiting to be inspected for
a dead man. lit a cigar. Men who
fight sham battles need to get up
lot of Dutch courage. Ned had dis
dnguished himself for bravery induced
by several bracers during the fight: con
sequently he felt dopey and soon yield
ed to slumber Suddenly he was
awakened by a girls voice:
where is be? Oh. tell me- where *
hep
Ned. recognizing the voice of the girl
he loved and. realizing that soldiers
! are not usually killed with cigars in
| their mouths. let the half smoked weed
!! fall. He felt 1t roll down his cheek.
l. l..
/; He lay stiff and stark.
Here he isr' he heard DrummOnd
say.
Ned looked sidewise between his
| lashes and saw Belle Harkaway hur-
rying toward him. He closed his eyes
| and lay with a peaceful expression on
| his face. Indeed. be put on n certain
| serenity which he had often practiced
! before q mirror and which he con
sidered very becoming to him. Belle
knelt beside him. He dared not open
| his eyes. but be knew she WAS there
and very near him.
"Oh. Ned!" she moaned.
HE died q noble DEATH" Billy put in
! solemnly
! Dear. brave Ned. If had only not
| treated you as | did. If you could but
speak one word to me TO tell me that
you forgive me. Are you sure he Is
dead? There's color in his face"
"Oh. that's often the case with men
shot in battle. They call it the sol
dier's afterglow."
| This was very clever of Billy. seeing
that the afterglow was produced by
the bracers Ned had taken during the
! fight
Ned" moaned Belle. "speak to me-
| Ned didn't dare part his lns snili-
ciently to look at her. but he could
hear her moa ming over him.
| HE makes beautiful corpse" Billy
remarked.
Lovely: He must have been smok-
| ing when be was shot"
| what makes yon think that?" ask
ed Billy.
Don't you see the cigar on his
shoulder? Dear brave Ned-coolly
smoking in the face of danger"
THAT was just like him. said Billy.
HE was always doing that kind of
thing. He cared nothing for danger"
| What were his last Words" asked
Belle. Did he say anything about
mew
YES He said. Tell Belle Harkaway
! that my last thoughts. my last words.
were of her."
"Oh. dear: II could have been here
to hold him i'm my arms when he died
Somehow | can't realize that the red
| color you call the soldiers aftergiow
isn't the blood of life. I'm going to
pinch his cheek. 1t may bring him
| back to u.s."
She gave bis cheek a terrific pinch
Ned WINGED. but stood the test.
"See" cried Belle The aiterclnw
lot Of it,
She pinched him again. this time SC
| vigorously that be howed.
Opening his eyes. he looked into two
| Of the merriest orbs that ever gaZe1
on the corpse OF n beloved object
Rats he said There's no use
trying TO be dead under a pinch like
| that"
more afterglow." she cried. clap
ping her hands with delight as blush
Of shame covered his face.