The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-20

steal cowardice; but Rayner's almost ar
ject recital of his months of misery really
left him nothing to say. Had the cap
tain sought to defend or justify any de-
tail of his conduct, he would have
pounced on him like a panther. Twice
the adjutant, sitting an absorbed and
silent listener, thought the chief on the
verge Of an outbreak; but it never came.
For some minutes after Rayner ceased
the colonel sat steadily regarding him.
AT last he spoke:
"You have been SO frank in your state
ment, captain, that | feel you fully APP
preciate how such deplorable weakness
must be regarded in an officer. 1t is I'M
necessary for me to speak of that. The
full particulars of Clancy's confession
are not yet with me. Maj. Waldron has
it all in writing, and Mr.. Billings has
merely told me the general features.
Of course you shall have copy of it in
good time. As you go east today and
have your wife and household to think
for, it may be as well that you do not at
tempt to see Mr., Hayne before starting.
And this nlatterwill not be discussed"
And SO it happened that when the
Rayners drove to the station that bright
afternoon and a throng of ladies and
officers gathered to see them off, some of
the youngsters going with them into
town to await the coming of the train,
Nellie Travers had been surrounded by
chattering friends of both sexes, con-
stantly occupied and yet constantly
looking for the face of one who came
not. For an hour before their depart
ure every tongue in garrison that
wagged at all-and few there were that
wagged not-were discoursing on the
exciting events of the morning Haynes
emancipation from the last vestige of
suspicion, Clancy's capture, confession
and tragic death, Mrs. Clancy's flight
and probable future. At Rayner's peo-
pie spoke of these things very guardedly,
because every one saw that the captain
was moved to the depths of his nature.
He was solemnity itself, and Mrs. Ray
ner watched him with deep anxiety,
fearful that he might be exposed to some
thoughtiess or malicious questioning.
Her surveillance was needless, however;
even Ross made no allusion to the events
! of the morning, though he communi-
Gated to his fellows in the subsequent
condolences of the club room that Midas
looked as though he'd been pulled
through series of knot holes. "Looks
more's though he were going to his own
funeral than on leave" he added.
AS for Hayne, he had been closeted
with the colonel and Maj. Waldron for
some time after his return-a conference
that was broken in upon by the startling
news of Clancy's death. Then he had
joined his friend, the doctor. at the hos
pital, and was still there, striving to
comfort little Kate, who could not be in
duced to leave her fathers rapidly stiff
ening form, when Mrs. Waldron re-en-
tered the room. Drawing the child to
her side and folding her motherly arms
about her, she looked up in Haynes pale
face:
''They are going in five minutes. Don't
you mean to see her?'
"Not there-not under his roof or in
that crowd. will go to the station"
81 must run over and say good-by in
moment-when the carriage goes around.
Shall-shall [ say you will Gomez
There was light in his blue eyes she
was just beginning to notice now as she
studied his face. A smile flickered one
instant about the corners of his mouth,
and then he held out his hand:
''She knows by this time, Mrs Wal
dron."
An hour later Mrs. Rayner was stand
ing on the platform at the station, Ross
and others of her satellites hanging about
her; Capt. Rayner was talking in sub
dued tones with one or two of the senior
officers; Miss Travers, looking feverishly
pretty, was chatting busily with Royce
and Foster, though a close observer could
have noted that her dark eyes often
sought the westward prairie over which
wound the road to the distant post. 1t
was nearly train time, and three or four
horsemen could be seen at various dis
tances, while, far out towards the fort,
long skirmish lines and 1uttering guidons
were sweeping over the slopes in mimic
war array.
81 have missed all this she said, point
ing to the scene; 'and do love it so that
it seems hard to go just as all the real
soldier life is beginning"
Goodness knows you've had offers
enough to keep you here" said Foster,
with not the blithest laugh in the world.
"Any girl who will go east and marry a
cit and leave six or seven penniless subs
signing behind her, L have my opinion of;
she's eminently level headed" he added,
with rueful and unexpected candor.
81 have hopes of Miss Travers yet"
doomed Royce, in his ponderous basso;
mot personal hopes, Foster-you needn't
feel for your pistol-but 1 believe that
her heart is with the army, like the sol
dier's daughter she is" And, audacious
as was the speech and deserving of in
slant rebuke, Mr.. Royce was startled to
see her reddening wildly. He would
have plunged into hasty apology, but
Foster plucked his sleeve:
"Look who's coming, you galootl She
hasn't heard a word either of us has said"
And though Nellie Travers, noting the
sudden silence, burst into an immediate
and utterly irrelevant lament over the
loss of the Maltese kitten-which had
not been seen all that day and was not
to be found when they came away-i5
was useless. The effort was gallant, but
the flame in her cheeks betrayed her as,
throwing his reins to the orderly who
followed him, Mr.. Hayne dismounted at
the platform and came directly towards
her. To Mrs. Rayner's unspeakable dis