The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-07-13
A CRIPPLED
SOLDIER
Els Life Was MARRIED In One
Way, Perfected In Another.

/ balmy air coming up from the south,
a cloudless blue sky. opening buds. the
piping of nest building birds. Strolling
! down the mall, | met perambulator,
pushed by a negro boy in which sat a
young man of twenty-five or twenty
three years. AS he passed me l no.
ticed q melancholy look on his face
| which bespoke some great grief. To
my surprise, he gave me glance of
recognition. Besides, his features were
! familiar to me- l turned, and he look
| ed back
you don't remember me, colonel"
he said.
II admit / can't place YOU
"Not remarkable since you have not
seen me since wore cadet gray, was
clean shaven and had my hair cropped.
| You were teaching me the art OF war,
which In my case meant how to make
wreck of myself"
"You were Of that class graduated In
advance to take part in the Spanish
war?"
II was; Granger-Ward Granger"
Suddenly 1t all came back to me.
This man had been one of the promi-
nent men In his class, cadet captain,
an excellent student, an all round pop
ular man.
my dear boy" exclaimed, taking
his proffered hand. II remember you
perfectly for an honor to your class,
and know by your war record that
you are an honor to your country"
"A retired honor, with no feet he
said gloomily.
A picture flashed before me-a chop
at West Point Granger was q grace
full dancer, and l had noticed him es-
pecially sailing past me In all the
freshness and confidence of youth with
beautiful girl to whom he was en-
gagged to be married.
Let me see," said musingly. ut
seems to me that you and Miss
"Towne?"
eyes, Miss Towne''
1--WE were engaged when went to
Cuba. When l was sent back In this
condition His voice trembled.
Surely she did not
"She showed herself noble girl. It
was I who would not consent"
your"
Eyes. l." he went on bitterly. 'Do
you suppose would permit a young
girl Of twenty to enter upon the care
of man condemned to live cripple,
to witness every day his wrecked
hopes. to see him trundled about like
this, to turn her course at the very be-
ginning into channel which must
grow darker to the end? Not I. You
never taught me that kind Of honor,
colonel"
Though made no reply, felt that
he wassright.
as Miss Towne married?" asked.
.No.'
sat down on a wooden bench The
negro went short distance away, and
Granger and talked for an hour.
Then | left him. bidding him goodby.
fer had been ordered to southern
post and was to leave the next day.
A year later received an envelope
BY mail from which took cards an
nouncing the marriage of Lieutenant
Ward Leighton Granger, u. s. A.. re-
tired. and Helen Airline Towne. By the
same mail came letter from the
bride: @
Dear Colonel B.-Ward has asked me
TO write to you to confess what he
calls his shameful retreat" from the po-
sition taken by him at the time he last
saw you. I bear witness that he main
tanned that position for year, during
which time resolutely fought to carry 1t
both by assault and undermining. He
says he gave you his reasons, and 1t only
remains for me to give you mfne-xiz, I
could not live without him.
laid the letter down with q sigh. I
was sufficiently experienced to UNDER
stand the burden this woman had TAX
en- on herself and considered her
course and the yielding of her hus-
band a mistake. wrote Il note of emo
enlargement. but refrained from ex-
any approval of the union.
Three years lnter while exchanging
stations passed through New York.
knew ought to call on Ward Granger
and his wife, but dreaded to do so. ex-
pectfng. even after a few years, to see
the effects Of what considered an I'M
fortunate marriage. Nevertheless I
called. was nshc ~ into the library
and In few minutes heard the thump
OF clutches above, then Granger COM
ing downstairs. Beside him. holding
with one hand to crutch and with
the other to the balusters, walked
boy OF two years, chattering like
magpie. Mrs. Granger followed, ud-
her son to be careful and
not get In his fathers way. adj
vanced into the hall to meet them and
at glance saw that Granger was no
longer a mental sufferer. His face
broke into a happy smile. while his
wife. also smiling. exclaimed:
You thought we'd made d mistake,
colonel. didn't your o
mistake assure YOU
"A nice letter of congratulation you
sent us-cold us an icicle,,''
admit colonel. SaiI tho husband