The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-01-19

q hasty good-by and dug out at double time
for the gun rack outside the first guard tent.
tits duty" he sighed to himself, "a hard
duty, but still duty even ;: it does take you
away from the girl you 1--we"
It was eleven o'clock at night. Taps had
sounded an hour earlier. Billy Lang was
racing up and down number four between the
trunks Of the great elms, which, with the SEN
tinsls, guarded the camp. 1t was the blacklist
kind Of a night. Up on Crows Nest mountain
and to the northward toward the Catskills
Hudson's crew was playing renpins 1t is a
long bowling alley which Old Rips friends use
when they begin their favorite game. The
thunder came nearer and the lightning played
overhead This is time when the sentinel
with his steel bayonet pointing skyward, seels
more ne>ssusly apprehensive than when In the
face of a hulnan enemy. Patter. patter, patter,
the rain begaa to fall on the leaves OF the
elms The sehsnels on number four knew
that in minute The gates would be open and
then deluge.
The pickering oil lamp at the south end Of
the post sent a feeble CLEAN out into re
darkness Forty yards down the roadway
Billy Lang saw someone approaching. 'Whc
comes there?" rang out the challenge.
Friends" came the answer in mans
voice.
A fash of lightning lit up the roadway and
Curtis held motionless by his challenge At
that instant came the deluge. Umbrellaless
and unprotected in any way stood the young
couple straining their eyes toward a place
where they knew was a young fellow with a
bayonet-tipped rife.
Billy Lang knew that he could strain a
point and let the two pass. Any cadet in the
corps would have done 1t on recognition as
certain as his. But Billy was stickler for
duty. He knew his orders. Halt, friends, y
he said, and then raising his voice, he yelled,
Corporal Of the guard No. T."
How the rain did come down. Frances Cur.
It's light ball dress was rag She was chilli
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 a
plight though he didn't allow himself to
SILVER
Its my duty" said Billy Lang to himself,
"and Frances Is stickler 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 II he hadn't
been a 'yearling' corporal and Billy Lang a
first ciassman he would have told No. that
he was ass for not using little common
sense and allowing the stormstricken 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 indisposed. 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 Ill with pneumonia as
a result Of exposure in the storm. He has DO
relatives nearer than England. I am a great
stickler for duty and so 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
A yearling corporal stuck his head in the
door. Tomorrow. Lang" he said. you are on
special duty"
"D-n duty" said Billy.
And the officer of the cay who was passing
skinned" him for profanity