Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-03-30
The
Soldiers Bride
By HAZEL SMITH
(0, 1921, western Newspaper Union)

| Saunders, chewing at his Steel-gray
| mustache; and for the first time dur
ing forty years of active service he
! actually trembled. The horror of this
was more overpowering than the hiss
of the Moro bolos when, drunk with
bhang, they closed in upon the Skin
mish line. "Impossible!' he muttered,
and sank back into his chair.
! Outside the hot sun of the Philip
| pines burned the parched land, send
ing it's scorching rays into the white
washed house in which he sat. Upon
| the table in front Of him his orderly
| had placed a closely typed document
| of five pages. 1t was the findings of
the court-martal which had sat on the
preceding day. 1t had passed SEN
| tence Of death upon a certain William
! Gilfoy for having joined the Moro
| forces and fired upon his former COM
rades. If Colonel Saunders affixed his
signature to the document the death
sentence would be carried out-net a
year hence, nor month hence, nor
day hence, but now.
| There was death in the quiet air, ia
! the huShed expectancy of the camp /;
| in the rows OF whiCe-Washed cells in
| tie barracks also, and in the barrack
yard, where grim post, like an snor-
nous carpenters square set upright,
| creaked as the eXecutiOner tested the
mechanism Of the trap.
| His sweetheart muttered the
! colonel again. Il can't see her-I
won't see her, Walters. Tell her"
May l come in?" inquired e gentle
voice outside, and a girl eAtered-a
| typical American girl, such as is to be
met in thousands in the little towns
and villages of the New England
| states.
Il am Miss King she said, smiling
happily at Colonel Saunders. Il sup
pose William has told you that-that
we are to be married here, now that
his term has ended" A slight blush
sutfused her face. But they told me
in the barracks that Mr.. GilfOy had
gone to Manila to meet me there she
said. 1T seems dreadful mistake,
doesn't it?'
+, Inwardly the colonel blessed the
foretlrought OF his men.
| "But l am so glad that he has
! served his country with honor, and
has come safely through these terri
BILE dangers" Miss King continued.
"He was-well, little wild. But he
has redeemed himself, as l knew he
would. Congressman Lathrop-" she
hesitated. Then, seeing the coloneps
look, and mistaking it, she continued
HE told my father that William
would be safe under your care, Colo
mel Saunders. That is what everyone
says about you at home"
In the brief moment that elapsed
before he answered her a thousand
thoughts rushed through the colonels
brain. A minute ago he had actually
dipped his pen into the ink prepare
tory to signing the death warrant.
Now the act seemed impossible. He
| thought of Gilfoy-he had been wild,
| but good and brave soldier. cOnspic-
uOuS in many engagements until the
devil of loneliness that was eating out
his heart summoned the drink devil
| to his aid and the two together fud-
died the boys brains until he turned
traitor and disgraced the regiment and
his country.
| He might have saved him by a few
kindly words.
| Excuse me, Miss King" he said
abruptly. "Pray be seated. I will be
back in few minutes"
Inside his cell William Gilfoy. was
| HI riv Ivy
through the bars at a wisp of blue.
! When the colonel entered he started
az a man awakening out of a dream.
The colonel sat down beside him upon
the plank he'd.
"Gilfoy," he said quietly, "your
sweetheart is here
Gilfoy looked hard at him.
| "She hasn't been told?" he said Inn
passively.
"Not yet, Gilfoy."
The boy smiled bravely. 81 think
| it would be best to have it done as
soon as possible" he said. "But, sir
| must she know?"
"She shall never know" answered
| the colonel. Then he bent forward
and took the boys hand in his.
"GilfOy," he said, 'you have taken
| no life 1t was not you who betrayed
your country-it was your devil. A
! cavalry troop leaves. for Santos this
! evening. You will accompany it and
! there take the train for Manila"
| Gilfoy half rose, and suddenly sal
/ down again and burst into tears.
81 ought to die" he sobbed. "She
will never"
"She will never know anything" the
colonel answered, completing the SEN
tence. He called to the jailer.
'Private Gilfoy is pardoned," he
said. Bring him his uniform and set
! him free.''
eyes, Miss King, you will have to
go back to MANILA" said Colonel
Saunders five minutes later. eff we
had known you were coming well, we
might have made different arrange
ments. There will be a cavalry troop
/ leaving for Santos, the terminal, to.
morrow afternoon. Till then you
must be the guest of the regiment"
He passed his hand over his eyes,
| and, suddenly Selling his pen, he
| scra wled sVerdict diSaDDrOyed" across