Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-13


had any one disposed to be critical bear
looking on that somebody would have
been justified in saying they .sheered
/ off the very next instant SO as not to
| pass her by within speaking distance.
/ Mrs. Miller, sitting where she could see
| the whole affair, was struck by the sud-
den change in their line of direction, and
watched them in no little curiosity as
they halted in recognition of Mayhem Is
call.
What is it, Mayhew?" sung out Hat
ton.
''Come over here n minute, you and
Mclean. l have scheme to unfold. -
"'Can til I'm officer of the day
| owen, you come, Mclean. Miss For
| rest wants TO speak with you -
MAC, there's no way out of it -
growled Hatton between his set teeth !,
lyon We got to go.
! Be at the house in ten minutes, then .
| I III join you there, said Mclean, glanc-
! ing over his shoulders at his cemrade as
/ he started across the springy turf to obey
| the summons. 'fWhat is it, Miss For
| rest?'' he inquired. HtGood morning
| Mrs. Gordon-Mrs. Wells-everybody -
| he continued, as with forage-cap IN hand
he made his obeisance to the various la
dies of the party.
/ / want you to prove how we Bedlam-
| ties stand by one another by placing
yourself under my orders for whole
| hour. You have no duty or engagement,
! have you?''
| Mclean would have gi9en-he knew
not what-to be able to say he had, but
! this recontre was something utterly ln-
| looked for. He could easily have plead
letters, correspondence or company duty.
1 Il. II y
| brook 81 have none, - he qTtSetly an
| sWered.
'e,fhen for the honor of Bedlam offer
| your services to these young ladies and be
their escort down to camp where they are
| dying to go.
t'Why, Fanny Forrest! How dare
your gasped Kate Gordon, the elder.
''Indeed, Miss Forrest win not have
detailed escort, - Indignantly protested
Jennie, the younger.
''What illimitable effrontery!'' was
the muttered comment of Mrs. Wells,
while poor Mrs. Gordon hardly knew
what to say or do in her amaze and an
nOyance. Mclean himself had flushed
crimson under the combined influence
of embarrassment and the recollection
of the long talk he and Hatton had had
but two nights before. Mayhem, too,
could hardly control his surprise, but
he declared afterwards, when the
matter came up for comment down
at camp that he would "giye a heap
to have that man Mclean 5 self-posses-
sion, - for with hardly an instant IS delay,
the latter's voice was heard above the
voluble protests of the two young ladies'
cordial, kindly, even entreating.
81 should like it of all things. l want
-
field rig. Do let the girls go with me,
Mrs. Gordon. Come Miss Kate, come
Miss Jennie. III leave my sword at my
quarters as we go.'
'sDidn Il | tell you, Mr.. Mayhew?''
said Miss Forrest, with heightened color
and a confident smile as she took his arm.
alt is something to be queen-if it,
only the Queen of Bedlam. -
And though, rather than create
scene, Mrs. Gordon and her daughters
joined the party, and Mrs. Wells and
Miss Bruce decided to go, it was noticed
then and referred to afterwards that Mr.
Mclean never so much as looked at Miss
Forrest or noticed her in anyway at the
time of this occurrence. 1t was hardly
night before the story had gone all over
the garrison and added to Miss Forrest IS
growing unpopularity; and it was kind
hearted Mrs. Miller herself who eX-
claimed on hearing the details, in the in
evitably exaggerated form in which all
such narrative must travel: 81 declare!
the title she has assumed seem to fit her
Queen of Bedlam, indeed!'
~.
ThesdoctOr was giving a little dinner in
honor of his friend, Mr. Holmes. Two
days now had that gentleman been in gar
rison, where his advent had created more
Of tiutter than the coming of an in
spetor general. He had a large cattle
range further tn the south, beyond the
Chugwater, and comparatively removed
from the scene of Indian hostility and
depreciation, but, such had become the
laxity Of discipline on the part of the bu-
reau officials, or ueh was their
dread OF their turbulent charges
at the reservations that, from
time to time marauding parties of
young warriors had been raiding from
the reservations during the month of
April, crossing the Platte river and
dasbing down on the outskits of the
great cattle herds south of Scott IS
Bluffs and in the valleys of Horsehead
and Bear creeks. One party had even
dared TO attack the ranches far up the
Chugwater valley at the crossing of the
Cheyenne road; another had ridden all
around Fort Laramie, foPdin2 the Platte
above and below, and several of them
had made away with dozens of head of
cattle bearing the well known brand of
Mr.. Holmes of Chicago. 1t was to see
what could be done towards preventing
the recurrence of this sort of thing that
brought Mr.. Holmes to Laramie. AT
least he said SO, but there were ladies in
the garrison who were quick to determine
that something worth more to him than Il
few hundred head Of cattle had prompted
him to take that dangerous ride
up from the railway He would
never have thought it worth while, -
said Mrs. Wells after day of qmet OBJ
serYation, had Nellie Bayard not been
here?''
Another thing to give color to this the
DRY was the tact that, yielding to the i'm
portunities of Major Miller and his fire.
quent telegraphic reports of Indian
dashes on the neighboring ranches, the
division commander had ordered a troop
of cavalry back from patrol duty around
the reservation, and s'The GFays'' had
marched in the very night before. A
scouting party of an officer and twenty
troopers rode forth that morning with or
ders to look over the chugwater and the