Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-27

shown it to his friend in Wayne's troop
when they got back. The latter per-
suaded him to let him take it, as the
lockers of the men who were at Dun
raven were sure, he said, to be searched.
1t was known that he had q grudge
against Gwynne; he was one of the men
who was to have gone to the ranch the
night they purposed riding down and
challenging the Englishmen to come out
and fight, but had unaccountably failed
at the last moment. They believed that
he had chosen that night to hide the
ring in the sergeant's chest: he could
easily have entered through the win
ow. And this explanation-the only one
ever made-became at once accepted as
the true one throughout the garrison.
During the week Of his furIough the
sergeant found time to spend many hours
by the bedside of Lieut.. Perry, who was
rapidly recovering, and who by the end
of the week had been lifted into an easy
invalid chair and wheeled in to see Mr..
Maitland. When not with Mr.. Perry,
the young troopers tongue was ever
wagging in his praise. He knew many
a fine officer and gallant gentleman in
the service of the old country, he said,
and he admired many captain and sub
altern in that of his adopted land, but
the first one to whom he ''warmed"-the
first one to win his affection-was the
young cavalryman who had met his pain
full wound in their defense. Old Matt
land listened to it all eagerly-he had
already given orders that the finest thor
oughbred at Dunraven should be Perry s
the moment he was able to mount again
and he was constantly revolving in mind
how he could show his appreciation of
the officers who had befriended his son.
Mrs. Cowan, too, never tired Of hearing
Perry's praises, and eagerly questioned
when the narrator tagged. There was
another absorbed auditor, who never
questioned and who listened with down
cast eyes. 1t was she who seldom came
near Perry during his convalescence, she
who startled and astonished the young
fellow beyond measure, the day the am
bulance came down to drive him back to
the fort, by Withdrawing the hand he
had impulsively seized when at last she
appeared to bid him adieu, and cutting
snort his eager words with Mrs. Belknap
will console you, dare say" and alb
ruptly leaving the room.
Poor Ned, In dire distress and per-
plexity he was driven back to Rossiter,
and that very evening he did most SEN
sihle and fortunate thing; he told Mrs.
Sprague all about it; and, instead of con-
doing with him and bidding him strive
to be patient and saying that all would
come right in time, the little woman's
kind eyes shone with delight, her cheeks
flushed with genuine pleasure; she fairly
sprang from her chair, and danced up
and down and clapped her hands and
laughed with glee, and then, when Perry
ruefully asked her if that was the SYM
pathy he had right to expect from her,
she only laughed the more, and at last
broke forth with:
sob, you great, stupid, silly boy! You
ought to be wild with happiness. Can't
you see she's jealoust"
And the very next day she had a long
talk with DR.. Quin, whose visits to Dun
raven still continued; and one bright
afternoon when Gladys Maitland rode up
to the fort to return calls, she managed
to have quite chat with her, despite the
fact that Mrs. Belknap showed strong
desire to accompany that fair English
girl in all three of her visits. In this
effort, too, the diplomatic services of
Capt. Stryker proved rather too much
for the beauty of the garrison. Was it
possible that Mrs. Sprague had enlisted
him also in the good cause? Certain it
Is that the dark featured captain was
Miss Maitland's escort as she left the
garrison, and that it was with the con-
sciousness of impending defeat that Mrs.
Belknap gave utterance to the opening
sentence of this chapter; Mr.. Perry had
distinctly avoided her ever since his re-
turn.
One lovely evening late in May Mr..
Perry was taking his first ride on the
new horse, splendid bay and perfect
match for Gladys Maitlands favorite
mount. Already had this circumstance
excited smiling comment in the garrison;
but if the young man himself had noted
the close resemblance it conveyed no
blissful augury. Everybody remarked
that he had lost much of his old buoy
ancy and life, and it must be confessed
he was not looking either blithe or well.
Parke had suggested riding with him
t,-u inh
coldly that the junior stopped to think a
moment, and began to see through the
situation: and so MIR. Perry was suffered
TO set forth alone that evening, ana no
one was surprised when, after going out
of the west gate as though bent on rid
ing up the Monee, he was presently seen
to have made the circuit of the post and
was slowly cantering down towards the
lower valley. Out on the eastern prairie
another horseman could be seen, and
presently the two came together. Col.
Brainard took down his binocular and
gazed out after them.
Il declare" said he, 'those two fig
ures are so much alike l cannot tell
which of them is Perry"
Then the other is Sergt. Gwynne, col
onel," said Stryker, quietly. Put him
in our uniform, and it would indeed be
hard to tell the two figures apart. Mr..
Maitland told me last week that that was
what SO startled and struck him the first
time he saw Perry"
"How is Mr.. Maitland now, do you
know"
He gets NO better. After the first
week of JOY and thanksgiving over his
boys restoration TO him, the malady