Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-19

go ahead, by all means, and see
whethe- those lights came from there.
1t made me think of play once saw
the Colleen Bawn'-where a fellows
sweetheart signaled across the lake by
showing light in her cottage window
just that way three times, and he an
swered by turning out the lights in his
room. Or course the distance wasn't
anythir like this; and there was no one
here to turn down any light Eli! what
did you sayT'
II beg pardon, colonel. didn't mean
to interrupt" put in a gentle voice at his
elbow, while little hand on Perry's arm
gave IL sudden and vigorous squeeze,
but Capt. Lawrence has called me twice
he VIII not re-enter after lighting his
cigar-and / must say good night"
"Oh, good night, Mrs. Lawrence I'm
sorry you go so early. We are going to
reform you all in that respect as soon as
we get fairly settled. Here's Perry, now,
would sit up and play whist with me an
| hour yet"
mot this night, colonel. He has prom
ised to walk home with us" another
squeeze), land go he must, or be faith
less escort. Good night. We've had
such lovely, lovely time"
And Ned Perry, dazed, went with her
TO the gate, where Capt. Lawrence was
awaitiI them. She had barely time to
murmur:
"You were just on the point of telling
him about the doctors lights. l cannot
forgive myself for being the means of
| aQainey q. hnf lraarN
keep-ihis until everybody is talking
about i; it will come soon enough"
Naturally, Mr.. Perry went home some
what perturbed in spirit and all alive
with conjecture as to what these things
could mean. The first notes of .assem-
bly, of the mpeters"-generally known
as first call'-roused him from his sleep.
and by the time the men marched out TO
the stables he had had his plunge bath, a
! vigorous rub and a chance to think over
his plans before following in their tracks,
dressed for his ride. The establishment
of Lieut.. Parke. the junior of the troop,
was something almost too deep for words
when Perry came bounding to his side.
What on earth brings you out, Ned?"
was his only effort.
''Going for a gallop-down the Monee;
that's ell. l haven't had a freshener for
| a week"
"Gadl we get exercise enough at
mornir & drill, one would think, and our
horses too. Ohr'- And Mr.. Parke
stopped suddenly. 1t flashed across him
that perhaps Perry was going riding
with lady friend and the hour was her
selection. If 50, twas no business of
his, AMI remarks were uncalled for.
When he mounted and rode away from
the stable Nlr. Parke was outside at the
picket rope, and busily occupied in his
duties, supervising the fastening of the
fresh, spirited horses at the line, for the
troop commander was man intolerant
of disorder of any kind, and nothing
more offended his eye than the sight of
two OF three of his charges loose and
| plunging and kicking up and down the
stable yard. On the other hand, there
was no one exploit that seemed to give
the younger animals keener delight
nothing that made the perpetrator a big
| ger hero in his own eyes or the object of
| greater envy among his fellows-and as
consequence every device of which
| equine ingenuity was master was called
into play, regularly as the morning came
around, to break loose either from the
| controlling hand of the trooper or from
the taut and straining picket rope. The
hrst ciIre OF the officer in charge of the
troop sergeants was, therefore, to see
that al the horses were securely dashed
and kn otted- Not until he had examined
every halter shank" was Mr. Parke at
leisure TO look around, but when he did
his conlrade had disappeared from view.
And over this broad level, horizon
bounded, not moving object could be
seen. Far away, in little groups of three
or four. black dots of grazing cattle
market the plain, and over in the
"breals" of the Monee, Just beyond the
| fringirg cottonwood two or three
! herds of Indian ponies were sleepily
cropping their morning meal, watched
by the little black imp of boy whose
dirty red blanket made the only patch of
color against the southern landscape
Later n the day, when the SUD mounted
high in the heavens and the brisk west
erly winds sent the clouds sailing swift
across the skies, all the broad prairie
seemed in motion, for then huge shad-
ows swept its face with measured speed,
and di slant cattle and neighDoring pony
herd appeared as though calmly and
contentedly riding on broad platform,
Natures own observation car" taking
a leisureiy journey towards the far away
Pacific
But the sun was only just up as Mr.
Parke came back from his inspection Of
the halter fastenings and paused to look
across the low valley. Far down to the
southe asst the rays seemed gIinting on
some bright objects clustered together
within short range of the shadowy
fringe, and the lieutenant shaded his
eyes with his gauntlet and looked fixed
| ly thitherward as he stood at the stable
door.
$50 ne new timing down at that Eng
lish ranch they talk of. suppose" was
his ex olanation of the phenomenon, and
then wonder why Perry hasn't ridden
to cultivate the acquaintance of those
people before this. He was always the
first man in the -th to find out who our
neighbors were"
| Pondering over this question, It oc-
/ SuiIeNl 10 MI. tArk6 InaI ferry had said
he was going down the Monee that morn
ing; tut nowhere was there a speck in
sight hat looked like Looping horseman.
To be sure, the trail bore close to the low
bluffs that bounded the valley on the
north by the time one had ridden mile
or so out from the post. He was prob
ably idden by this shoulder Of the prai-
RE, and would continue to be until he
reached the bend, five miles below. No
use W itching for him then. Besides, he
might not yet have started. Mr. Parke
recalled the fact that he half suspected
viii ago that Ned was going to ride
an early ante-breakfast ride-with q
lady friend. Mrs. Belknap had her own
horse, and was an accomplished eques-
trienne; Mrs. Lawrence rode fairly well,
and was always glad to go, when some
body could give her saddle and reli-
able mount. There were others, too,
among the ladiesof the infantry garrison
who we're no novices a cheval. Mr..
Parke had no intention whatever of pry-
| ING into the rnattar II xa-aa 81, -