The Scarlet Feather

OD

d get

s rang in Dick's e

chestnuts in picturesque clumps intersected the rolling grass land, and wondered if this were the last ti

step into the train that was to carry him away from Dora.

where he was to meet Dora again, by appointment. There, the elms in the av

to look back upon and remember with pleasure. She was no puling, sentimental girl to hang about his neck, and crush roses into his hand. The tears were in her heart; the roses in her cheeks. Warm kisses from her ruddy lips would linger longer than the perfume of the sweetest flowers. She had wept a great deal-but in secret-and careful bathing and a dusting of powder had removed all traces. As she proceeded down the av

f to her mouth to avoid crying out. Oh, the horrid, shooting pain in her breast, and the stinging in her eyes! The tree trunks began to waver, a

hed him quite close before he saw h

!" he

shedding floods of tears. He held her to his heart without a word, till the wild throbbing of her bo

mean to

int and weak. Oh! why did I let a little silly pride stand in the way of my happiness? Why did I promise to fight in a cause I disapprove? War always was, and always will be with me,

not the mind

g. I was reared in a rectory, where we were taught to love our enemies, and turn to the smiter the other

r country and-for me. You'll come bac

ybe I sha'n't c

as a noble patriot, who nev

dea of carnage, and gaping wounds, and men shrieking in agony, gouging one another's eyes out, and b

his nation, and the nati

now, and I'm going through with it. I st

ry d

t's the fault of the army postal service-and

sted, with a laugh. "I've only had two notes from you, but those

e not sorry you engaged yoursel

abuse yoursel

ite sure?"

sure, m

for that cad, Ormsby?

one lit

fort. He was so stuck-up about it! To hear him talk, you would have thought he was going to run the whole

d nurses there, who take night and day

ted conte

ay as soon as he ge

t that rests with father. You know how he lov

when I come 87 back. Do you know what

N

about the way he'd behaved, and the others told him it was caddish; but he said he knew a thing or two about the mone

infam

t owed my liberty to him-as much as to say that, if he ch

the very essence of conceit and stubborn pride, and was pro

se about me, no matter how plausible they may seem. I know I've been going the pace; but I'm going to pull up, for I've come into a fortune now

less it comes from your dear lips." The girl's

en strong arms are clasped about a yielding form, and eyes look into

lf-denial that was ready to offer up the love of a lifetime on the red altar of Mars. As he pressed his lips to her cheek and his hard breathing sounded in her ears, she seemed to hear the roaring of cannon, the clatter of hoofs, the rumble of artillery ove

The very end, the dreadful