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

you" saIG-the quartermaster, 'Td ride
over to the lunch stand You won't get
there cs,nch before the crowd
Perry thanked him for the information,
but. so far from accepting his advice,
the young officer turned his horses head
in the direction of Dunraven, and was
speedily riding thither with an alacrity
that he himself could hardly explain.
In his brief talk with the colonel after
parade on the previous evening Perry
had told him what he could of the char
acteristics of Messrs. Maitland and Even.
The odd letter which had been sent by
them had given the commanding officer
cause for much thought, and he was de-
sirous, evidently, of gathering from
Perrys observations as complete an idea
as was possible of their life and surround
ings. And still Perry had found it i'm
possible to volunteer any description Of
MISS Maitland; he could not bear to SPEAK
Of her until-until be knew more of the
doctors purpose in his visits to the ranch.
He had been detained by his commander
just long enough to make it necessary
for him to go direct to the Spragues
without leaving his helmet and saber al
home. They were waiting dinner for
him as it was, but Mrs. Belknap took no
note OF that circumstance; what she saw
was that he had avoided even passing
within hail of her piazza both before and
after parade.
Now, though conscious of no intention
OF avoidance, Perry rode forth to the
meeting of this day with SOME little mis-
giving. In the first place, he knew that
he must strive to make his peace witt
this sighted lady; and yet, in view OF
all he had seen and heard in the pas:
forty-eight hours, how utterly dwarfet.
had that affair-his laughing Irritation.
with Mrs. Belknap-become! Had any
one told him his attentions 70 her and
her marked preference for his society
were matters that people were beginning
to talk of-some with sly enjoyment,
others with genuine regret-he would
have been grateful for the information.
instead of resentful, as, with most men,
would be the case ninety-nine times out
Of g hundred. But he knew nothing OF
this, and had too little experience TO sus-
pect the comments in circulation. She
was most interesting-up TO the day be-
fore yesterday; he loved to ride or dance
with her; he enjoyed chat with her
more than he could tell A most SYM
pathetic and attentive listener was Mrs.
Belknap, and her voice was low and
sweet and full of subtly caressing tones
She had made him talk to her by the
hour Of his home, his hopes and ambi-
tions, his profession and his prospects,
and had held him in a silken bondage
that he had no desire to escape.
And yet, as he rode out on the breezy
plain this brilliant day, he found all
thought of her distasteful, and his eyes,
far from searching for the flutter of her
trim habit in the distant riding party,
would 90 a-roaming over the intervening
shades and shadows down in the Monee
valley and seek the bare, brown walls of
Dunraven far across the stream. 1t was
odd indeed that he should have sought
this, the longest way round, on his ride
in quest of his companions from the
fort.
Once again he looked at the isolated
clump Of buildings from his post of OBJ
servation on the bluff; once again he
saw across the stream and through the
trees the barbed barrier that had caused
both him and his men such laceration Of
flesh and temper; once again he saw the
shallow valley winding away to the
southeast, decked with its scrubby
fringe work of cottonwood and willow;
but this time. three miles away, its ac-
customed solitude was broken by groups
of riders and darting black specks of
dogs, ali moving northward once more
and already breasting the slopes. He
should have turned away eastward and
ridden across country to join them, but
down here in the valley, only short
distance away, absorbed in watching
the hunting party, sat Mr.. Even on a
paving and excited bay. Whatever
coolreSs his rider might feel st this dis
coverv, y vas net shared by Nolan; rs
rwicl6l 70 his ears and hailed his rel
low uuadruped with cordial and unaf-
fected pleasure, neigh that the English
bred horse was so utterly uninsular as to
wnirl about and answer with CORE
spending warmth. Even caught at his
heavy Derby and jerked it of his bullet
head with an air of mingled embarrass-
ment and civility, replacing it with
similarly spasmodic haste. Perry coolly,
but with a certain easy grace, raised his
forage cap in response TO the salutatlon,
and then, seeing the manager still look
ing at him as though he wanted to say
something and did not know how to be-
gin. gave Nolan his head and rode down
TO short hailing distance.
1--WE meet on neutral ground out here,
Mr. Even. 1 suppose your exclusive
employer over yonder can hardly pro-
hibit your answering civil inquiries after
his health?' And though he meant to
be distant. Perry found himself smiling
at the oddly of the situation.
do you know, 1 was just thinking
about YOU" answered Even, land Won
dering whether you were with that party
down yonder? The old gentleman is
better, thanks. He had two pretty bad
nights, but is coming around slowly"
"And Miss Maitland-how is she?'
"Rather seedy. She has had q good
deal of care and vexation of late, fancy,
and this is no place for n young girl.
anyhow
'Well, you have some appreciation of
the true character of Dunraven as a resi-
6ence after air. answerrv Perry. Now.