The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-07-08
The Dead Soldier S
Afterglow
By HEL YIN BRAYTON
Copyright, 1910 ny American Press
Association.

the enellyS country, while the blue
were defending it, Lieutenant Ned
Wagstaf1 was standing behind the line
or battle, the men. AT parade rest
waiting orders. staff officer rode III
and said:
This command has been annihilat.
ed"
The colonel turned to his men and
told them that. having been annihilat-
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 Wagstalf to Captain
DrummOnd. Il want you to do some
thing for me-"
What is it?"
Go up to the house and tell Belle
Harkaway that our regiment has been
annihilated, that I've been killed and
the jig's up all around"
What for"
81 want to see how she'll take it,"
"She is certainty 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"
IF you play your part well you can
fool her. I'm curious to know if she'll
mourn for me-
"All right; III try it on. Suppose she
wants to see your dead body"
Il 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 if you're
going to give me away"
mo; won't do that, though il
would be good joke to do so ri
play the part for you as well as
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"
"All right. You'll find me under that
big oak over there. So long"
Billy departed for the house. and
Wagstaff went over to the oak, sprawl.
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 a
lot of Dutch courage. Ned had dis.
tinguished 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 he? Oh. tell me, where is
he?
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
but where it landed he couldn't see
He lay stiff and stark
Here he isl he heard Drummond
say.
Ned looked sdewise between his
lashes and saw Belle Harkaway hur
rying toward him. He closed his eyes
and lay with peaceful expression on
his face. Indeed, he put on a certain
serenity which he had often practiced
before mirror and which he con.
sidered very becoming to him. Belle
knelt beside him. He dared not open
his eyes. but he knew she was there
and very near him.
"Oh. Ned" she moaned.
HE died 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 1t 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 lips sutf
GENTLY to look at her, but he could
hear her moaning over him.
He makes a beautiful corpse" Billy
remarked.
Lovely. He must have been smok-
ing when be was shst"
What makes you 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 We're his last words?" asked
Belle. Did he say anything about
me-"
Eyes He said, Tell Belle Harkaway
that my last thoughts, my last words,
were of her."
"Oh. dear! If could have been here
to hold him in my arms when he died.
Somehow can't realize that the red
color you call the soldiers afterglow
isn't the blood of life. Pm going to
pinch his cheek 1t may bring him
back to us"
She gave bis cheek a terrific pinch
Ned WINGED. but stood the test.
"See" cried Belle THE Ifterslow-
a lot of it,
She pinched him again. this time so
that he howled.
Opening his eyes, be looked into two
Of the merriest orbs that ever gazed
on the corpse Of a beloved object.
Rats" he said. There's no use
trying to be dead under a pinch like
that"
More aftprglow" she cried. clap
ping her hands with delight ms a blush
OF shame covered his face.
A Sure Sign.
''See here. Mr. Binks. the young man