Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-12


hammock, brought mighty relief to Bel
KNAPP at the whist table and vexation of
spirit to his pretty wife. The Irritation
was broken at a most interesting point.
and Perry, rising suddenly, came over
and joined Mrs. Lawrence.
IL she expected 10 see him piqued or
annoyed at the interruption and some
what pcrturbed in manner, she was
greatly mistaken. Nothing could have
been more sunshiny and jovial than the
greeting he gave her. A laughing apol-
ogy to Graham for spelling his tete-a-
tete was accomplished in moment, and
then down by her side he sat and plunged
into merry description of his expert
ences at dinner, where he had been
placed next to the chaplain's wife on the
one hand, and she had been properly ag-
grieved at his attentions to Mrs. Belknap
ON the other
"You must remember that Mrs. Wells
Is very strict Presbyterian, Mr.. Perry;
and, for that matter, none of us have
seen dinner such as the colonel gave us
this evening for ever and ever so long.
We are quite unused to the ways OF
civilizations; whereas you have just come
from the east-and long leave. Perhaps
il is the fashion to be all devotion to
ones next door neighbor at dinner"
mot if she be as repellent and veneer
able as Mrs. Wells, assure you. Why,
l thought she would have been glad to
leave the table when, after having re-
fused sherry and Pontet-Cane for up
wards of an hour, her glass was filed
with champagne when she happened to
be looking the other way"
at is the first dinner of the kind she
has ever seen here, MIR. Perry, and
don't suppose either Mr.. or Mrs. Wells
has been up so late before in years. He
would have enjoyed staying and watch
ing whist, but she carried him off almost
as soon as we left the table. Our society
has been very dull, you know-only our
selves at the post all this last year, and
nobody outside of it,"
Zone would suppose that with all this
magnificent cattle range there would be
some congenial people ranching near
you. Are there none at allI'
Absolutely nonel There are some
ranches down in the Washita country,
but only one fine one near us; and that
might as well be on the other side of the
Atlantic. No one from there ever
comes here; and DIR. Quin is the only
living soul in the garrison who ever got
within the walls of that ranch. What
he saw there he positively refuses to tell,
despite all our entreaty."
"You don't tell me there's a ranch
with mystery here near Rossitert' ex-
claimed Mr.. Perry, with sudden interest.
"Why, | do, indeed Is it possible
you have been here two whole weeks
and haven't heard of Dunraven Ranch?"
1--WE heard there vas such a thing; |
saw it from distance when out hunting
the other day. But what's the mystery?
what's the matter with it,"
THAT'S what we all want to know
and cannot find out. Now, there is an
exploit worthy your energy and best
efforts, Mr.. Perry. There is big,
wealthy. well stocked ranch, the finest
homestead buildings, we are told, in all
this part Of Texas. They say it is beau
tifully furnished-that it has a fine
library, a grand piano, all manner of
things indicative of culture and refine
ment among its occupants-but the own
er only comes around once or twice a
year and is an iceberg Of an English
man. All the people about the ranch
are English. too, and the most repellent,
boorish. discourteous lot of men you ever
saw. When the Eleventh were here
they did everything they could TO be
civil to them, but not an invitation
would they accept, not one would they
extend; and so from that day to this
none of the officers have had any inter
course with the people at the ranch, and
the soldiers know very little more. Once
or twice n year some very ordinary look
ING men arrive who are said TO be very
distinguished people-in England; but
they remain only a little while, and go
away as suddenly as they came"
"And you have never seen any of
them"
''Nerer, except at n distance. Nor
has any one ,f the officers, except Or.
Quin."
"And you ave never heard anything
about the inn ates an, why they keep
up this policy Of exclusiveness?"
I'VE have h ard all manner of things
some OF the m wildly romantic, some
mysteriously ragic, and all of them.
probably. absurd. At ali events, Capt.
Lawrence has told me hs did not wish
no ,~Sat what l had heard, or to be
concerned iSSSgy way with the stories
seoa,. 80 con ~ ask somebody else.
Try the doctor. To chsgge the subject,
Mr.. Perry. see you have - mat mys-
terious little silken braid ana tassc..>>S9ul
wore on your cap button. ! fancied
there was some romance attached to it,
and now it is gone"
Perry laughed, his blue eyes twinkling
with fun: ''If l will tell you how and
where got that tassel, will you tell me
what you have heard about Dunraven
Ranch!"
81 cannot, unless Capt. Lawrence
withdraws his prohibition Perhaps he
will, though, for think it was only be-
cause he was tired of hearing all our
conjectures and theories"
"Well, will you tell me If can induce
the captain to say he has no objection"
persisted Perry.
81 will to-morrow-if you will tell me
about the tassel tonight"
sis it a positive promise? You will tell
me tomorrow all you have heard about
Dunraven Ranch If ! viii tell YOU to-
night all | know about the tassel?'
"Yes-a promise"
very well, then. You are a witness
TO the compact, Graham. Now for my
confession. have worn that tassel ever
since our parting ball at Fort Riley.
That is to say, It has been fastened to
that button ever since the ball until to-
night; but I've been mighty careful not
TO wear that cap on any kind Of duty"
"And yet you let Mrs Belknap take it
off to-nightg'
"Why shouldn't II There was no
sentiment whatever attached to it.
haven't the faintest idea whose it was,
and only tied II there for the fun of the
thing and to make Graham, here, ask
questions"
"SIr. Perryf" gasped Mrs. Lawrence.
"And do you mean that Mrs. Belknap
knows--that you told her what you have