The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-09-26

| III our community, as no udu, Ouuly
enough, been predecessor in the re-
cruiting service of the actual hero of the
campaign"
Two weeks went by. There was no
announcement of Noers name as pro-
NOTED. Other matters occupied the at
! tention of the club and the coteries, and
no one knew just what itall meant when
it was announced that Mrs. Noel had
suddenly left Tor the frontier to Join her
husband. Perhaps his wounds were
more severe than at first reported. Then
it was noticed that Mr. Withers was in
very nervous and irritable frame Of
mind, that constant dispatches were
the west, and that suddenly he departed
again ON some mysterious errand for
| Washington. And then it was an
nounced that Capt. Noel would not be
able to visit the east as had been ex-
pected,
| All the same it came as shock which
completely devastated the social circles
Of the Queen City when it was announced
in the New York and Chicago papers that
general court martial had been ordered
to assemble at Fort Gregg. New Mexico,
for the trial of Capt. Gordon Noel, Elev-
| enth cavalry, on charges of misbehavior
in the faceof the enemy and conduct I'M
becoming an officer and gentleman.
The Chronicle made no allusion to the
matter until after It was heralded over
the city by the other journals. Then it
announced that it was in possession Of
information showing conclusively that
Capt. Noel was the victim of the envy of
certain officers in his regiment, and that
the charges had been trumped up from
the false and prejudiced statement of the
man whom he had been compelled to
place in arrest for misconduct in action.
"Capt. Noel had demanded court mar
tial," said The Chronicle, "that he might
be triumphantly indicated, as he un-
doubtedly would be-"
At the club several men surrounded
Lieut.. Bowen with eager inquiry as to
the facts in the case. Bowen, who was
now in charge of the rendezvous as Noel's
successor, was very reticent when inter
rogated. He said that while an officer
might demand court of inquiry he
could not demand court martial; they
were entirely different things; and it was
certainly the latter that had been ordered.
"Was there not some likelihood of
malice and envy being at the bottom of
the charges?' he was asked. "And was
it not unfair to let him be tried by Off
GERS prejudiced against him?'
Bowen said he did not belong to the
Eleventh, but he knew it well enough to
say no to the first part of the question.
AS to the other, there were only two Off
GERS from that regiment on the court.
and one was Noel's old friend and colonel
Riggs.
1t was in the midst Of this talk that
Mr.. Amos Withers had suddenly ap-
peared and begged few words in private
with Mr.. Bowen.
Withers was in q state Of nervous ex.
element, 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 tho 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
M, m division, hoo 6o,1 rtore
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 sepa-
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
Mabels 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 a long talk did he
hold with his client and the officers who
were gathering at Gregg.
The charges of misconduct in face of