Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1922-02-16
The
Soldiers Bride
By HAZEL SMITH
q ~. western Nerr1.a..: -

~AleAl
'ImDOssible!" shouted old ~,
Saunders, chewing at his .,s.l
mustache; and for the 6rss t,;-
ing forty years Of active sarvl.. y
actually trembled. The horror ! /.
was more OverpOwering than ~ !,
Of the Moro bolOs when. dr,DL y.
bhang, they closed in upon ths ~
mish line 'ImDOsslble!" he mpt,..
and sank back into his chair
Outside the hot sun Of the PAN.
pines burned the parChed lana 49,
ing its scOrching rays Into thu ~,
washed house In which he sat NJ.
the table In front Of him his ora.
had placed closely typed decpm.',
Of five pages. It was the fndinu
the court-martial which had sat n 4.
preceding day. 1t had passed q
tence Of death upon a certain Wlus.
GilfOy for having Joined the M
forces and fired upon his former %,
rades. If Colonel Saunders affixed n.
signature to the document the dasa
sentence would be carried out-Da
year hence, nor a month hence IA,
day hence, but now.
There was death In the quiet An !,
the hushed expectancy Of the csmD.
in the rows OF white-washed cells 4
the barracks also, and in the bar,.s
yard, where grim post, like an enos
nous carpenters square set upriqa
creaked as the executioneE tested K,
mechanism Of the trap.
His sweetheart muttered
colonel again. II can't see he
won't see her, Walters. Tell her-
MAY l come int" inquired a genth
voice outside, and a girl entered
typical American girl, such as is 70
met in thousands In the little town
and villages Of the New Engan
states,
II am Miss King" she said, smllIs
happily at Colonel Saunders Il 90
pose William has told you that-sha
we are to be married here, noR 81
his term has ended" A slight BID
GuTused her face. but they told u
in the barracks that Mr.. GllfOg All
gene to Manila to meet me there n
said: "Et seems q dreadful mlstat
doesn't lt2''
InWardly the colonel blessed u
COrsthOught Of bis men.
"But / am. 80 glad that be Is
served his country with honOE,
has come safely through these tsl1
BILE dangers" Miss King cOndna
"Hs was-well, q little wild Bul Z
has redeemed himself, az ! knew
would. Congressman LathrOp
hesitGted. Then, seeing the cOlona
IoOk, and mlstaklng II. abe ccntlnus
"He told my father chat Wllllaa
would be safe nhder yOpF care M
mel Saunders. That Ii what eyefy
says about you at home"
In the brief moment that clap
before he answered her q th0asaa
thoughts rushed through the cOlone
brain. A minute ago he had actual
dipped his pen into the Ink prepasE
tory to signing the death warrslt
Now the act seemed impossible q
thought Of Gllfoy-he had been Hha
but q good and brave soldier. con
uous In many engagements until q
devil Of loneliness that was eating
his heart summoned the drink dsia
to his aid and the two together lat
died the boys brains until ne tura
traitor and disgraced the regiment
his country.
He might have saved him By g
kindly words.
Excuse me, Miss King. be
abruptly. spray be seated. ! VII 2
back in a few minutes.'
Inside his cell william Gilfoy
seated beside his cot. staring vacan4
through the bars at q wisp O. 49,
When. the colonel entered be STATS
as q man awakening out Of 9 dEs-
The colonel sat down. beside him 2
the plank he'd.
"GilfOy," he said quietly
sweetheart Is here"
GilfOy looked hard at him.
"she hasn't been tOldr' be said
passively.
mot yet, GiIfOy." -.
The boy smiled braVely. 49,
It would be best TO have It zone
soon as possible" ne said. but y
must she known
"She shall never know" ansHsls
the colonel. Then he bent IoSH-As
and took the boys hand In MS
"Gilfoy," he said, "yOu have a.. a.
no life. 1t was not you who Deuss'ss
your eountry-it was your oeV- &.
cavalry troop leaves for Santos - -
evening. You will accompany =
there take the train for Manila
GIlfoy half rose. and suddenly =
down again and burst into tear" -.
II ought to die" he sObbed