The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-09

CallOrS; sam nad worked vigorously
with soft soap, hot water and big mop
in sprucing up the rooms; the adiutant
had sent little note during the MORN
ing, saying that the colonel would be glad
to order him any men he needed to put
the quarters in proper shape, and that
Capt. Rayner had expressed his readi-
ness to send detail from the company
to unload and unpack his boxes, etc.. to
which Mr.. Hayne replied in person that
he thanked the commanding officer for
his thoughtfulness, but that he had very
little to unpack, and needed no assist
ance beyond that already afforded by the
quartermaster's men, Mr.. Billings could
not help noting that he made no allusion
to that part of the letter which spoke of
Capt. Rayner's offer. 1t increased his
respect for Mr.. Haynes perceptive
powers.
While every officer of the infantry bat
talon was ready to admit that Mr.. Hayne
had rendered valuable service to the meA
of the cavalry regiment, they were not
so unanimous in their opinion as to how
it should be acknowledged and requited
by its officers. No one was prepared for
the announcement that the colonel had
asked him to dinner and that Blake and
Billings were to meet him. Some few
of their number thought it going too far,
but no one quite conceded with the We
hement declaration of Mrs. Rayner that
it was an outrage and an affront aimed
~ mi.
Rayner in particular. She was an ener-
getic woman when aroused, and there
was no doubt of her being very much
aroused as she sped from house to house
to see what the other ladies thought of
it. Rayner's wealth and Mrs. Rayner's
qualities had made her an .undoubted
though not always popular leader in all
social matters in the Rifers. She was
an authority, so to speak, and one who
knew it. Already there had been some
points on which she had differed with
the coloners wife, and it was plain to all
that it was difficult thing for her to
come down from being the authority
the leader of the social element of gar
rlson--and from the position of second
or third Importance which she had been
accorded when first assigned to the sta
ton.
There were many, indeed, who assert
Ell that it was because she found her new
position unbearable that she decided on
her long visit to the east, and departed
thither before the Riflers had been at War
rener month. The colonel's wife had
greeted her and her lovely sister with
charming grace on their arrival two days
previous to the stirring event of the din
ner, and every one was looking forward
to probable series of pleasant entertain
ments by the two households, even while
wondering how long the entente cordiale
would last-when the colonel's invitation
to Mr.. Hayne brought on an immediate
crisis. 1t is safe to say that Mrs. Rayner
was madden than. the captain her hus-
band, who hardly knew how otake it.
He was by no means the best liked officer
IN his regiment, nor thes"deepest' and
best Informed, but he had native
shrewdness which helped him. He noted
even before his wife would speak of it to
him the gradual dying out of the bitter
feeling that had once existed at Haynes
expense. He felt, though it hurt him
seriously to make inquiries, that the man
whom he had practically crushed and
ruined in the long ago.was slowly but
surely gaining strength, even where he
would not make friends. ..5ls
Worse than ALL he was beginning to
doubt the evidence of his own senses as
the years receded, and unknown to any
soul on earth, even his wife, there was
growing up deep down in his heart a
gnawing, insidious, ever fostering fear
that after all, after all, he might have
been mistaken. And yet on the sacred
oath of soldier and gentleman, against
the most searching cross-examination,
again and again had he most confidently
and positively declared that he had both
seen and heard the fatal interview on
which the whole case hinged. And as
to the exact language employed, he alone
of those within earshot had lived to tes-
tify for or against the accused: of the
five soldiers who stood in that now cele-
|
within the hour. He was growing ner-
vous, irritable, haggard; he was getting
to hate the mere mention of the case.
The promotion of Hayne to his own COM
pany thrilled him with an almost super
stitious dismay. Were his words COM
ing true? Was it the Judgment of an
offended God that his hideous pride, OBJ
stinacy and old time hatred of this officer
were now to be revenged by daily, hour
ly contact with the victim of his criminal
persecution? He had grown morbidly
sensitive to any remarks as to HAYNES
having ''lived down" the tolls in which
he had been encircled. Might he not
Give down" the ensnarer? He dreaded
to see him-though Rayner was no
coward-and he feared day by day to
hear of his restoration to fellowship in
the regiment, and yet would have given
half his wealth to bring it about, could
it but have been accomplished without
the dreadful admission, Il was wrong.
l was utterly wrong"
He had grown lavish in hospitality; he
had become almost aggressively open
handed to his comrades, and had sought
to press money upon men who in no
wise needed it. He was as eager to lend
as some are to borrow, and his brother
officers dubbed him midas" not because
everything he touched would turn to
gold, but because he would intrude his
gold upon them at every turn There
were some who borrowed: and these he
struggled not to let repay. He seemed
+ to have an insane idea that if he could