Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-06

Dy anu Dy IaELOO sounded. IEe InhJ(
went out with Mclean to receive the re
ports and when they returned Mr.. Hat
ton came too.
Where have You been, Mr.. HattOn?
asked Mrs. Miller = We've been lookin
for You all the evening and wouldn
nave bite or glass of wine until yo
came in
lover at the Gordons' They are hav
lnS little gathering, too, mostly of tn
| refugees regular hen convention
was the only man there for over a
! hour
''Who all were there?' inquired tn
hostess-her Southern birth and he
woman S interest in the goings-on eff tn
garrison manifeSting themselves at on
and the same time
.'Oh, about 4 dozen, all told, - an
| swered MIR. Hatton MRS. Bruce AM
Jennie, Mrs. Forrest, Mrs. Post, tn
Gordon Girls, Mrs Wells and finally
Miss Forrest. The little parlor wa
packed like ration can be by o'cloel
and | was glad to slip away first call =, !,
| A likely statement in view IS -.
Jennie Bruce was there - 81 the Iact
Fact though! ans
! with knowing l001rs.sWereu mutton ,
face. He Gid not .,3h on his handsome
cause Jennie b.. want 10 say 1t was be-
call y and t}a 1rnce went home at ''first
McLea~TgGat he escorted her.
that uts.n would be sure to understand
to 1 5oint, however, thought MIR. Hatton
eFnimsalf. aid to obviate the possibility
Of his lnisellievously suggesting that
solution of the matter it might
be well to tip hmm wink
Looking around in search of his
chun Mr.. Hatton was surprised at the
odd and wretched expression on Mclean s
face. The tall young subaltern had seated
himself ut last by Nellie Bayard : side,
but instead of devoting himself to her,
as was to have been expected, he was
staring with white face at Hatton and
drinking i'll every word.
why, what's the matter, old man?
You look all struck of a heap!' eX-
claimed Hatton, in genuine concern.
Mr.. Mclean encountered q Spook on
his way over here, - laughed the major,
seeing that Mclean in embarrassment
knew not how to reply. - He ran afoul
of flying Dutch woman out on the pa
rade in the dark and was mystified be-
cause she could not stop and chat with
him.
What nonsense, major!'' sharply
interposed his better half e'You know
we settled it long ago that that must have
been the Johnson 5 Winnie on one of her
gadabouts. Why do you add to the mis-
chief?''
Chimp responded her lord in broad
grim r'Coming from woman that is a
singer. Can t fellow have little fun
at Mclean s expense without being ac-
cused of scattering scandal?''
You are only too ready TO accuse one
of us starting malicious stories, replied
his wife with honest indignation cit
might be as well for you to consider the
possible effect of your own words.
''What possible effect-ill effect that is
could my remark have had even if re-
peated?' demanded the major in amuse-
ment
Well-never you mind now m
glad we all understand one another here
at any rate, - answered Mrs. Miller earn
estly Now let us have peace and a
truce to the spook story. Mrs Taylor
now won't you singh
Greatly, Mrs Miller, I ought not to
stay ai7Other moment. left the nurse
in charge of my babies and 1 know per-
fectly well that by this time she is out at
the back gate flirting with Sergeant
Murray. Indeed, Mr. Mclean, l
do wish you would confine that alto
gether- too utterly attractive young man
to the limits of the barracks. He's
at our gate morn, noon and night,
and whenever he's there my Mag
gle is there too and the children might
scream themselves hoarse and she never
hear. Why, | IN a perfect slavei l
can t go anywhere! 1t IS just do for those
precious babies from dawn till midnight.
1 might as well have no nurse at all. Oh
no, indeed, Mrs Miller. / must go this
minute. Indeed, l must. But, Mr..
Hatton, how did it happen that Miss
Forrest only came in late?'
More than l know, Mrs. Taylor.
She said she was unable to come earlier
on account of letters or something. 1
didn t pay much attention. You see,
there were six women around me all eady.
[ We never known the bliss of being an
belle until this spring -
FTheu l suppose, too, she stopped to
dress. You know Fanny Forrest has
she IS hardly had chance TO show one of
them since she got here. What did she
wear this evening, Mr. Hatton?''
g Pom my soul [ don It know. 1t was
a dress, of course, blue or green-or
something. -
'Yes-something, undoubtedly, but
what was it like? Did it-?''
1.-The idea of asking me to describe
woman IS dress? Why, I don know
poplin from a polonaise-though / sup
pose there 5 distinction of some kind
All [ know is that this one shimmered
and had things al over it like No u
shot or Sioux moccasin beads, and it
swished and rustied as she walked
through the hall and up the ssairs
f" OIL knOw-that long silk princess
electric blue-that came from New
York last October and Beg pardon
''Not you, Mrs. Taylor. Go on!'
said Mrs Miller pleasantly "Mr Hat
ton s servant has just called for him at
the door. Wants to see him moment. -
And Hatton left the parlor with the ma
jor at his heels.
An hour later, after seeing Nellie Bay
ard home and striving in vain TO be like
his usual self, Mr.. Mclean hurried to his
quarters. just as ne expected, Hatton.
was standing in front of the open fire.
place putting furiously at chunky lit
tie briarwood pipe He looked up from
under his heavy eyebrows as Nc
Lean came in, but said nothing.
The occupant of the room filed
and lighted his own particular EQUITY
and threw himself into an easy chair, first
divesting himself of the handsome uni
IL