Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-13
fcopyrighted 1889 BY the Author /
"a wartime Wooing," Etc

Mrs. Gordon but did we not hear that
DIR. Bayard was always dong the devoted
TO some woman-a young one pre-
feFred?' asked her next door neighbor,
who had just dropped in for a moment s
chat
Mrs. Miller certainly told me so; it
was his reputation in the East, and very
possibly he is attracted now by such an
undeniably stylish and handsome girl :.
She can t be so very young either. Look
at those lines under her eyes.
Yes, and when she turns her head
her neck shows it, the throat is getting
stringy, Here comes the doctor from the
Office now. I warrant he passes every
other woman and goes straight TO her. -
seThen it will be good by, Mr.. May
hew, to her present. escort, warrant
you in return, Fanny Forrest has no use
for subalterns except as fun TO pass away
the time -
''Yet she made eyes at Mr.. Mclean all
that first day she was at the Miller's.
think that is really the reason Mrs. Miller
cannot bear her. She won Il speak of her
If she can help it. Now watch the doc
tor -
There were perhaps half dozen
ladies in the patTy at the mo-
ment, and all eyes were fastened on
the tall and distinguished form of
Doctor Bayard as ne strobe across
the parade, his handsome, pOrtly figure
showing to excellent advantage in his
snug fitting uniform. They saw him bare
his head and bow with eourtieP-like
grace to Miss Forrest and again to her
escort rs he stopped and extended his
hand Then, after few words, he
again bowed as gracefully as before
and passed on in the direction of the hos
pital.
Certainly the most elegant man in
manner aud bearing we have seen at
Laramie for 1 don't know when, - said
Mrs Gordon. 81 don t wonder Nellie
worships him. -
s'She thinks her father simply per-
feet - was Mrs Wells reply. 81
dread to think what it viii cost her when
disillusion comes, as come it must
Why! Who is that he is talking with
nOw?''
Just at the northeast corner of the
quadrangle-jus beyond g Bedlam -
the doctor had encountered a stOutly-
built man who wore an overcoat of hand
some beaver fur thrown wide open over
the chest in Difference to the spring like
mildness Of the morning, and who car
ried travelling bag of leather in one
hand. After moment of apparently
cordial chat the two men walked rapidly
southwark along the gravel path, all
eyes from all the piaZzas upon them as
they came, and, passing one or two
groups of ladies, entered the gateway at
the doctor 5 quarters, where Nellie
Bayard with ''the Gordon girls, hap
pened TO be seated on the veranda.
Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Wells arose
from their chairs and gazed across
the parade in their very natural curiosity
to see what was going on cover at the
doctors - They saw the stranger raise
his cap and bow low over the hand that
Nellie extended to him and then make n
bobbng obeisance to each of the Gordon
girls as he was presented to them. Then
he took chair by Miss Bayard's side,
while the servant came out and relieved
him Of his oyercoat and bag and then the
Gordon girls were seen saying adieu
Nellie followed them to the gate, but
they evidently felt that the stranger had
not come to see them and that it was time
to leave The ladies' on the home piazza
awaited their coming with no little
Impotence and Mrs. Gordon was
prepared to administer a sharp maternal
reproOf when they were seen to stop in
answer to halls from the groups they
passed en- route, Everybody wanted to
know who the fur-coated stranger was,
and their progress hOmeward from the
southwest angle was, therefore, nothing
short OF running the gauntlet of in
terrogations. Possibly in anticipation of
the displeasure awaiting her, the elder
maiden of the two stTOye to ''cut across
lots when she came near the south
eastern corner whereat, facing north,
stood the big house of the commanding
officer, but Mrs. Miller was too expert
enced a hand, and bore down upon the
pair in sudden swoop from her piazza to
the front gate, and they had to stop and
surrender their information.
AS a consequence every woman along
that side of Laramie knew before Mes
DANES Gordon and Wells that Roswell
Holmes of Chicago, the wealthy mine
owner and ''cattle grower, - had just
arrived in his own conveyance from Chey-
enne and had been invited TO put up at
the doctor 5 quarters during his stay at
the Fort
''Think of it!'' exclaimed Mrs. Gordon
ga bachelor, only thirty weight and worth
million. No wonder Doctor Bayard
seized hint
''The doctor knew him before, moth
er, - put in her daughter, 'Nellie
WASH t introduced at all He came right
up and told her how glad he was to see
her again-he looked it, too.
''They knew him in Chicago-met him
there on the way out, - said the younger
81 heard the doctor say so. Now look!
Mere comes Fanny Forrest and Mr.. May
hew, and she wants 10 know who the
stranger is if she doesn t she's the first
person we met who didn t ask -
But Miss Forrest proved an exception
to the rlIle-so far as questions were con-
cerned at least. She'stopped in front of
the gate, looking beamingly up at the 4
group on the piazza.
Mrs Gordon, she said, "'Mr.
Mayhem has invited me to walk down to
the camp of the battalion and as haven t
been outside the limits of the post since
we came l should like to go. They are to
have inspection in field kits III half an
hour. Don I You want TO come with the
girls? He says there are half dozen
young gentlemen down there who are
eager to see them
"Oh mamma, do!' implored both
girls in breath,
WHY hardly know Miss Forrest -
Mrs. Gordon, heSitatingly.
: AfTS E'prraSt