Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-03-01

shallow valley winding away to the
southeast, decked with its scrubby
fringe work of cottonwood and willow;
but this time, three miles away, its ac-
customed solitude was broken by groups
of riders ana darling black specks OF
dogs. all moving northward once more
and already breasting the slopes. He
should have turned away eastward and
ridden across country to join them, but
down here in the valley, only short
distance away, absorbed in watching
the hunting party, sat Mr.. Even on a
paving and excited bay. Whatever
GOODNESS his rider might feel at this dis
covery, it was not shared by Nolan; "a
pricked up his ears and hailed his fel
low quadruped with cordial and unaf-
fected pleasure, a-neigh that the English
bred horse was so utterly uninsular to
whirl about and answer with CORE
spending warmth. Even caught at his
heavy Derby and jerked it off his bullet
head with an air Of mingled embarrass-
ment and civility, replacing it with
similarly spasmodic haste. Perry coolly,
but with certain easy grace, raised his
forage cap in response to the salutation,
and then, seeing the manager still look
ing at him as though he wanted to say
something and did not know how to be-
gin, gave Nolan his head and rode down
to short hailing distance.
"We meet on neutral ground out here,
Mr.. Even. l suppose your exclusive
employer over yonder can hardly pro-
hibit your answering civil inquiries after
his health?" And, though he meant to
be distant, Perry found himself smiling
at the oddity of the situation.
''Do you know, was just thinking
about you" answered Even, land won
dering whether you were with that party
down yonder? The old gentleman is
better, thanks, He had two pretty bad
nights, but is coming around slowly"
Sand Miss Maitland-how is she?"
Rather seedy. She has had a good
deal of care and vexation Of late, fancy,
and this is no place for young girl,
anyhow"
''Well, you have some appreciation Of
the true character of Dunraven as resi-
dence, after alll'' a115werry Perry. "Now,
if you can give me any good reason why
she should live in this utterly out-of-the-
way place, you will lift weight from
my mind"
"Oh, they don't live here, you know"
spoke Even, hurriedly. "She comes
here only when her father does. 1t is
her own doing. She goes with him
everywhere, and will not leave him.
She's all he has, don't you know"
81 don't know anything about it.
You Dunraven people seem averse to
any expression of interest or courtesy
from your fellowmen, but I'm free to
say l should like to know what on earth
there is in American cavalrymen to
make them such, objects of aversion to
your master; and would be glad to
know how it is such girl as that is
dragged into such hole as yonder."
Even sat in silence a moment, study
ing the young fellows face.
"You deserve better welcome there"
he presently answered, land | don't
know that can do better than to tell
you the truth-what | know of it. And
let me tell you that if the old man knew
of my speaking Of it to any one, I'd lose
the most lucrative but least attractive
place ever had. m 70 you see?"
"Then perhaps You had better not tell
me. do not fn2gF9 3 to pry iqto secrets"
E. rs Is ito secret. was ttft that
drove him here; everybody knew it in
England. You were mighty shabbily
treated at the ranch, and you requited it
by preventing what would have been =
bloody row, and by lending us helping
hand. Even the old man recognizes
that; and think he'd be glad TO say so
to you, and see you, if you were not just
what you area cavalry officer"
"Why, what on earth can we have
done? If any of our cloth have wronged
Mr.. Maitland in any way, it is our right
to know it and take it up"
sit wasn't, your cloth, old fellow"
said Even, thawing visibly, "but it was
the cavalry all the same that broke his
heart and his pride, and made his life
the wreck it is, and drove him from his
home, stunning the sight Of his fellow
men, all these years-exiling her, too, In
the prime of her young life. MIR. Perry,
there are only three or four Of us at
Dunraven who know the story, but we
have only sympathy and pity-no blame
for him, though he is the hardest
master ever served"
''How did it happen?" asked Perry.
"All through his son. There had been
more of them, but there was only the
DISQUALIFICATION the Lancers were
ordered to South Africa. He was a
youngster, only II, they tell me, and he
had just been gazetted to his cornetcy
The old man was all wrapped up in him,
for of the three boys the eldest had died
only the month before the regiment was
ordered on foreign service and the sec
ond had been killed in India. Both
these two who were gone had made
themselves famous among their COM
rades by their fearlessness and high
character, and the old man, OF course,
could not ask Archie to quit the service
lust when orders for dangerous duty
came. The boy went to the Cape with
his corps, and got into the thick Of the
Zulu war just at the time Of the massa-
ere of the Twenty fourth at Isandlwhana
and the fight at Rorke's Drift. was
at home then, and all England was
quivering with grief over such needless
sacrifice as was made of that regiment,
and all ready to fall down and worship
such fellows as Chard and Bromhead,
who made the superb fight almost at the
same time.
''They say old Maitland wanted to &c
himself, as volunteer or something, with
Lord Chelmsford. but it couldn't be
done. His father had fought at Alma
and InlSerman. and his grandfather had