Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-02-15

mat been moro Than llall n'lilcn 10 Tct'IHp- /
cate Mcleun's evident att9chm mt, She
would he fool not to accept Roswell
Holmes with hi, wealth. education and I'M
doubted high character. \ second Ileuten-
ant in the army was all very well tor a girl
who could do no better but Elinor Bayard
was Of excellent social position herself. Her
,uothcr, people ranked with the best in tia
land aud her father, despite hi, 0p}1Ecrir,
was a man distinguished in his profession
and in society. 1t was driving Mclean we'll
nigh desperate. Not one word of love max
Ing had been breathel between him and the
gentle girl who 50 enjoyed her walks and
ride, with him. but he knew well that her
woman's heart must have told her ere this,
how dear sle was to him, and it was 10 ego
tism or Concot that prompted him to the be-
lief she would not show such pleasure in his
coming if he wore utterly Indifferent to her.
toqucuy was something Nellie Bayard
seemed deficient in: she was frank and
truthful in every look and word.
And yet, realizing what grounds he mad
for hope. Mclean was utterly doWncast
when he faced the situation before him. 1t
would take him ycar-With the utmost
economy he could commnnd--to pay oil the
load that had been SO Iuthlossly hoapod upon
him He realized that 50 long as he owed "A
penny in the world, he had no right to ask
any woman to he his wife, Meantime, here
was this wealthy well educated, well pre-
served man OF affairs, ready and eager TO
lay his name and fortune at her feet. What
n,attcrcd it that he was probably more than
double her age? Had Mclean not read of
maidens who wor,Aippcl men of more than
twice their years even to the extent ot-"A
love that was her doom - Had he not read
aloud to her only fortnight bcfor', the
story OF l.adnceot and the lily maid Of Asto-
lat: Poor fellow In bitterness, OF spirit he
hecved that in the last few days she had
pulpo,clv avoided him and had treated him
/ with "oidneo, ON the few occasions when
| they m.t and now. he had sought this per
/ lion, duty eagerly and aVoWediF; he had
set forth without much as Il word of fare
/ Nell to her. or a touch Of her trembling lit
tie hand affecting to bp So orclpied in pre-
paration up to the instant OF starting that he
had no time for Il word with anybody. And
yet Mrs Miller had called him aside and
I 81 oxen to him a. the group of officers and
ladic, gathered near the Laramie bridge to
see the little column start. and Nellie Bay
ard had looked up wi~tfully at him Us he
rode by their party merely waving his
scouting cap in general salutation If hurt
/ her sorrlv that he should hay" gore without
I one word for hcr-aud vet she scarce knew
I why
And now here they We're SquarelY across
the Indian trail and ready for their coming
Roswell Holmes could not have that distinc-
ton at all events, thought Mclcan rs h"
tried the lock aud hrrech block of his rifle
to sce that every thing was in perfect work
ng order. Come what ini-ht--if it were
only ludian~-he meant t. make Il record in
this fight that any woman might he proud
Of and if be- tcll-woil he wouldn't have To
pay for Sergeant Mar,laud's stcaIings. or
have the misery Of ,cing her borne on by
Holmes big hanl; account ~ >h" probably
would be- iolr Mac, He hal yet To learn
that reputation a, an Indian fighter i, bur
an ophcm,rai and unsatisfactory asset a. an
adjunct To- ioyc-mdkin4.
hlcanWhiic the dawn is broadening, the
gravi II palior at1he Orient takes on q warm
cr tint and It tcch" GLOW Of orange and
,ilms1n steals Ii, toward the heavens. Vh.
-'uu., and ,1lly, around tn lonely outpo,'
-roW more and more visible. tue distant
r.l-a more sharply defined against tn,
southern ky. on t. their le.t, the east
ward. IGc river ro'l> along IN a eilYcTV
, mist, g',am. and tlrr co.ual'~ still ~h-i
. tered unlrr the BLUR are beginning t,
. gather HrOuJuI the horses and look TO the
brides and .'cin-ha~ Now the rsd biu-l
Ge.rous and extends alon.. the low hill to4
a"ro-- the Platte and tn.ss the roniu-
prairie to tho south and west \ few min
utce more and the GLOW is strong enough +,
reveal am old but well defined uail leading
from The distant ridre straight up 70 th
littIn,ra>t whore MrIcanis living. It seem
| to follow a ~outhwc,terly course and is tn,
T. trail l,vnud ,loubt along which the maraud
< o'4 FROM the reservations have time an,
a again rccros,rd with their plumber an,
- gained the official shelter of those sacr,s
$ limits.
e. "Whv. sir" saws Corporal O'Connor
- who is Iviua there beside the V0uug officer
< Last Octolcra party came over and scalp
E, od two women and three tcam,ters not tire
:, miles from the post and ran Off with al
g their cattle. We cau2ht up with then
e lust across the Niobrara and they droppyC
/ the mule, and horses they were driving an,
made run for il. We chased and game
4 on them evol'v inch of the way, but they 20
g to the line, first and then they lust Whirlc
o. about and ieered at Ii, and shook the scalp
/ i'm oul faces and called us every name vo
u could think of i'm GOOD ENGLISH too " ndde