Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-27

7
out upon the piazza and stood watching
them as they walked away
4 siRgularly handsome and self-pos-
sessed young woman that, Mr.. Holmes,
remarked the major. Now there s
the sort of girl TO marry in the army
She has nerve and courage and brains /.
By Jove; That 3 one reason, suppose,
the women don t like her
And they Glo not like her, qneried
Holmes.
'Can t bear her, Judge, from what
hear. She dresses so handsomely, they
say, that she's an object of boundless
interest to them-like orno like. -
Our friend, the doctor, seems deeid-
eddy an ardent admirer. He was show
ing himself off in most brilliant colors
last night and evidently for her benefit.
s'Oh, yes, / rather fancied as much.
They would make very distinguished
couple, said the colonel, refectively,
land no bad match despite the disparity
in years. She refused the youngsters up
at Red Cloud who were ready 10 cut each
others throats on her account. That :
one reason admire her sense. The idea
of a woman like that-or any woman,
marrying a second lieutenant.''
lyon waited for your double bars,
major?' - smilingly queried Mr. Holmes.
30 Lord no! laughed Miller. Like
most people who preach, 1 am past the
praetieing age. [ was married on my
graduation leave-but things were differ
ent before the war. Army people didn t
live in the style they put on now Our
| wives were content with two rooms and a
kitchen-a thousand a year-and one
new dress at Christmas. Now but
the major stopped short, words failing
him in the contemplation of mightiness
as shown i'll the contrast.
81 IN no great Judge of women said
Holmes presently, but that young lady
reused my interest last night. Are there
any tangible reasons why they should
give her the cold shonlder?''
Miller colored in the effort TO appear at
ease.
''None that have any personal knowl-
edge Of or feel like treating with respect
| There's no accounting for women s
whims he added sententiously. ''Ju-
piter! Here it is nine 'clock and moth
/ ing done yet. l can L telegraph, for
| they We cut the wires. I've sent out
scouts, but it may be noon before they III
! get back. Meantime we have To sit here
with our hands tied and the devil to pay
| generally in garrison. All. There go the
/ doctor and Miss Forest over to Bedlam.
! Ism Il he a magnificent old cock? Just see
| him court her! Will you come with me
| to the office?''
q / believe not, major | think IN
! walk around little. l I'M trifie fidgety
myself this morning and eager for re-
| liable news. There s no objection, is
| there, to my going down to the barracks
and interviewing those ranchmen? You
| know IN something of cow puncher'
myself and may be able to squeeze some
| grain of truth out of them.
| ''No, indeed Go ahead, Mr.. Holmes
and if you extract anything veritable let
me know.
Passing Bedlaln, Mr.. Holmes glanced
up at the open gallery where the hospital
attendant happened to be standing. The
doctor had entered the other hall with
Miss Forrest and was doubtless majesti-
cally ministering to the nervous ailments
! of her sister-in-la
''How is Lieut.. Blunt this morning?''
he asked
che had a hard night, sir, - was the
| low-toned answer CHE was in a high
fever much of the time, but he seems
sleeping now Is there any further news,
Mr.. Holiness
''There is no truth in the news you
have heard; if you have been afflicted
with the stories sent around the post this
morning. Be sure and keep everything
of the kind from Mr.. Blunt Here! Can
You catch:' And fumbling in his waist
coat pocket he fetched ont II glittering
gold piece and tossed it deity to the gal
lery. 1t fell upon the boards with
musical ring, ana was quickly pouneed
upon by the man, who blushed and grim
ned awkwardly.
81 don't like to take this, sir, - he
said, 'It's S5:'
Never mind what it Is. It's worth
thousand times its weight if you keep all
such yarns from the lieutenant. Oh.
Good morning, Mr. .Hatton, thought
your rooms were up stairs, he said as al
that moment the infantryman stepped
forth from the lower hall.
'fThey are, Mr. Holmes, but 1 have
taken up my quarters temporarily i'll
Mclean Is 80 as not to disturb Blunt with
the creaking of those ram shackle old
stairs. What is Mac s is mine and vice
versa. Won t you come n?'
Mr. Holmes hesitated a moment. Then
sudden thought struck him. He sprang
lightly up the steps and was ushered into
the sanctum of the young soldier whom
he had marked the night before starting
upon the scout with Terry 5 troopers
$50 this is Mclean S vine and fig tree,
is it? said he, as he looked curiously
around. ''Hal Lynchburg sun-dried,
golden-leaf. Can 1 have pipe?''
"Most asslredly! Excuse me five
minutes while l run over TO the guard
house. Then III reioin you and Wen
have Whit together. Another mo-
ment and Mr.. Holmes was sole occupant
of the premises.
He seemed to forget his desire for
smoke, and in its stead to become pos
sessed with q devil of mild illquisitive-
ness. After rapid glance around the
front room with its bare, barrack like,
soldier furnishing, he stepped quickly
into the bedchamber in the rear and went
unhesitatlngly to the bureau. The upper
drawer came out grndgingly and with
much jar and friction, as the drawers of
frontier furniture is apt to do even
at their best, but his firm hands speed
lily reduced it to subsection. little
pile of handkerchiefs, neatly folded, stood
in the left-haud corner. He lifted the
top most, carried it to the window, COM
pared the embroidered initials with those
of the handkerchief he took from an in
side pocket scrubbed a few closely writ