Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-23

wrong, the one thing for her to do, she
doubted not was to maintain the origi-
nal guilt against all corners, and to lose
no opportunity of feeding the flame that
consumed Mr.. Haynes record and repu.
tation. He was guilty-he must be
guilty: and though she was Christian
according to her view Of the Casa pill.
lar of the church in matters Of public
charity and picturesque conformity tC
all the rubric called for in the services.
and much that it did not-She was un-
relenting in her condemnation of Mr..
Hayne.
To those who pointed out that he had
made every atonement man could make
she responded with the severity Of con-
SciouS virtue that there could be no
atonement without repentance and nc
repentance without humility. Mr..
Haynes whole attitude was that of
stubborn pride and resentment. His
atonemcnt was that enforced by the
unanimous verdict of his comrades,
and even if it were so that he had
more than made amends for his
crime the rules that held good for
ordinary sinners were not applicable IL
an officer of the army. He must be a
man above suspicion, incapable of wrong
or fraud, and once stained he was for
ever Ineligible as a gentleman. 1t was
subject on which she waXed declama-
tory rather too often, and the youngsters
of her own regiment wearied of ii. As
Mr. Foster once expressed il in speak
ing of this very case, Mrs Rayner can
talk more charity and show less than
any woman | know" So long
as her talk was aimed against
any lurking tendency of their own
to look upon Hayne as posi-
Bile martyr, il fell at times on unapprc-
ciative ears. and she was quick TO see il
and To choose her hearers; but here was
a new phaSe-one that might rouse the
latent esprit de corps of the RillerS-
and she was bent on striking while the
iron was hot. If anything would pro-
woke unanimity of action and sentiment
in the regiment, this public recognition
by the cavalry, in their very presence,
of the man they cut rs a criminal was
/ the thing of all other, To do il, and she
meant to head the revolt.
| Possibly Gregg and his modest help
meet discovered that there was some
thing she desired to spring upon the
meeting. The others present We're all
of the infantry; and when Capt. Rayner
simply glanced in, spoke hurried good
evenings, and went as hurriedly out
again, Gregg was sure Of it. and march
ed his wife away. Then came Mrs. Ray
ner's opportunity:
IF it were not Capt. Rayncr's house,
! could not have been even civil TO Capt.
Gregg. You heard what he said AT the
club this morning, | suppose
In one form or another, indeed. al
most everybody had heard. The officers
present maintained an embarrassed ST.
lencc. Miss TrayerS looked rcproach-
fully at her flushed sister, but to no
purpose. At last one Of the ladies re-
marked:
"Well, of course, l heard of it, but
I've heard so many different versions,
1t seems to have grown somewhat since
morning"
1T sounds just like him. however, 8"
said Mrs Rayner. and | made inquiry
before speaking of it. He said he meant
to invite Mr.. Hayne to his house to-mor-
row evening, and if the infantry didn't
like il they could stay away"
''Well, now. Mrs. Rayner. protested
Mr. Foster. "of course none of us heard
what ne said exactly, but it is my eXpe-
rience that no conversation was ever re-
pcated without being exaggerated, and
I've known old Gregg for ever so long,
and never heard him say a sharp thing
vet. Why's he's the mildcSt hammered
fellow in the whole til cavalry. He
would never get into such Il Snarl as that
would bring about him in five minutes
"Well he said he would do just as the
colonel did, anyway-we have that
straight from cavalry authority-and
we all know what the colonel has done.
He has chosen to honor Mr.. Hayne in
the presence of the officers who de-
nomcc him. and practically deiieS the
opinion of the RiferS."
But, Mrs. Rayner. | did not nnder-
stand Grcgg'S remarks TO be what you
say, exactly. Blake told me that when
asked by somebody whether he was 60
ing to call ON Mr.. Ilayne. Gregg simply
replied ne didn't know-he would ask
the colonel
Very well. That means ne proposes
to bc guided by the colonel, or nothing
at all; and Captain Gregg is simply doing
what the others will do. They say to us
i'm so many words: We prefer the So
cicty of your bette noire to your own.
That's the way look ut it, said Mrs.
Rayncr, in deep excitement.
1t was evident that. though none were
prepared to indorSc so extreme view,
there was strong feeling that the colo
mel had put an affront upon the RiilerS
by his open welcome to Mr.. Hayne. He
had been eXacting before, and had caused
a good deal of growing among the off
GERS and comment among the women.
They were ready to find fault. and here
was strong prOvOcatiOn. Mr.. Foster was
a youth of unfortunate and unpopular
DropcnsiticS. He should have held his
tongue instead Of striving to stem the
tide.
Il don't uphold Hayne any more
than YOU do. Mrs. Rayncr, but il seems
to me this is a case where the colonel
has To make some acknowledgement of
Mr.. Haynes conduct
Very good. Let him write him
letter. then, thanking him in the name
of the regiment, but don't pick him up
like this in the face of ours interrupt
ted one of the juniors. who was seated
by Miss TravcrS Ia wise streak of policy
Mrs. Rayncr invited him to breakfaSt),
and there was a chorus of appreciation.
"Wcll, hold on a minute, said Foster,
Hasn't the colonel had every one of
us to dinner more or less freQucntly?'
Admitted. But what's that to do with
il ."
Hasn't he invariably invited each
officer to dine with him in every case
where an officer has arrived?"
Granted. But what then?'
IF he broke the rule or precedent in
Mr.. Haynes case would he not practic-
ally be saving that he indOrScd the views