Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-03-29
CHAPTER XVII

great pain and difficulty even now,
said Mrs Cowan Her ankle was very
badly wrenched, and she hardly goes
farther than from her own to her faith
er's room You ought to feel compH-
mented that she has been here to your
door three times"
II feel more like butting my brains
out for being asleep" muttered Perry in
reply. II wish You would wake me
next time, Mrs. Cowan shan't believe
it until see it, or hear her voice at the
door"
She had excused herself to Mrs. Bel
KNAPP, and the doctor had denied that
lovely woman her request to be allowed
to come up and see Mr.. Perry; and yet
the very next day, when the big four
mule ambulance from E0ssiter came
driving up to the front door, and Mrs.
Sprague and Mrs. Lawrence, escorted
by the colonel and Capt Stryi1er ap
peared on the veranda, how did it hap
pen that the ladies were speedily usf cred
upstairs to Miss Maitiand's own room,
and that, after an animated though low
toned chat of half an hour with her
they were marshaled down the long cor
ridor by Mrs. Cowan in person, and, to
Perry's huge delight, were shown in to
his bedside? Il looked as though QCin
were showing understandable di5crimina-
ton. Stryker and the colonel, too, came
in to see him, and The latter told him that
both Mr. Maitland and Mr.. Even had
begged that the arrested soldiers might
not be punished. Including Sergt. Leary
and Kelly, there were now twenty men
under charges more or less grave in their
character, and he had asked that a gen
eral court martial be convened for their
trial The colonel deeply appreciated the
feeling displayed by the stricken propri-
etor and his oversaer; he was touched
that even in his extreme illness and pros
tration Mr.. Maitland should intercede for
the men who had made so hostile an in
vasion of his premises and brought upon
the inmates of Dunraven night Of dread
and anxiety; but discipline had to be
maintained, he replied, and the ringlcad-
eTs in the move had been guilty OF q
fragrant breach which could not be over
looked
But on the following day-the fourth
of Perry's stay-the doctor came down
with a face full of gloom and distress.
Both nurse aud patient noted it, and in
auired the cause, For a time Quin
avoided any direct reply; something
had ruiIled him up at the post, he an
swered: cant tell you about it now
I'll DO it by and by. want to think"
He examined Perry's leg, dressed and re-
bandaged the wound. and then went
back to Mr. Maitland ; room. They could
hear his voice in the hall after while,
and Perry's heart began to throb heavily;
he was sure the low, sweet tones, almost
inaudible, that came floating along the
corridor, were those of Gladys When
Mrs Cowan spoke to him on some or
binary topic. he impatiently babe her
hush-he could not bear to be disturbed
and, far from being hurt at his petG-
lance, Mrs. t2wan smiled softly as she
turned away
Then Quin came back, and, after
fidgeting around a moment, abruptly ad-
dressed his patient:
Perry. do you remember that morn
ing you rode down here right after re-
veille and met me on the trail-or at
least would have met me if | hadn't
dolgeG and gone over to the other side
of the valleyE'
Certainly do, Doctor"
81 may as well explain that singular
performance first, You may have heard
that | didn't get along amicably with
your predecessors of the Eleventh Their
colonel was ass enough tototally miscon-
strue the purpose of my visits here, and
L was ASS enough To make no explaua-
ZION. The Maitlands vent away; was
not called for again while the Eleventh
remained; and therefore 7 said no more
about it. Mr.. Maitland returned unex-
pectedly soon after you came, and the
first knew of it was the signal lights
telling me he was there, i'll, and that l
was wanted. It was the night of the
co.onerS dinner party. / couldn't ex-
plain then, and decided to go at once
and explain afterward When | met
you all of Q sudden the next morning.
the first impulse was to get away out Of
your sight, and | obeyed it simply be-
cause of the unpleasant experiences /
had been having with your fellow caval-
rynen. did not want to have to an
swer questions. See? was ashamed
of it. but too late to turn back"
Perry nodded Il understand it
now, he said
well, what want to ask is about
Sergt Gwynne. Did you meet him be-
fore you got back?"
'Nes-a mic or so out from the post"
you stopped and talked with him
didn't you?''
"Yes-for several minutes"
Mrs Cowan's neodlework had fallen in
her lap. She was seated near the window,
and had been buSiiy sewing. Now she
was looking up, eager and intent
You've known him a long time,
haven't your"
"Yes-ever since he Joined. He's one
of the best sergeaRts l ever knew"
you would hardly think him guilty
of any dishonesty, would your"
Mrs. Cowan was rising from her chair;
the needlework had fallen to the floor.
Dishonesty Not by a-good dealr'
was the reply that babe fair to be even
more impulsive, and was checked only
In Difference to the presence Of a woman
"'yel neither wouli l. from what