Weekly commercial herald., 1886-02-26
CHAPTER Y.

In6r0 was only one DlOG IN Gno sweetness
and light of Miss Mignon's baby character,
80 far as the officers Of the Scarlet Lancers
were concerned. Among them all there
was only one whom she did not like. She
had degrees Of love-Bootles ranked first
then Lacy, then two or three groups of
friends whom she liked best better and
we'll; but she had no degrees of dislike where
she did not love- She hated, hated tiercely
and furiously, hated with all her baby
heart and soul. There were several persons
in her small world whom she detestel thus,
absolutely declining to hold communication
or to accept overSures from them, however
sweetly made; but thera was only one Of
the officers who came un1er this
head, and he was Gilchrist, the
man who had dubbed her at first
,Oorkhouse brat. Miss Mignon could not
endure him. When old enough to under
stand that a certain box of sweetieS had
come from Mr.. Glchrist, she would drop it
as if it burned her fingers draw down the
corners Of her mouth, and remark, "Miss
Mignon is very much obliged;' an observa-
ton which invariably sent Bootles and Lacy
of into fits of laughter at which the little
maid would fl open-armed to him and cry,
"BUt Mignon loUeS Bootles." But the fact
remained the same, that Miss Mignon de-
tested Gilchrist, who, indeed, was not a
fnvorite in the regiment Nor, indeed, did
Gilchrist seem to like Miss Mignon any bet
ter though he now and then brought his
offerings of toys and bonbons, like the rest
In the face Of Bootles' severe snub about the
two odious words he had applied to her. he
Tas hardly such a simpleton as to further
rouse or annoy the most popular man in the
regiment; yet if he could possibly cast slur
on Bootles or on the child he did it. Never
from his lips came the pet name miss Mig
uon," never did his black eyes rest on her
without sneer or jbe; if he could by any
chance twist Bootlo5' words into an admis-
sion that the child was really his, he took
care never to lose the opportunity.
''Oh, come, now," Preston cried one day,
when he had been sneering at Bootles and
Lacy, who had just driven away with the
child between them, "Bootles is a right
good sort-no mistake on that point. Nc
sneaking hypocrisy about him. 1t would be
well for you AMI me if we were half as fine
chaps; but we ara not, Gilchrist, and, what
is more, we never shall ben
''Oh no; but where is the mother of that
brat2n
"How should I know? or Bootlos3
shouldn't mind laying my life that Bootles
never did and never will cause her or any
other woman to write such letter as came
with the child that night. Jolly good thing
for this one if she was Bottles wife, instead
of being tied up to the hound WHO bound her
to secrecy and deserted her. Perhaps she's
dead, poor soulI Who knows?
perhaps she isn't" Gilchrist sneered.
'Some people never dien
Good naturel and not very wise Preston
stared al him, and Hartog looked from be-
hind his newspaper, aghast at the bitterness
of his tone.
Good heavens Giichrist" Preston cried,
"are You srdnting somebody to die''
Gilchrist tried to laugh, and succeeded
very badly. He rose from his chair, knock
ing few scattered cigar ashes carefully of
his braided cuff.
"Well, confess should not be sorry to
see that prOting brat Of Bottles out of the
road. We Should perhaps get at the truth
then" And having delivered himself of this
feeling speech, he went out, banging the
door after him.
well, upon my soul' exclaimed Preston.
"Oh, tie mans got tile loose in his upper
story" said Hartog, decidedly. ''No man
in his senses would talk such miserable rot
as that. Always thought Gilchrist crazy
fool myself, but Pm sure of it now.n
"And how he sticks to it Miss Mgnon is
Bootles' own child-as if it could be any
good for him to say she isn't if she is.n
''No. shall tell Bottles to keep an eve
on Gilchrist. say, what comfort it would
be if he would only exchanged l suppose
we can't manage to dazzle him with the de-
lights Of India, ehP
mot very well. Besides, he lost ever SO
much seniority by coming to u.s."
mo such luck. It's queer, though, he
should be so persistent about Bootles and
Miss Mignon. Isuppose he wants to daub
Bcotles with some Of his own mud. Thinks
if he only throws enough, some Of it's sure
to stick, and so it would with most men.
Happily, however, it don't in the least
matter what little cad like Gilchrist
chooses to say about man like Bootles-a
jealous little beast"
Neither Of them said any more about the
matter, but Hartog took the earliest oppor-
tunity Of repeating to BOTTLES what ''that
ass Gilchrist" had said about seeing that
| prating brat of Bootles' out of the road,
and in consequence kind Of watch was set
upon the child. Not that BOTTLES, though
he had very poor opinion Of Gilchrist and
Gilc5rists brains, was afraid for moment