Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-07-31

sciousness of impending defeat that Mrs.
Belknap gave utterance to the opening
sentence of this chapter; Mr.. Perry had
distinctly avoided her ever since his re-
turn.
One lovely evening late in May Mr..
Perry was taking his first ride on the
new horse, a splendid bay and perfect
match for Gladys Maitland's favorite
mount. Already had this circumstance
excited smiling comment in the garrison;
but if the young man himself had noted
the close resemblance it conveyed no
blissful augury. Everybody remarked
that he had lost much of his old buoy
ancy and life, and it must be confessed
he was not looking either blithe or well.
Parke had suggested riding with him
an invitation which Perry treated SO
coldly that the junior stopped to think a
moment, and began to see through the
situation; and so Mr.. Perry was suffered
to set forth alone that evening, and no
one was surprised when, after going out
of the west gate as though bent on rid
ing up the Monee, he was presently seen
to have made the circuit Of the post and
was slowly cantering down towards the
lower valley. Out on the eastern prairie
another horseman could be seen. and
presently the two came together. Col.
Brainard took down his binocular and
gazed out after them.
81 declare" said he, those two fig
ures are so much alike / cannot tell
which of them is Perry"
Then the other is Sergt!Gwynne, col
onel, said Stryker, quietly. PUT him
in our uniform, and it would indeed be
hard to tell the two figures apart. Mr..
Maitland told me last week that that was
what so startled and struck him the first
time he saw Perry"
How is Mr.. Maitland now, do you
know
"He gets no better After the first
week of joy and thanksgiving over his
boys restoration to him, the malady
seemed to reassert itself. Dunraven will
have a new master by winter, fancy"
The colonel was silent moment Then
he suddenly asked:
'By the way, how was it that Gwynne
wasn't drowned? | never understood
that
He never meant to be-" said Stryker.
HE told Perry all about it. He was
ruined, he thought, in his profession and in
hisown country, and he knew his fathers
memorable pride; so he simply decided to
put an end to Archie Maitland and start
a new life for himself He wrote his
letters and arranged his property with
that view, and he called the steward to
enable him to swear he was in his state
room after the steamer weighed anchor
Then in a jiffy he was over the side in
the darkness; it was flood tide and he was
an expert swimmer; he reached a coast
ing vessel lying near; he had money,
bought his passage to France, after a
few days at Cape Town, and then came
to America and enlisted. He got con-
fession out of one of their irregulars who
was with him, Perry says, and that was
one of the papers he was guarding so
jealousy. He had given others to Perry
that very night"
''They seemed to take to each other
colonel, with a quiet smile.
"Just about" answered Capt. Stryker
Meantime, Perry and Sergt. Gwynne
have been riding slowly down the valley.
Night has come upon Dunraven by the
hour they reach the northern gate-no
longer closed against them-and as they
near the house Perry slowly dismounts
"Fll take the horses to the stable myself:
| want to-" says his trooper friend, and
for the second time the young officer
stands upon the veranda at the doorway,
then holds his hand as he hears again the
soft melody of the piano floating out
upon the still night air. Slowly and not
without pain he walks around to the east
front, striving to move with noiseless
steps. At last he stands by the open
easement, just where he had paused in
surprise that night u month agone, and
slowly drawing aside one heavy fold of
curtain, gazes longingly in at Gladys
Maitland, seated there at the piano, just
where he first saw her lovely face and
form.
Presently, under the soft touch of her
fingers, sweet. familiar melody comes
ripping forth. He remembers it in
stantly; it is the same he heard the night
of his first visit-that exquisite "Spring
Song" of Mendelssohn's-and he listens,
spell bound. All of sudden the sweet
strains are broken off, the music ceases;
she has thrown herself forward, bowed
her queenly head upon her arms, and,
leaning over the keyboard, her form Is
shaken by storm Of passionate tears.
Perry hurls aside the sheltering curtain
and limps rapidly across the soft and
rug. She never dreams of his
presence until, close at her side, a voice
she has learned to know and know well
"a voice tremulous with love, sympathy
and neutrality-suspicious. only her name,
"Gladys," and, starting up, she looks
one instant into his longing eyes.
Sergt. "Gwynne" Maitland, lifting the
heavy portiere a moment later, stops
short at the entrance, gsze5 one second
at the picturesque scene at the piano,
drops the portiere, and vanishes, unno-
ticed.
Things seemed changed at Dunraven Of
late years. The til are still at Rossiter,
so is Lieut.. Perry. 1t may be the climate
or association with an American sister
hood, or-who knows?-Rerhaps some
body has told her of Mrs. Belknap's pre-
diction, but Mrs. Perry has not yet begun
to grow coarse, red faced or stout. She
is wonderfully popular with the ladies Of |
the -th, and has found warm friends |
among them, but Mrs. Sprague of the in |
fantry is the woman she particularly fam
cies, and her gruff old kinsman DR.. Ouin |
Is ever a welcome guest at their Preside, |