Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-30


go ~ rison this Nav day MORN
S.o ing. Mrs. Belknap's hunt
came off according to plan, and the three
heroines Of the previous run rode forth
with but slight change Of escort. Capt.
Stryker felt constrained to remain in
garrison; lac had quiet investigation to
make, and was observed TO be in close
conversation with DIR. Quin as the gay
party assembled in front of Col. Brai-
nard's quarters. Mr.. Perry appeared in
his captains stead. and very politely re-
quested the honor of being escort to Mrs.
Lawrence, who accepted, vet looked a
trifle embarrassed Is she did So. Indeed.
! not until she had stolen an appealing
glance at her husband and heard his
cordial by all means. dear; Perry can
gIide You far better than l, and perhaps
you'll win another mask, did she thank
fully say Yes" Dana rode with Mrs.
Belknap, as before, and it was the colo
mel himself who suggested to Stryker
that Mr.. Perry should accompany Mrs.
Lawrence this day, and that he, the
colonel, should ride with Mrs. Sprague.
Perry had eagerly lent himself to the
proposition he figured that now he could
have an uninterrupted chat with Mrs.
Lawrence and hear what she had TO tell
about Dunraven. Just before starting
he sought Capt. Lawrence, laughingly
told him the terms of their agreement,
and begged that he would relax his
marital injunction and permit her TO give
him such details as she happened to be
in possession of. Indeed, Capt. Law
renee" he said, Il ask from no idle curl
osity. have been to the ranch, as you
now know, and have good reason for
asking" To his surprise. the captain
replied substantially that, while he had
| regretted Mrs. Lawrence's impulsive rev
Citations, he had thought it all over and
| decided that the best way out was that
I Perry should be told the whole story and
be able To see how very little there was
| D. 1t. He had decided, therefore, to tell
him himself; land this evening. Perry,
If you will dine with Us informally, well
talk it over afterwards. Meantime. /
prefer Mrs. Lawrence's name should not
be mentioned in connection with any
story there may be ahoat: so oblige me
by saying nothing TO her on the subject"
This was one matter for reflection and
something Of a surprise; but there was
still another and even greater one. That
very morning, just before guard mount,
and while he was dressing, Perry shout
ed, Come in responsive TO a knock at
his sitting room door, and in came Capt
Sryker. The object of his early call
was explained in very few words.
H.. e,
see Serst. Gwynne this morning, and the
doctor walked back from tho hospital
with me and told me of your threatened
disagreement Of last night. Ii il had not
been for that sudden call to the stables
fancy there might have been quarrel
Now, l think you know I'm one OF the
last men to let an officer of my regiment
especially my trOop-be placed in q
false position, and-you can afford 10
leave this matter in my hands. can YOU
not:"
Certainly, Capt. Stryker."
Then / want you to say nothing to
Quin on the subject, and to treat him,
as far as possible. as though nothing had
happened. His relations with the lady's
father and family were, and are, such
that she ought to treat him with respect
and Difference, and TO accept h'E advice
even though it be given III a style that
Carlyle. his favorite author, is mainly
responsible for"
There was absolutely nothing in-in
that. Well, captain" stammered poor
Ned. Il don't know how to say what
want To say" He wanted to say there
was nothing in that interview which
could possibly be criticised, but it sud-
denly occurred To him that on the con-
trary there was a good deal Then he
desired TO assure the captain that, so far
as he was concerned, there wasn't a sus-
picion OF wrong doing; but-heav-ns
and earth!-that was equivalent to say
ing the lady was doing all that was open
| to remark, and nothing would ever in
duce him to give away a woman" as
be would have expressed it. Perry STAN
mered and Redeemed all the more, and
at last gave il up in despair, Stryker
sitting there the while with a quiet grin
on his bronzed face and mechanically
slsshing his boot legs with a riding
switch.
u think / understand the situation,
clIN dU0 lIcic , uO great mar IN uODe.
Only, let the matter drop-so far as the
doctor is concerned, / mean; do not
presume to obtrude advice upon you as
10 anything else. ."
And, though he had meditated diff
ferent course, and had fully intended
hunting up Dana and sending him with
note 10 call upon the doctor for an
explanation he was glad to have a
man OF Stryker's standing cry halt. All
the same he was sore incensed against
DR.. Quin-mainly because of the jeal-
Gus pain me suffered at the knowledge Of
his being so welcomed by Gladys Matt
land when he saw fit to visit the ranch;
and this pain gnawed all the more an
grily now at thought Of the embar-
rassing-even INSTRUMENTATION in
which that very man had found him on
the previous evening. Pressing duties
and hurried preparations kept him from
brooding too much upon these sore
points, but the youngsters all rallied
him upon his preoccupation while at
their merry breakfast table. He had re-
solved that there was one thing he could
and would bring to an issue with DIR.
Quin. and was all impotence for the
coming Of evening. that he might hear
from the lips of Capt. Lawrence the act
ual stories that had been in circulation
concerning Dunrayen Ranch. He never
went out 10 hunt 80 utterly Indifferent
to the fortunes Of the day. 50 eager to
have it all over and done with. And
yet-and yet-never had there opened
10 him a day SO radiant with glorious
possibility; never before in all his Young
life had nightfall proved so unwelcome
when it finally came
The first rabbit was started before they
werea mile from Rossiter, and the hounds
tumbled over him nearly league away
down the valley Of the Monee 1t was
while they were watering their horses in
the stream that Mrs. Belknap rode up be-
side them and laughingly addressed Mrs.
Lawrence:
"Tha- was too much of straight away
for either of US, Mrs. Lawrence; but what
81. 4. n