Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-10-19

shout it2 OF course you do not seek ex-
pert testimony in asking me. He tries. l
suppose, to adapt himself to circum-
stances. But why do you askr'
because see that he has been induc-
Ing Mira Belknap to take OF that little
tassel on the button Of his cap. He has
worn Il when of duty ever nnce he
came; and we supposed IL was something
he cherished: know she did"
Graham broke forth In . pealof merry
laughter, but gave no further reply, for
Just then the colonel and the doctor left
their chairs, and, sauntering over to tho
brought mighty relief to Bel
KNAPP at the whist table and vexation Of
spirit to his pretty wife. The Irritation
was broken at most interesting point.
and Perry. rising suddenly, came over
and Joined Mrs. Lawrence.
II she expected to see him piqued or
annoyed at the interruption and some
what perturbed 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 q 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 30 long.
We are quite unused to the ways Of
civilization; whereas you have just come
from the east--and long leave. Perhaps
II is the fashion to be all devotion to
ones next door neighbor at dinner"
"Not IL she be as repellent and vener-
able as Mrs. Wells. ! assure you. Why,
I 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 filled
with champagne when she happened to
be looking the other way"
"It Is the first dinner of the kind she
has ever seen here, Mr.. Perry, and I
don't suppose either Mr.. or Mrs. Wells
has been up SO late before in years. lie
would have enjoyed staying and watch
ing whist, but she carried him of 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,"
''One would suppose that with all this
magnificent cattle range there would be
some congenial people ranching near
you. Are there none ut all?"
Absolutely none! There arc 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 fyom there ever
comes here; and DR.. 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 Rossiter" 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 Ranch1'
"Ive heard there was such thing;
saw it from a distance when out hunting
the other day. But what's the mystery2
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 a 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 q 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
cow. 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 year some very ordinary look
ing men arrive who are said to be very
distinguished people-in England; bu,
they remain only a little while, and &c
away as suddenly as they came"
"And you have never seen any OF
them?"
"Never, except at distance. Nor
has any one of the officers, except DR.,
Quin."
"And you have never heard anything
about the inmates and why they keeI
up this policy of exclusiveness?"
"We have heard all manner of things
some of them wildly romantic, some
mysteriously tragic, and all Of them
probably, absurd. At all events, Capt
Lawrence has told me he did not wisl
me to repeat what / had heard, or to b.
concerned in any way with the storie
afoat; SO you must ask somebody else
Try the doctor. To change the subject
Mr.. Perry, see you have lost that mys
terious little silken braid and tassel yo'
wore on yorr cap button. l fancie'
there was some romance attached to it
and now it is gone"
Perry laughed, his blue eyes twinklini
with fun: 'If ! will tell you how ant
where got that tassel, will YOU tell m
what you have heard about Dunravel
Ranchf"
IL cannot, unless Capt. Lawrenc
withdraws his prohibition. Perhaps h
will, though, for l think it was only be
cause he was tired of hearing all on
conjectures and theories"
"Well, will you tell me if can induc
the captain to say he has no objectionI
persisted Perry.
II will o-morrow-if you will tell m
about the tasEol tn-nipht a."