New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-15

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| encef lie followed her to the hall ana iolded tile
shawl carefully round her graceful FORM LOT anotne
happy minute yet he stood win her nahu oongb
| i'm his meeting all her heart shining out through
her deep blue ey es Then the carriage door eloseu
with a sharp bang, which struck cold ana heaVy
on his ear, as the rolling wheels bore her away
| into the night
| Perhaps his eyes were somewhat dazzcd by the
bright parting glance he had drunk in so eagerly,
for all other things around looked aim fresehtsy
he turned listlessly take his hat and depart III MS
tnru still feeling like that dreams. Suddenly;
| however, something impelled him to look mp, ana
| what was his disn6y, when he tound hlhseh i"co
| to face with the CO0Dell
There was crowd of departing guests in the hall
and as they gathered and ostled each other; tne
TWO men who had been thus eXpectedlV oiougnIe
Rether were again borne apart j ne recognition wn'
but instantaneous therefore, and III another mo
meat the Junior officer had contriyed 10 mlnge WIN
and disappear In the crowd But Dy me SIerI. asso
ished gaze which had ret his eye lot tn1o pIioi W
slant he knew that he had been ldentlhed, anu ths
| the Colonel fully remembered where lie ooghI u
| have BEEN
n he still ventured to retain my hope that the rec
| IGNITION had not been complete, such hope was
promptly dspelled by the orderwhch presently rang
| out IN omLous tones from the C00nels well-knoWh
| voice of thunder
Drive TO the ROYAL Bank instantly' 1t said with
awful dlstnctness. And go ds fast az you can
Captain Kendall had managed to slip unoOserVea
through the doorway and ne now $1,000 III to r
IN waiting there were all private ones Inc hach-
ney coaches far down the ME- ana even hau nc
been luCkk enough TO secure OUo III
of the heels at that dead hour o the nIsht, sPeeu
ing in the direction the ColOnels carIlage,
in Iced the very fact OF yehcle There
was not moment 20 be lost.
At this crisis fortunately his wits did not torsake
him. sudden inspiration presented ITSELF 20 MS
mind and his decision taken IN twlnKllhg;
Favored by the OppOrtU darkness. he crept rOnnd
to the back of the COOnes carriage, and Just as IL
was s9Ttng he sprang nlnUy b H horses and
ratified his wheels through the sun streets OF tne
sleeping city clearing the distance IN donDle-qucK
time i'm order TO iOrestall the return OF the ueiln-
quent officer Neither muster nor II an guessed tnat
their hot haste was bearing back the truant TO MS
post. Within the carriage the Colonel sat SUIT anu
erect as became worthy dsciplinarlan, wholly IN
tent on the conviction of his peccant JUNIOR,
in whose impending discontinue he could not heIp
feeling grim and righteous satisfaction Az me
back the Captain sat CrOuchlng on the Step, uesper
ately concerning his measures
.Impullence! stand my friend through this scrape,
he mentally calculated Perhaps all IS not lOst
vet When the carriage turned Ito --Street ana
the bank appeared in view, he jumped lightly down.
and under the friendly cover of night, ran To the
small wicket gate in the lane; Most luckily ne Hau
taken the key with hun. and hurrledly letting MN,
self in, he passed swiftly through the court, ana
came up with the sentinel inside the great gate.
while the carriage was taking the longer curve
which led up to the front. Hoy he blessed the
chance impulse which had induced him to take that
key!
The Colonels there he said breathessly Don't
be too quick in undoing the chain Give me rs long
as you can. And say, Dickson" he added anX-
Iously NUNS the word you know-if You cam
'AV! ay SIR muttercd the old sentinel as he
shuiled slowly along He WAS very parsiaI to the
young man, and not much 50 TO the Colonel.
The Captain passed hurredly within.
Just then the bell OF the great gate rang out lohg
res0unding peal.
The sentinel clanked the chain noisily as he
hooked and unlocked it, fumbled with the key IN
the lock- and made such iudicious delays as enabled
the officer on guard to compose himself IN attend
ance at his post before the heavy doors turned on
their hinges to admit Il Q Colonel
Where is Captain Kendall = he asked, as ne
alighted, in stent0ran tones which VIDrateu
strangely through the silence, with a sort OF angry
expectant note of triumph.
ION guard sir = answered the soldier curtly.
'WhatP cried the Colonel, in the shrillest Of ac-
cents lie was too utterly taken aback to say an
other word. The sentinel adopting his usual stolid
demeanor took no notice of his eviuent astonlsh-
ment. Captain Kendall heard the inquiry from
within and came forward. REFRESHING any Inward
tremors he might feel he resolved to put bold face
on the matter
Here. sir: do You require me he asked coolly.
The Colonel stared at him His face, with its ex-
preston of mingled sGernness and entire bewllder-
nent would have been no mean study for q painter
lie could hardly believe his eyes. Keenly scru-
timing the younger man, who did not quail before
his gaze. she said stily after u pause OIL some
Il certainly thought, sir. saw you at the bali in
D. Street Just now y
Me. sir n replied the other audaclously. why
nm on guard sir
1T very singular resumed the Colonel, with
ont relaxing his scrutiny and slightly raising ms
VERY singular indeed, SIR retOrtcd the delln.
oueut gaining bOldness from the very extremity OF
the strait to which he found himself reduced since
n man can't be in two places at once, and you have
found here. \ case OF mistaken identity perhaps,
SIR
The two men stood still cycling each other. one
kpenly eager to detect the other eagerly seeking
TO avoid detection. The Colonel WAS completely
batied. The man was There before hlm-that
was certain but how, having lett hm. as he ielt
sure he had DONE among the guests at the ball, he
came TO be there now was lneXpllcable. Not nav
ing wings wherewith to fly, how Oh earth lad the
fellow got there Could he have been mistaken, he
wondered for u moment. But no, he knew lie nad
lie shifted the form of his interrogation:
Then you were not at tho ball = he asked very
Tie Young officer was worthy of all cOndemna-
ton Tor having tOrsaken the post OF duty. But
though he had acted lneAcuSa0ly he was still %
gentleman, and he would not pOlute his lips with
d lie. lie hesitated for Il reply then parted the
question with another
How could | 10 at the ball when you find me
here, sir p he asked.
Yes, how THAT was the mystery, the simple
solution of which was the furthest in the world
from presenting itself to the Colonels BRAIN lie
knew ttat it was quite impossible for another car
riage to have arrived before his own. Ills COACH
man had driven quickly enough to satisfy even
his impatience and he could not have failed to
notice if another vehicle had preceded or followed
his through the deserted streets. lie could not III
the least understand it.
Silent but wholly uncOnvinced. he sat down in
the hall to think what it might behOove him To say
or do next. while the Junior officer hustled about
in restless fashion setting refreshments before him.
and awkwardy endea Vorlng TO turn the conversa-
ton into another channel The Colonel answered
at random, for his thoughts were perpexing
Mystifed, and righteOusly SGT on conylctIng the
offender he doubtless was, he could not help
nevertheless, feeling perception of the comical
side of the question He felt too. that however
fully persuaded he might be In his own mind of
Captain KendaFs offence. it would perhaps be
dhieult matter to prove It; IL length he cleared
Look here. Captain Kendall he said in accents
which somehow had take a mider sound from the
bent OF his cOgitatiOns. it's no use beating about
tho bush; | uoud stake nv eNistence that saw