The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-07-28
The Dead Soldier S
Afterglow
By KELVIN BRAYTON
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

Md8Stau was standing Delluu lle llue /
of battle, the men. at parade rest,
waiting orders. A staff officer rode up |
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 Wagstaff to Captain
Drummond, 81 want you to do some
thing for me-"
what is it?'
Harkaway that our regiment has been
annihilated. that I've been killed and
the jigs up all around"
"What forY
81 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"
"If you play your part we'll you can
fool her. Pm curious to know If she'll
mourn for me-"
"All right; I'll try it on. Suppose she
wants to see your dead body"
81 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: l won't do that, though II
would be good joke to do so. I'll
play the part for you as well as /
can"
"And you'll tell me how she takes
itY
mo, but II she wants to see your
corpse you can judge for yourself
about that"
"All right. You'l 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
tingulshed 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 cir
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 II landed he couldn't see
He lay stiff and stark.
Here he isv' he heard DrummonC
say.
Ned looked sidewise between hii
lashes and saw Belle Harkaway hur
rying toward him. He closed his eye
and lay with n peaceful expression oil
his face Indeed. he put on a certail
serenity which he had often practice'
before a mirror and which he con
sldered very becoming to him. Bell
knelt beside him. He dared not opel
his eyes, but he knew she was Their
and very near him.
"Oh. Nedw she moaned.
ale died n noble DEATH" Billy put 4
solemnly.
Dear. brave Ned! II had only no
treated you as | did. II you could bu
speak one word to me TO tell me tina
you forgive me. Are you sure he
dead? There's color In his face"
ooh. that's often the case with me
shot In battle. They call 1t the so
dler's afterglow."
This was very clever Of Billy, seeln
that the afterglow was produced b
the bracers Ned had taken during III
fight.
Ned" moaned Belle. speak to me-
Ned didn't dare part his lips SUD
clently TO look at her, but he coul
hear her moaning over him.
"He makes beautiful corpse" Bill
remarked.
Lovely! He must have been smol
ing when he was shot"
"what makes you think thatf" as
ed Billy.
Don't you see the cigar on h
shoulders Dear. brave Ned-cool
smoking In the face Of danger"
"rhat was just like him." said BIZ
HE was always doing that kind
thing He cared nothing for danger
"what were his last wordsT ask
Belle. "Did he say anything abo
meT
Eyes. lie said. Tell Belle Harkawl
that my last thoughts, my last wore
were OF her."
"Oh. dear! II | could have been he
TO hold him In my arms when he die
! Somehow | can't realize that the r
color you call the soldiers afterglC
isn't the blood Of life. I'm going
pinch his cheek. It may bring h
back TO us"
She gave his cheek a terrific pint
Ned WINGED. but stood the test.
"Seer cried Belle. "rhe afterglov
n lot OF itl"
I She pinchcd him again. this time
vigorously that he howled.
j Opening his eyes. he looked into {
4 OF the merriest orbs that ever gaI
4 on the corpse Of a beloved object
4 "Ratsv he said. There's no I
Il trying to be dead under a pinch ]
n that"
y "More afterEloww she cried. 81
y ping her hands with delight as bit