Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-12-28
The Colonel's
Daughter
Bx HAROLD sINcLAlRE.

Copyright. 1921. western Newspaper Union.
Coward How that word ranked
within the soul of Ralph Warden, and
what a difference it's utterance had
made in his life!
He had lived at Junta, frontier
town and a military post, since boy
hood. Just as he came of age his
mother had died. Through her brief
period of illness it had been the
friendly visits and kind ministrations
of Ethel Lynd that had made her Sc
rene and peaceful. Ralph had grown
to love the beautiful daughter of
Colonel Lynd.
He recalled the day when Miss
Lynd, her girl cousin, Lieutenant Van
derloot and three visiting school
friends of Ethel were StrOlling near
the river when a homeless drunkard
known about the district as Pauper
Joe, reeled across their path. He
CHANGED to joggle against Ralph. In
his maudlin fury called him name
that was always wiped out with blood
In that primitive section, and struck
him.
For moment the fire of resent
meDt and Indignation sprang to the
eyes of Ralph. Then, clinching his
fists, holding his breath, his face grew
ashen as he stood rigid as statue.
He fancied he noted look of con-
tempt cross the face of Miss Lynd He
heard a word spoken
"COward!' -
| Then the group passed on, but not
until Lieutenant VanderlOOt had
! stepped forward Wanting his chival-
rous strength in some sheer at Ralph,
and with a cruel blow sent the poor
| wretch, Pauper Joe, to the ground.
1t might .have been over-sensitive-
| ness, but Ralph fancied that Ethel and
| her friends purposely hurried on. He
| fingered. I, 1t was he who lifted the
| stranded wreck to his feet and led him
| to lodging house.
Two days later Ethel left Junta, and
| Ralph had not met her In the mean
| time. Z
81 kept my PROMISE" said Ralph to
| himself staunchly, as he thought OF
| the blight that had come over his fair
| love dreams. 81 have lost Ethel, the
story of that blow has got around
tied craven; but l promised mother,
and have kept my word!'
It was on her death bed that Mrs
| Warden had drawn her son to the
sacred pledge regarding two things
drink and fighting. Mrs. Warden had
| died with a satisfied smile, when her
loyal son had promised never to raise
| his hand against another in temper or
hate.
| One day a sudden resolution came
| into his mind he would join the regu-
lar army. Thus it was that one year
| after the last sight of the only woman
he had ever loved, he was a sergeant
[ at Fort Danger, under orders of the
! man he had considered rival-a rival
no longer however.
II wronged you once, Warden" ad:
mitted the lieutenant voluntarily the
day Ralph came TO the fort. u
| thought you potroon. and said SO
| Later it leaked out to all of US about
| your sacred promise to your mother
/ respect you for it | think that dis.
covery made pretty Miss Lynd edge
away from me-" t
The whirligig Of time brought about
another strange happening Paupel
!. Joe, no longer a drinker, the fond, fer.
vent friend of the man who had been
kind to him, was also stationed al
| Fort Danger.
1t was late on blazing hot summer
afternoon, when as Ethel Lynd sal
| in breezy corner Of Fort Blain scan.
ming the broad plain with field glass
| she made out a horseman in the
distance, coming at terrific speed She
! Informed the officer in charge. Twenty
minutes later there dashed into the
| fort a reeking horse.
The rider was Ralph Warden, his
helpless burden Pauper Joe.
| water, for the love of heaven !" he
pleaded Then, when the cooling
draught had passed his fevered lips
"Care for him, sergeant-the hero
must tell the story quick, for I'm
done for"
What story it was! Fort Danger,
surrounded by Indians, cut off from
civilization, with only weeks sup.
| plies, was hemmed in. Most Of the
soldiers, desperate, mad for fight, had
got at the liquor stores. They would
fight like demons. but when the food
gave out they were doomed.
i Ralph Warden, Pauper Joe and two
others had made the only attempt pos.
sible for relief-a dash across the arid
4 desert. Indians had attacked them
Ralph had shielded Joe, grabbed him
up to his saddle at the risk of his life
and
!, He was my only friend-a hero, the
sole survivor" breathed Joe. Heaven
bless him r. and died.
), Fort Danger was relieved and saved
1t was Ethel who nursed Ralph back
to life. 1t was Ethel who contritely
told him how she had wronged him
and later how she regretted losing
him, and now, when his eager lips
a questioned her, she told, too, how she
loved him.
| \