The Florida agriculturist., 1889-10-09
DUNRANEN RANCH.
A Story of American Frontier Life.
d. ApT c11ApI nc ZINC II g
By CAPT. CHARLES KING, U. S. A
OR OF "THE COLONEI1s DAUGHTER" "FRONG RANKS"
DEsERTER,"
Copyrighted 1885, by Lppo Company Philadelphia Published by
Special Arrangement through the American Press Association

Belknap were among the chief orna-
ments of society, but now matters
seemed to be taking other shape. From
the very day that handsome Ned Perry
dismounted in front of Relknap's quar-
ters and with his sOldiery salute reported
to the then commanding officer that Col.
Brainlrd and his battalion of cavalry
would arrive in the course of two or
three hours, Mrs. Belknap had evinced a
cOntentment in his soclety and assumed
an air of -proprietorship that served
to annoy her garrison sisters more than
little. For the time being all the cav
alrymen were bachelors, either by ac-
tual rank or by brevet," as none Of the
ladies of the -th accompanied the bat
TALON on it's march, and none were ex-
pected until the stations of the regiment
in its new department had been definite
ly settled. The post surgeon, too, was
living a life of single bIessedness as the
early spring wore on. for his good wife
had betaken herself with the children,
to the distant east as soon as the disap-
pearance of the winters SHOWS rendered
staging over the hard prairie roads a
matter of no great danger or discomfort.
1t was the doctor himself who, seated
in an easy chair at the end of the We
randa, first called the colonel'S attention
to Perry's devotional attitude at Mrs.
hammock, one little, slippered foot occa-
sionally touching the floor and impart-
ing gentle, swinging motion to the
affair, and making a soothing swish
swish of skirts along the mating under
meath. Her jeweled hands looked very
slender and fragile and white as they
cleaned in the soft light that shone
from the open windows of the parlor.
They were busted in strengthening out
the kinks in the gold cord of his forage
cap and in rearranging little silken
braid and taSsel that was fastened in a
clumsy, man like fashion to one Of the
buttons at the side; he. seated in camp
chair, was bending forward SO that his
handsome, shapely head was only a
tride higher than hers, and the two
hers SO dark and rich in coloring, his
SO fair and massive and strong-came
rather too close together for the equa-
nimity of Capt. Belknap, who had es-
sayed to take hand at whist in the par
lor.
One or two of the ladies, also, were
silent observers of the scene-silent as to
the scene because, being in conversation
at the time with brother officers of Lieut.
Perry. they were uncertain as yet how
comments on his growing Irritation might
be received That their eyes should oc-
casionally wander towards the hammock
and then glance with sympathetic sig
nificance at those of some fair ally and
intimate was natural enough. But when
it became presently apparent that Mrs.
Belknap was actually unfastening the
little silken braid that had hung on Ned
Perry's cap ever since the day of his ar
rival-all the while, too, looking shyly
up in his eyes as her fingers worked;
when it was seen that she presently de-
tached it from the button and then, half
hesitatingly, but evidently in compliance
with his wishes, handed it to him: when
he was seen to toss it carelessly-even
contemptuously- and then bend
down lower. as though gazing into her
shaded eyes. Mrs. Lawrence could stand
it no longer
"Mr. Graham" said she, isn't your
friend. Mr.. Perry, something of a f1irtY'
"Who?-Ned?" asked Mr.. Graham, in