The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-09-07
AWAITS CIIELD-FRIEND.

the officers of Jack Amyatt's regiment
when he suddenly doomed out in a new
character, that OF Il literary man.
''Wha Il fuss You make about Major
Amyatt,'' cried Il beauty one day to
one of the youngsters, who had been ex-
trolling his accomplishments.
ooh, the majors such an out and out
eood sort" returned tho lad, blushing a
fine scarlet all over DIS handsome face at
thus being caught at hero worship.
as he?" responded the ludy, who tried
every Fascinating art in her power on
Amyatt, but without avail. "What does
he do to win him so mrcil adulaticn"
81 don't know about adulation," said
the lad rather curly. But / know he is
the best soldier | ever knew, and the
most popular. Why, the regiment would
follow him to the dev-, to the end of the
world. that is" correcting himself hast
ilv. ''He's good, that is, among the best
of any sport you like to mention, and he's
the best army writer there is, IN spite of
the shoals of women who have tried their
hand at putting us on paper, and only
succeeded in making their soldiers look
like bagmen out for a holiday i'll a blazer
and u pair of tennis-shoes.'
The beauty drew herself up with a lit
tie more dignity than she usually dis
played. "Dear me, Mr.. Arlington, you
are severe-almost as severe as Major
Amyatt looks when he goes to a ball, and
stands regarding us frivolous and faulty
women as stiff and straight as if he had
swallowed his ramrod !; we'll as bring
ing the other parts of his uniform with
him."
1t was on the tip of young Arlington's
tongue to remind the beauty that Il ram
rod is not part of Il cavalry officers equip
ment, but, as he had done IL minute or SO
before, he remembered his manners in
time and let the remark pass without
further notice.
"Well, l don't think the major cares
much about ladies'" he admitted.
"I'm sure they don't care much about
him. returned the beauty sharply.
81 never heard him say II word against
n woman in my life" he said, eagerly,
"never. Only, he don't seem to be very
keen on dancing and afternoon teas, and
so on. BY the way, Miss Vane, will you
come and havc n cup of tea or anything?'
The beauty thought she would have an
ice. and took the lads arm with alacrity,
glad, perhaps, to get away from the sub
iect of Il man who had remained blind
and deaf to the attractions and fasciha-
tions, literally set forth for his benefit
from time to time, of the beauty of the
country. The name of major was not
mentioned again, but, all the same, the
conversation had set young Arlington
thinking about it.
81 say he said, that evening to Moore,
the senior ~subaltern, sis Amyatt what
you'd call a woman hater?"
mot a bit of it," returned Moore,
promptly; Il don't believe he thinks
enough about 'em to hate them"
"But that's sailing pretty near the
wind, ehr' inquired Arlington, laughing.
"No, Idon't think so. Amyatt doesn't
dance, nor go out to tea much; but then
he has plenty else to do. To me he never
seems to think of getting married; but
then he's only six-and-thirty, and what
fellow in his senses would think of get
ting married before that?"
Now this conversation no more enlight-
ened him as to the state of the majors
affections or natural inclinations than
the one with the beauty had done, SO
Arlington put his question to some one
else, choosing this time the senior cap
tain, one George Trevor; and when Trevor
heard it he stared hard at him.
"Amyatt a woman-hater. Whatever
put such an idea as that into your head?"
"yVell, | can hardly say; but he is, do
you Think"
ga mountaineering, of course he
isn't"
"But, Trevor, he never has anything to
do with women at all, never goes to teas,
- xn r1a, 80 ,tIac craXrap hallS
if he can get off it, and when he does go
he never dances"
mo more he does! He never did dance,
even as n cornet.
"Was he the same them"
II fancy he was; certainly he never
hung about the women much,' Trevor
admitted.
did he nave a let-down any time do
you Think" Arlington persisted.
"A let-down, no. The women were al
ways too jolly eager to have him at any
price. Lord, I've seen hundreds of wo-
men try for Amyatt, hundreds of 'em"
That's just it," put in Arlington,
eagerly. "They all try-but they just
nave to try. It's queer, for Amyatt'sa
handsome chap, ard rich as a jew"
Cant say, I'm sure. Just now he's so
taken up with his novel-writing, and
every spare minute seems to go to that"
"But why did he take up novelwrit-
ing?" cried the lad.
Gath, and l can't say" Trevor
laughed. "Buth his ~love-making's mighty
pretty for Il Uaolnan-hater, don't you
think"
Meantime the object of all this thought
was in the sitting-room of his comfortable
quarters overlooking the green, which
occupied part of the barrack-square. 1t
was a pretty room, with walls of dark
o~live-green, relieved only by three or four
pictures in plain gilt frames, all of them
originals of the illustrations of the story
which had made his name famous-no,
not his name, but that by which he chose
to be known to the world.
For Major Amyatt did not write under
his own name, prefeIring for many rea-
sons to be known as John Dawes" the
chiefest of which was that as a beginner
he had scarcely dared to contemplate the
possibility Of other than failure, and he
had no wish to appear before the regl-
ment in the light of a n~on-success. so,
although for some time his intimates had
known him as the popular author who
stood second to noue as a faithful define
ator Of army men and manners, to the
world at large lie was still John Dawes,
and but few knew that the name was not
his own.
A handsome man was Major Amyatt;
and looking at him as he sat at the table,
one could not wonder at young Airing
toms curiosity concerning his past life.