Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-10-23
Gers prejudiced against him."


Riggs
1t was in the midst of this talk that
Mr.. Amos Withers had suddenly ap-
peared and begged a few words in private
with Mr.. Bowen.
Withers was in a state of nervous ex-
citement, as any one could see. He talked
eagerly, even pleadingly, with the silent
lieutenant, and at last suddenly arose,
and, with the look of defeated and dis
comfted man, left the club house, en-
tered his carriage and was driven rapidly
away.
That night an officer from the war de-
partment arrived in the Queen City and
was closeted for while with Lieut..
Bowen, after which the two went to the
chief of police, and in company with
him visited the cell where Taintor, de-
serter and forger, was confined, took his
statement and that of the chief, and
with these documents the officer went
on to division headquarters.
Meantime, the campaign had come to
an end. Capt. Noel had reported, in ar
rest, to the commanding officer at Fort
Gregg, and Mrs. Riggs had tearfully
greeted him: "She would so love to have
him under her roof, that she might show
her sympathy and friendship; but SO
many officers of high rank were coming
on the court that the colonel was COM
PEELED to give every bit Of room he had
to them" Noel thanked her nervously,
and said he could be comfortable any
where, but his wife was coming; she had
telegraphed that she could not be scpa-
rated from him when he was suffering
wrong and outrage. Capt. and Mrs.
Lowndes, moved to instant sympathy.
begged that he would make their quar-
tiers his home, and placed their best room
at his disposal.
Two evenings afterwards he was per-
mitted to go himself to the railway to
meet poor Mabel, who threw herself into
his arms and almost sobbed her heart
out at sight of his now haggard and care
worn face Mrs. Lowndes then came
forward and strove to comfort her, while
Noel rushed off to send some kilograms.
Then they drove out to the post, and
Mabers spirits partially revived when
she found that it was not prison she
had come to share with her husband.
Everybody was so gentle and kind to
her; she began to believe there was moth
ing very serious in the matter after all.
1t lacked yet five days to the meeting
of the court, and in the intervening time
there arrived at the post a prominent and
distinguished lawyer from the east, sent
to conduct the defense by Mr.. Withers'
orders; and many long talk dill he
hold with his client and the officers who
were gathering at Gregg.
The charges of misconduct in face of
the enemy had been preferred by the de-
partment commander. who cited as his
witnesses Capt. Lane, Lieut.. Mason,
Lieut.. Royce, the guide and two OF
three non-commissionedo officers. To the
charge of conduct unbecoming an Off
Ger and gentleman" there were specif-
cations setting forth that he had caused
to be circulated and published reports to
the effect that it was his command that
had been severely engaged, and his COM
mand that had rescued the captives and
defeated the Indians, which statements
he well knew to be false. Two or three
correspondents and railway employees
and the telegraph operator were wit
nesses. This would be a hard one 10
prove aff1rnatively, as the judge advo-
cate found when he examined his wit
nesses as they arrived, and the great
lawyer assured the accused officer that
he could secure him an acquittal on that
charge. The real danger lay in the tes-
8 I nj
who had not yet come.
And now, hour after hour, for two
days, Mabel was reading in her hus-
bands face the utter hopelessness that
possessed him; nay, more, the truth was
being revealed to her in all its damning
details. 1t might be impossible for the
prosecution to prove that he had actual
~ caused the false and boastful stories
70 be given to the press and the public;
but how about the kilograms and letters
Mr.. Withers had so proudly come to
show her? How about the kilograms
and letters she herself had received?
What impression could she derive from
them but that he was the hero of the
whole affair, and that he was lying pain
fully wounded when he wrote? The
cash through tho beautiful white arm
turned out to be a mere scratch upon the
skin, that pin might have made. 1t
was Greene's command from Fort Ora
ham that had rescued Lane, and Lane
with his men who had rescued the cap
tives, and then fought so hard, SO des-
perately, against such fearful odds, and
sustained their greatest losses while her
hero-her Gordon-with nearly fifty
men, was held only mile away by half
dozen ragamufins in the rocks. She
godlike in courage and magnanimity;
but now on every side the real facts
were coming to light, and she even
wrung them from his reluctant lips.
And yet-and yet-he was her husband,
and she loved him.
Again and again did she question Mr..
Falconer, the eminent counsel, as to the
possibilities. This gentleman had fought
all through the war Of the rebellion, and
very. He had taken the case because he
believed, on Withers' statement, that
Noel was a wronged and injured man,
and because, possibly, aifee of phenome-
nal proportion could be looked for. He
met among the old captains of the
Eleventh men whom he had known in
Virginia in the war days, and learned
from them what Noel's real reputation
was, and, beyond peradventure, how he
had shirked and played the coward in the
last campaign; so that he, who had
known Mabel Vincent from her baby
hood and loved her old father, now