Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-20

ing at 0 o'clock. In the morning every
thing about his belongings was found in
perfect order-his letter to the captain
of the ship. the portmanteaus, watch,
ring, clothing, ETC., Just as he described
in that letter-and he was no more seen.
It was the conviction of all that he must
have leaped overheard In the darkness
when far out at sea
Then Mrs. Maitland bowed her head |
and never lifted it again. Then, all
alone, and fiercely rejecting anything |
like sympathy, old Maitland took to |
travel-came here TO America, wandered |
around the world, stunning men as he |
would these prairie wolves: and when |
he had to go TO England he would see no
one but the attorneys and solicitors with |
whom he had business. Here at Dun |
raven he is more content than anywhere, |
because he is farther from the world. |
Here Gladys is queen: twas she who |
named it, two years ago. for her mother
was q connection Of the ear's. But
Maitland even here hates to have his
name mentioned; and that is why say
he refers all business to me and keeps
himself out of everything. Do you see
what weight he earliest"
Mr.. Even had grown red with the in
tensity and rapidity of his talk. He re-
moved his hat and mopped his face and
brow with big silk handkerchief, and
then glanced again at Perry, who had
listened with absorbed interest and who
was now silently thinking it over, look
ing curiously at Even the while.
4 l,raI haf -
asked the Englishman, somewhat rue
fully. Il never told that story before,
but it has been smoldering for years"
Bored? No! lnever was more inter-
ested in my life. Twas thinking what a
different sort of fellow you were from
the man met out yonder the other day.
Did they never do anything to clear the
matter up? In our country it never
would have been allowed to rest there"
1T was too far gone; and when
the boy killed himself the thing was
used by all the government papers
you'd call them administration organs
as a confession of Judgment. When
the Lancers came home there was some
talk, but it was soon hushed. Maitland
had shut up the old place by that time
and gone no one knew where, but / read
it in one of the London papers-Truth,
think-a story that two of the irregulars
had quarreled with their fellows and
after the war was over told tale that
made sensation in Cape Colony. They
said that the young officer was ma
| ligned man; that up to midnight he had
| pushed on, but every scout and patrol
they met warned them that thousands
of Zulus were ahead, and that it wa.
madness to try. The men began whis-
| pering among themselves, and begged
the sergeant to attempt to dissuade the
Lancer officer; and he did, and they all
began to talk, but he refused to listen.
AT last they halted at little stream
| and fatty refused TO go step further
He ordered, begged and implored. He
| promised heavy reward to any one Of
their number who would come and show
him the way. Then they heard the night
cries or signals of some war parties across
the fields, and the sergeant and most Of
the men put spurs to their horses; the
| others followed. and they rode back five
miles until they were within our patrolled
lines; then they bivouacked, supposing,
of course, the Lancer had followed them.
But he hadn't: he never joined them all
next day, and likely as not he had done
his best to get through that strange
country by night alone. and had tried to
carry his dispatches to the detachment.
| They knew they must tell a straight
story or be sew erely punished They
were twelve against one when il came TO
evidence, as the sergeant pointed out.
and so they agreed on the one that sent
him to Coventry.
Some Of the Lancer officers got hold
of this and swore they believed it true;
but meantime the government had had
the devils own time Ia tiding his lord
ship the general over the numerous
blunders he had made in the campaign,
and the Lsncers were summarily Or
dered off elsewhere. There was no one
left to take up poor Archie's cause at
home, and the thing died out"
by the Lord Harry, Mr. Even, it
wouldn't die out here! We Yankees
would resurrect such a thing IL it were
old as u mummy"
Sometimes l think old Maitland
would be glad of the chance to do it,
even broken as he Is; sometimes, Mrs.
Cowan says he walks the hoor all night
and holds Archies last letter in his
hands. She thinks he charges himself
with having driven the boy to suicide"
Does Miss Maitland never revisit the
old homer" asked Perry. after a mo-
ment's thought.
She goes with her father-every-
where. He is never here more than twice
year, and seldom for more than six
weeks at a time. Were it not for her, be
would settle down here, l believe. He
went to Cape Colony and tried to find
the men who gave out that story, but
one of them was dead and the other had
utterly disappeared. There were still
| six survivors of that escort, the sergeant
among them, and he was a man of some
position and property. They stuck to
the original story, and said the two men
who had started the sensation were mere
matchmaking Migrants Maitland ad-
vertised everywhere for the missing man.
but to no purpose. ! think he and Miss
Gladys have finally abandoned all hope
of ever Fighting Arches name She was
only child when it all happened, but
she worshiped him, and never for an
instant has believed the story of his hav-
ing funked. She's out here riding some
where this morning. by the way"
Who Miss Maitland?" exclaimed
Perry. with sudden start and flash Of
eager light in his blue eyes.
Even smiled quietly as he answered,
"Yes She needed exercise and wanted
% come down to the gate and meet DR.
Qlrin. She went on up the valley, and
twon ter she is not back"
The bright light faded quickly as it
came; the glad blue eyes clouded heavi-
ly. Even looked at the young soldier,
surprise in his forid face; surprise that
quickly deepened into concern, for Perry
turned suddenly away, as though look
ing for his comrades of the hunt.
IL think they're coming now" said
the manager, peering up the valley I'M
der the shading willows. Yes. Won't
you stop a bitY
| Not now" was the hurried reply