Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-13

after she weighed anchor-no one aboard
could tell just when, but he was writing
in his state room as she cleared the har-
Dor, and the steward saw him updress-
ing at o'clock In the morning every
thing about his belongings was found IN
perfect order-his letter to the captain
of the ship, the portmanteaus, watch,
ring, clothing, ETC., just as he described
in that letter-and he was no more seen.
1t was the conviction of all that he must
have leaped overheard in the darkness
when far out at sea.
Then Mrs. Maitland bowed her head
and never lifted it again. Then, all
alone, and fiercely rejecting anything
like sympathy, old Maitland took to
travel-came here to America, wandered
around the world, stunning men as he
would these prairie wolves; and when
he had to go to England he would see no
one but the attorneys and solicitors with
whom he had business. Here at Dun
raven he is more content than anywhere,
because he is farther from the world.
Here Gladys is queen: twas she who
named it, two years ago, for her mother
was a connection of the earfs. But
Maitland even here hates to have his
name mentioned and that is why say
he refers all business to me and keeps
himself out of everything. Do you see
what a weight he carries"
|, Mr.. Even had grown red with the in
tensity and rapidity of his talk. He re-
moved his hat and mopped his face and
brow with big silk handkerchief, and
then glanced again at Perry, who had
listened with absorbed interest and who
was now silently thinking it over, look
ing curiously at Even the while.
Have I bored you half to death?"
asked the Enghshman, somewhat rue
fully. Il never told that story before,
but it has been smoldering for years"
Bored? No! never was more inter-
ested in my life. was thinking what a
different sort of fellow you were from
the man I met out yonder the other day.
Did they never do anything to clear the
matter up? In our country it never
would have been allowed to rest there"
"It was too far gone; and when
the BOY killed himself the thing was
used BY all the government papers
you'd call them administration organs
AS a confession Of judgment. When
the Lancers came home there was some
talk, but it was soon hushed. Maitland
had shut up the old place by that time
and gone no one knew where, but read
it in one of the London papers-Truth, I
think-a story that two of the irregulars
had quarreled with their fellows and
after the war was over told tale that
made sensation in Cape Colony. They
said that the young officer was ma
igned man; that up to midnight he had
pushed on, but every scout and patrol
they met warned them that thousands
of Zulus were ahead, and that it was
madness to try. The men began whis-
pering among themselves, and begged
the sergeant to attempt to dissuade the
Lancer officer; and he did, and they all
began to talk, but he refused to listen.
'At last they halted at little stream
and fatty refused to go a step further.
He ordered, begged and implored. He
promised heavy reward to any one of
their number who would come and show
him the way. Then they heard the night
cries or signals of some war parties across
the fields, and the sergeant and most of
the men put spurs to their horses; the
others followed, and they rode back five
miles until they We're within our patrolled
lines; then they bivouacked, supposing,
of course, the Lancer had followed them.
But he hadn't: he never joined them all
next day, and likely as not he had done
his best to get through that strange
country by night alone, and had tried to
carry his dispatches to the detachment.
They knew they must tell a straight
story or be severely punished. They
we're twelve against one when it came to
evidence, as the sergeant pointed out.
and so they agreed on the one that sent
him to Coventry.
''Some of the Lancer officers got hold
of this and swore they believed it true;
bit meantime the government had had
the devils own inns in tidin2 ais lord
ship the general over the numerous
blunders ne had made in the campaign,
and the Lancers were summarily or
dered off elsewhere. There was no one
left to take up poor Arches cause at
home, and the thing died out
"By the Lord Harry, Mr.. Even, it
wouldn't die out here! We Yankees
would resurrect such a thing if it were
old as mummy"
Sometimes I think old Maitland
would be glad of the chance to do it,
even, broken as he is; sometimes. Mrs.
Cowan says, he walks the floor all night
and holds Arches last letter in his
hands. She thinks he charges himself
with having driven the boy to suicide.
Does Miss Maitland never revisit the
old home:" asked Perry, after mo-
ment's thought.
''She goes with her father-every-
where. He is never here more than twice
a year, and seldom for more than six
weeks at q time. Were it not for her, he
would settle down here, believe. He
went TO Cape Colony and tried to find
the men who gave out that story, but
one of them was dead and the other had
utterly disappeared. There were still
six survivors of that escort, the sergeant
among them. and he was a man Of some
position and property. They stuck to
the original story, and said the two men
who had started the sensation were mere
Matchmaking Migrants. Maitland adj
vertised everywhere for the missing man,
but to no purpose. think he and Miss
EIatlys have finally abandoned all hone