Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-02-05

observed something unusual in the man
ner of Capt Fritz, but both were at a loss
to account for it. oA A short retrospect,
however, will throw some light upon his
conduct. (. .-i.......r ...-.....
On the preceding evening, Fritz had
heard enough of the conference between
Gen. Holmes and Maj. Dade, to learn its
purport. AT first he was inclined to be
amused at the folly of the Major, in sup
posing that be could secure any interest
in the affections of Ida, whilst he (Eritz)
was his rival But when he saw, in7the
morHing, the easy confidence with which
Maj. Dade approached Ida. and the en-
barrassment she exhibited, his fears were
aroused. A second thought, however, sug-
lgested that he was mistakenin his conclu-
sions, and that her embarrassment was
only a specimen of good acting, and
designed to hurry declaration from him.
SELF But he esteemed himself too good
an officer to be over-reached by artifce,
and at once resolved to turn Ida's battery
against herself. With this view, he invit-
ed Bell to ride with him, and so shaped
his course as to fall in with his lady love,
that he might show her, by his manner,
how impossible it was to circumvent him.
This is the secret of his behavior, on this
occasion; and he rode forward with the
pleasant reflection that he was partially
avenged, and soon began, mentally, to
arrange the terms on which he would con-
sent to forgive the fair culprit. His only
regret was, that his duty to his superior
officer did not permit him to manifest his
displeasure at the presumption of Maj.
Dade '. -.5
The arrival of recruits was quite an
event, and all was hustle in the fort when
our riding party reached it. Ida rode up
to her door a little in advance of her com
panion, and Lieut.. Wilmer stepped forward
to offer her his assistance. She greeted
him with a smile of welcome and recogni-
ton, and as she was about to pass on, he
placed a letter in her hand, andapologized
for his forwardness by saying that he had
promised to deliver the letter in person,
and had taken the earliest opportunity to
do SO. She thanked him, and saying she
would be pleased to see him in an hour,
to make enquiries about distant friends,
entered her apartment and shut the door,
bowing an apology for doing so in the face
of the handsome young officer.
Wilmer aoas a very handsome man-one
rarely surpassed in perfection of form and
feature and to this he owed the dislike
of Capt. Fritz, who took every opportunity
to show it, keeping, however, Just within
the limits that define how far superior
may press his arrogance to an inferior off
Ger. Wilmer saw and felt all that was in
tended but had borne it patiently, having
too great contempt for the Captain to
hazard a violation of discipline by resent
ing his demonstrations of ill-will. The
state of feeling between the two was we'll
known to all in the fort, and the sympathy
of the large majority was with Fritz, whose
vanity prompted him to court the favor of
all who did not excite his envy. Even
the ladies, with few exceptions, took sides
with the Captain; and some of them had
been known to gaze upon Winners mas
siye forehead, shaded by rich profusion
of black hair; his large brown eyes,
Grecian nose, finely turned chin and mouth
that belle might envy, and turn away,
exclaiming-"what a pity that so much
physical beauty and mental power should
belong to one possessing heart of stone
"a cynio, hater of his race"
How far this harsh Judgment was
merited, the reader must decide, not now,
but when further acquaintance has sus-
tanned, or overruled it. True it is, that
Wilmer was solitary in his habits-devot-
ing most of the time not occupied in the
discharge of duty, to books and meditation
He rarely attended any of the scenes of
gaiety devised to vary the otherwise
monotonous routine of I6rt-life, and his
social intercourse was accidental and un
sought. But when thrown into society,
his manner was easy and dignifed, and his
conversation such as to rivet attention, in
spite of prejudice. His chief amusements
were the chase aud long excursions into
the territory of the hostile Indians, whose
movements aud designs he reported, with
so much accuracy, to Gen. Holmes, that
j his reports were relied upon as unques-
tionably true. For days together, with no
l;,,;p,, ,o,,, L., 4 4