River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-01-18

a hasty good-by and dug out at double time
for the gun rack outside the first guard tent.
.It's duty" he sighed to himself, "a hard
duty, but still duty even if it does take you
away from the girl you love-
1t was eleven o'clock at night. Taps mad
sounded an hour earlier. Billy Lang was
pacing up and down number four between the
trunks of the great elms, which, with the SEN
tinels guarded the camp. 1t was the blackest
kind of night. UP on Crows Nest mountain
and to the northward toward the Catsk1lIs
Hudson's crew was playing Jenpins 1t is
long bowling alley which Old Rips friends use
when they begin their favor1te game me
thunder came nearer and the lightning played
overhead This is a time when the sentinel,
with his steel bayonet pointing skyward, feels
more nervously apprehensive than when in the
face of human enemy. Patter, patter, patter,
the rain began to fall on the leaves OF the
elms The sentinels on number four knew
that in a minute the gates would be open ana
then deluge.
The pickering oil lamp at the south end o.
the post sent a feeble CLEAN out into ne
darkness Forty yards down the roadway
Billy Lang saw someone approaching VINO
comes there?" rang out the challenge.
Friends" came the answer in mans
voice
A flash of lightning lit up the roadway and
Billy Lang saw Frederick Jackson and Frances
Curtis held motionless by his challenge. AT
that instant came the deluge Umbrelaless
and unprotected in any way stood the young
couple straining their eyes toward place
where they knew was a young fellow with
bayonet-tipped rife.
Billv Lang knew that he could strain
point and let the two pass. Any cadet IN the
corps would have done it on recognition as
certain as his. But Billy was stckler for
duty He knew his orders. Halt friends"
oicino 10 xyOi00 hOU 0H
Corporal of the guard No. A..
How the rain did come down. Frances Cur
It's light ball dress was a rag. She was chill
ed through and she stood holding the arm of
her escort and shivering from her light slip
pers to the bedraggled rose thtat crowned her
hair. Frederick Jackson was in as bad
plight, though he didn't allow himself to
SILVER.
Its my duty" said Billy Lang to himself
"and Frances Is sticker for duty; she'll
like me all the better for it."
The corporal came at last He allowed the
shivering couple to pass on to the hotel He
saw the plight they were in and If he hadn't
been yearlng corporal and Billy Lang
first classman he would have told No that
he was an ass for not using little common
sense and allowing the storm-stricken pair to
pass.
Frederick Jackson left for New York the
next morning. When he was relieved from
guard Billy Lang called at the hotel. Miss
Curtis could not be seen that day. She was
slightly ndsposed. The next afternoon Billy
Lang received note 1t was in Frances Cur
it's handwriting. 1t read like this: "a tele-
gram from New York tells mother that Mr..
Jackson is dangerously i'll with pneumonia as
result of exposure in the storm. He has no
relatives nearer than England. | am great
stickler for duty and mother and | are
just leaving for New York to nurse Mr.. Jack
son. You will doubtless applaud my course,
for you are one of duty's own disciples"
Frances Curtis did not return to West Point
that summer. 1t was late in the fall when
the postman one day handed Billy Lang an en-
velope postmarked New York. 1t contained
wedding cards in which the names of Curtis
and Jackson were prominent
yearling corporal stuck his head in the
door Tomorrow Lang" he said, you are on
special duty
On duty said Billy.
And the officer of the day who was passing
skinned" him for profanity.