Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-07

@ Mrs. Page, and every
body flocked to the Bel
knaps' quarters in order to do her proper
homage. When Perry called he asked
Parke to go with him, and when the lat
ter seemed ready to leave the former,
disregarding very palpable hint from
the lady of the house, picked up his for
age cap and went likewise. For two
days the one subject under constant dis
cussion ut the post was the event of Miss
Maitland's sudden appearance, her peril
Gus run and her daring and skillful res
cue. Everybody maintained that Perry
ought to be n very proud and happy fell
low to have been the hero of such an
occasion; but it was very plain that Perry
was neither proud nor anything like
happy. No one had ever known him so
silent and cast down. The talk with
Lawrence had helped matters very little
In brief, this was about all the cap
tain could tell him, and it was all hear
say evidence at best The officers of the
Eleventh and their ladies had, with a
few exceptions, taken a dislike to DR..
Quin before Belknap and Lawrence with
their companies of infantry had been or
dered to Fort Rossiter. The feeling was
In full blast when they arrived. and dur
ing the six or eight months they served
there together the infantry people heard
only one side of the story-that of the
Eleventh-for the doctor never condo
scended to discuss the matter. After
he was forbidden to leave the post
by his commanding officer, and after
the announcement of the blockade of
Dunraven, it was observed that signals
were sometimes made from the ranch at
night: strong light thrown from a re-
Hector was flashed three times aud then
| withdrawn. Next it was noted, by an
enterprising member Of the guard, that
these signals were answered by n light
In the doctors windows, then that he
mounted his horse and rode away down
the valley of the Monee. Ho was al
] ways back ut sick call; and, if any one
told the commanding officer of his DISC
bedience of orders, it was not done until
so near the departure of the Eleventh
that the doctor was not afterwards act
ually caught in the act. Things would
undoubtedly have been brought To n
crisis had the Eleventh been allowed to
remain.
Now as to the story about Mrs. Quin
and her going. 1t was observed during
the winter that she was looking very
badly, and the story went the rounds in
the Eleventh that she was stung and suf-
tering because of her husbands conduct.
PROFESSIONALLY there was some fair en-
chantress at Dunraven who lured him
from his own fireside. She had no init
mates among the ladies. She was proud
and silent. 1t did not seem to occur to
them that she was resentful Of their dis
like OF her husband. They were sure she
was ''pining' because of his ncglect-or
worse. When, therefore, without word
Of warning, she suddenly took her de-
parture in the spring, there was a gasp
OF gossip loving cronies in the garrison;
all doubts were at an end; she had left
him and taken her children with her.
"The more l think Of it," said Law
renee, "the more / believe the whole
thing capable of explanation. The only
thing that puzzles me now is that Quin
hides anything from your colonel, who
Is one OF the most courteous and consid-
crate men / ever served with. Pcrhaps
he has told him by this time: we don't
know. Perhaps he thought lac might he
OF the same stamp as his predecessor,
and was waiting TO find out before he
made his condolences. As to Mrs. Quins
going away when she did. it may have
been simply that her health was suffer-
ing, she needed change, and went with
his full advice and by his wish. and he
simply feels too much contempt for gar
rison gossip to explain. Very probably
the knows nothing OF the stories and the
ories in circulation: Pm sure | did not
until very few weeks ago. You know,
49, ,i5 $780, 49, -s-.-.- '-.~'' a., garrison
who hear and know everything and
others who never hear word of scan
dal"
But Perry was low in his mind. He
could not forget Quin's sudden appear
ance; his calling her Gladys: and then he
hated the thought that it was Quin who
saw him having that COMPOUNDED tender
interview with Mrs Belknap. Was there
ever such "A streak of III luck as that?
No doubt the fellow had told her about
1t! Perry left Lawrences that night
very little comforted, and only one
CLEAN OF hope did he receive in the two
days that followed. Mrs Sprague Joy
fully beckoned him on Wednesday after
noon to read him little note that had
Just come from Miss Maitland. Her
father had been very i'll, she wrote: his
condition was still critical; but she sent
u world of thanks TO her kind entertain
ers at Rossiter, and these words: 81 was
sorry not TO be able TO See Mr.. Perry |
again. Do not let him think have for
gotten, or will be likely to forget, the |
service he-and Nolan-did me-"
OF DIR. Quin he saw very little. With |
the full consent and knowledge of Col. |
the doctor was spending a
good deal of time at Dunraven now, at
tending to Mr.. Maitland. Indeed, there
seemed to be an excellent understanding
between the commandment and his medi- |
cal officer, and it was known that they
had had long talk together. Upper
circles in the garrison were still agitated
with chat and conjecture about GLADYS
Maitland and her strange father; Perry
was still tortured with questions about
was so incautious as to appear i'm public:
but all through 1.-THE quarters" every
where among the rank and file, there
was subject that engrossed all thoughts
and tongues, and that was discussed with
feeling that seemed to deepen with every
iay-the approaching court martial of
'ergt. Leary and of Trooper Kelly.
As result of his investigation, Can't
stryker had preferred charges against
hese two men-the one for leading and
he other for being accessory to the as
anit on his stable sergeant Gwynne
vas still at the hospital, though rapidly
'ecovering from his injuries. Not a word
lad he said that would implicate or ac-
'use any man; but Stryker's knowledge
'f his soldiers, and his clear insight into
human motive and character, were such
hat he had readily made up his mind as
the facts in the case. He felt sure that
Leary and some of the Celtic members of
at1 Il. a 4 d..