Show I 1 z F 16 I 1 1 I 1 I 1 AK OLD I 1 I 1 HE IV 0 T juit J ia M treat aken I 1 my ora servant I 1 came in n to tc I 1 0 pun down dowa the ibe cur car bains and light the W lamps in my n i I 1 t bachelor our regiment was waa F stationed at fort spokane many mites m aw from a town its very cold outside sir sald said dolan as he gave the fire an extra poke that sent the shadows flickering and n dancing on the wall 1 I believe sir its below freeze why sir air continued dolan thoughtfully though fully its as cold as the night we marched to his sentence was never completed for just juat then we heard a faint timid knock dolan opened the door and then with a half grin he be turned to me and said A lady to see the lieutenant A lady I 1 thought and half ancon doubly clou sly rose to meet her walk in me lady said dolan rather ceremoniously and then my eyes beheld a little figure muffled from head bead to toes 1 I gunned away came boldly from under a big soldier fur cap almost covering the entire face ise cold A moment later dolan and I 1 were both on our knees taking ng off her overshoes leggings and what to my bachelor eyes seemed interminable wraps it was a pretty picture that met my gaze A pair of big blue eyes a head of brown wavy hair that tumbled in all directions and a little red mouth that smiled back at me dick ransoms kid whispered dolan to me ine the mother was buried yesterday arid and the father I 1 asked but dolan shook his head bead the child seemed not at all disconcerted and while she prattled to both of us impartially dolan in a few words told me her history the substance of it was that her father was ransom a dissipated private in F company P and ald betty was left motherless ILs as dolan had said but chos taking care of her now basked I 1 asked nobody but ransom sir I 1 suppose the kid was left alone and wandered off ff be a lesson to the vil lain he concluded under his breath now as my establishment was run in a purely masculine fashion and dolan was cook valet and general factotum the advent of a female even of tender years seemed likely to disturb the usual order of things about dinner sir asked dolan actually interpreting my thoughts af I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 WALK IN ME LADY er some little time we gravely decided to put a place for betty at the table but to confine her to bread and milk the experiment was not a complete success though bettys behavior at the table was irreproachable she rath sr r upset our on r well laid plans by asking for whatever she wanted and to the everlasting Ver lasting disgrace of dolan and my elf getting it after all the little ane much trouble I 1 thought as drew my rocker up in front of the fire after dinner reached for my pipe and lay back in reverie 1 I want my mamma and 1 I felt the little one at my knee betty wants tier ler mammal mamma I 1 reached down and lifted her up in my lap shall I 1 tell you yon a nice story I 1 asked hoping to divert her thoughts from the mother lying under the winter snow shall I 1 tell betty about the fairies betty wants and then with a sud ten len clapping of the little hands bet 7 wants bye lo bye lo what in the world was bye 0 to o probably something to eat dolan would know dolan Dola nr r yes sir air he answered hurrying in the little girl wants bye lo sir dont stand there saying sir I 1 Lu somewhat unjustly but go md ind get it for her get what sir air bye lo you blockhead I 1 thunder id dont you know what it Is inure jd idon sir answered dolan an somewhat reproachfully bye tb 0 9 bye lo repeating t if a number I 1 21 times Wh ati it sir the afie little oine it foras for as usi bye lo tor f betty wants to go 90 bye to 10 sing 3 1 I ng ayelo I 1 sinew she be means meg lieutenant ile 0 said my Y irish erlih henchman at last we were atre on the right track bye e 1 lo 0 sing bye ld lc continued ane I 1 f fang despot de t tn in I 1 1 there was a pause and an I 1 d then DOI delaa udd laid 1 I 1 once knew a song called barlow i buty barlow maybe itis abai wrong wr ne air V I 1 wand dolan somewhat coax 14 wn d do 0 I I 1 hafl ln k ayou bodd i I 1 T I 1 1 1 jadian ja 11 iian an emphatic I 1 e cv shake jot head I 1 I 1 i 4 r 11 M 01 mthr try p i 1 af nsf j gw 1 zae 6 r boff wf s Z tass g I 1 f ar 0 e saw 4 1 noticed that men witt throats like you dolan madi made 1 a grab at his aft throat that wm was rather tunny sing and sing rather wall tw too after all ali vanity can move ve ua to good as aa well as to evil if ff the lieutenant only thought I 1 could said dolan try M it I 1 answered heartily T try ra it it dolan bye to lo sing bye lo commanded my lay lady 1 I think air if I 1 turned we me hack back for which I 1 ask your bardln good idea turn your back and sing dolan turned his back and as I 1 stooped to whisper something to the youngster on my knee there came a terrific howl that rattled the very windows I 1 knew a young soldier called billee barlow with an accent on the low that was simply appalling tor for heavens beavens sake man let up 0 I 1 shouted while betty cried with a little sob gob in her voice bad man bad man poor dear old dolan plainly it was not billee barlow the youngster meant so back to his pots and pans he went and the trouble began again you sing bye lo tor for betty and a little hand patted my face caressingly rock betty and sing bye lo can you sing it I 1 asked the question was an inspiration for she began to croon in a sweet childish treble bye lo baby bye lo baby bye lo baby bye lo by then came again the request you sing sine bye lo for betty there was a lump in my throat as I 1 held the motherless little one close to me and began bye lo baby bye lo baby kwitty Pw itty kwitty and a pat on the cheek was my reward rock betty and sing more bye lo baby bye lo baby I 1 went on and on the big blue eyes began to close and the little hand slipped from my shoulder bye lo baby bye lo baby I 1 sang slower and slower lower and lower bye lo 10 baby bye lo 10 baby bye lo 10 sah THOMAS H WILSON |