Army and Navy Weekly — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

1076 mother, she is simply beautiful. Texas tells me I am very much in love with her ; perhaps Iam. Texas ought to know best. She is certainly very sweet and attractive. She has joined the Seven Devils to help me fool the yearlings. “T ouess I shall have to stop now. I hear some sounds that make’me think it is time for tattoo, and besides, I aim get- ting very homesick, writing to you way out in Colorado. You need not be fearing any rival to my affections, mother dear, even if I am fond of Grace Fuller. I wish I could see you just once to-night to tell you how much I miss you. And Iam still. Your devoted son, *f Mark.:? The plebe laid down his pencil with a sigh. He folded the letter and sealed it, and then rose slowly to his feet. Outside of his tent he heard quick steps and voices, and a moment later the rattle of a\drum broke forth. ‘“Tattoo,’’ he observed. SO. » >) , He turned toward the door as the flap was pushed aside—and a tall, slender lad entered, a lad with bronzed, sun-tanned features and merry gray eyes. ‘Hello, Texas!’’ said Mark. ‘“Hello,’? growled Texas. ‘Look a yere! What do you mean by runnin’ off an’ hidin? all evenin’? I been a huntin’ you everywhere.”’ “Dye been right here,’ said Mark, ‘“writing a letter home. Did you want me to go to.the hop?”’ “No, I didn’t. But I wanted you to tell me all bout that crazy Meg Adams last night an’ what youdid. You ain’t had time to tell me all day.”’ Mark told him the story then. They were still discussing it when they turned out and lined up for roll call; and that ceremony being over, they scattered again, Texas still, eagerly asking ques- tions about the strange affair. There were two other occupants to that A Company tent, ‘‘The Parson” and “Sleepy.’? The other three members of the Seven Devils had a tent to them- selves in the B Company street, a tent just to the rear of Mark’s. The four in Mark’s tent were still talking about Meg and her unpleasant temper when taps sounded half an hour later—ten o’clock— “I thought ARMY AND NAVY “lights out and all quiet.’? They stopped then. Sentry No. 3 that night was ‘‘Baby”’ Edwards, Bull’s faithful friend and imita- tor. His beat lay along the northern edge of the camp, skirting the tents of Com- pany A. And Baby Edwards let quite a number pass his beat that night. For instance, he was on duty from midnight until two. It was bright moon- light then, and Baby could have seen any one who crossed his post; but he heard a signaling whistle and faced out in order not to. ‘The person who entered was a boy clad in a blue’uniform, an ‘‘order- ly,’’ as they are called. He ran silently and swiftly in and made straight for one tent. When he got there he hesitated not a moment, but stepped in and crept up to one of the sleepers. It was Mark Mallory who awoke at his touch, and Mark sat up in alarm and stared at him. “Sh !? saidthe boy. ‘Sh! Don’t wake any one.’’ ‘What do you want?” manded. “Pye a letter, sir, a letter from her again.’? Mark stared at the boy and recognized him at once as a. messenger who had given him a note from Meg Adams about a month ago. And he sprang to his feet in surprise. “She writing again!’’? he whispered. ‘Ouick, give it to me.”’ He broke the seal, stepped to the tent door, where, in the white moonlight, he could read every letter plainly. And this was what he saw: ‘Dear Mr. Mallory :—Oh, once more I have to write you to call upon you for aid. You cannot imagine the terrible distress I am in. And I have no one to call upon but you. I do not say if you love me, but if you even respect me as a woman, come to my aid to-night, and at once. And come alone, for I could not bear to have any one but you know of my terrible affliction. Oh, please do not fail me! You may imagine my state of mind when I write you like this. And let me call myself ‘Your friend, Mary Adams.’’ Mark finished the reading of that letter in amazement, even alarm. “Did she give you this??? he demanded of the boy. ‘Ves, sir, she did, not five minutes COmicloo S Mark de- | CO