Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-06-19

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but with certain easy grace, raised hi:
forage cap in response to the salutation
and then, seeing the manager still look
ing at him as though he wanted to say
something and did not know how to be
gin, gave Nolan his head and rode down
to short Mailing distance.
eve meet on neutral ground out here,
Mr.. Even. 1 suppose your exclusive
employer over yonder can hardly pro-
hibit your answering civil inquiries after
his health?" And, though he meant to
be distant, Perry found himself smiling
at the oddity of the situation.
''Do you know, was just thinking
about you" answered Even, "and won
dering whether you were with that party
down yonder? The old gentleman is
better, thanks. He had two pretty bad
nights, but is coming around slowly"
"And Miss Maitland-how is she?"
Rather seedy. She has had good
deal of care and vexation of late, fancy,
and this is no place for young girl,
anyhow"
"Well, you have some appreciation of
the true character of Dunraven as a resi-
dence, after air. answerry Perry. "Now,
if you can give me any good reason why
| she should live in this utterly out-of-the-
way place, you will lift weight from
my mind"
"Oh, they don't live here, you know,
spoke Even, hurriedly. ''She comes
here only when her father does. 1t is
her own doing. She goes with him
everywhere, and will not leave him.
She's all he has, don't you know"
81 don't know anything about it.
You Dunraven people seem averse to
any expression of interest or courtesy
from your fellowmen, but I'm free to
say 1 should like to know what on earth
there is in American cavalrymen to
make them such objects of aversion to
your master; and l would be glad to
know how it is such a girl as that is
dragged into such hole as yonder."
Even sat in silence moment, study
ing the young fellows face.
"You deserve better welcome there"
he presently answered, "and l don't
know that can do better than to tell
you the truth-what know of it. And
let me tell you that if the old man knew
of my speaking of it to any one, I'd lose
the most lucrative but least attractive
place l ever had. Do you see:"
''Then perhaps you had better not tell
me. l do not care to pry into secrets"
"Oh, this is no secret. 1t was that that
drove him here; everybody knew it in
England. You were mighty shabbily
treated at the ranch, and you requited it
by preventing what would have been q
bloody row, and by lending us helping
hand. Even the old man recognizes
that; and think he'd he glad 10 say 50
o you, and sec you, II you were not just
what you area cavalry officer"
"Why, what on earth can we have
done? If any of our cloth have wronged
Mr.. Maitland in any way, it is our right
to know it and take it up"
at wasn't your cloth, old fellow"
said Even, thawing visibly, "but it was
the cavalry all the same that broke his
heart and his pride, and made his life
the wreck it is, ard drove him from his
home, stunning the sight of his fellow
men, all these years-exiling her, too, in
the prime of her young life. Mr.. Perry,
there are only three or four of us at
Dunraven who know the story, but we
have only sympathy and pity-no blame
for him, though he is the hardest
master l ever served"
How did it happen?" asked Perry.
|, 1, L
more of them, but there was only the
DISQUALIFICATION the Lancers were
ordered to South Africa. He was a
youngster, only II. they tell me, and he
had Just been gazetted to his cornetcy.
The old man was all wrapped up in him,
for of the three boys the eldest had died
only the month before the regiment was
ordered on foreign service and the sec
ond had been killed il India. Both
these two who were gone had made
themselves famous among their COM
rades by their fearlessness and high
character, and the old man, of course,
could not ask Archie to quit the service
just when orders for dangerous duty
came. The boy went to the Cape with
his corps, and got into the thick of the
Zulu war Just at the time of the masSa-
ere of the Twenty-fourth at Isandlwhana
and the fight at Rorke's Drift. was
at home then, and all England was
quivering with grief over such needless
sacrifice as was made Of that regiment,
and all ready to fall down and worship
such fellows as Chard and Bromhead,
who made the superb fight almost at the |
same time.
"They say old Maitland wanted to go
himself, as volunteer or something, with |
Lord Chelmsford, but it couldn't be |
done. His father had fought at Alma |
and Inkerman. and his grandfather had |
led the Guards at Waterloo. The whole |
tribe were soldiers, you know; and now
Archie was with the Lancers in Zululand, |
and the Lancers were going to wipe out |
he disasters of the first fights Of the /
and Archie was to uphold the |
grand old fighting name and come home
covered with glory. He was the heir
low, and Miss Gladys was but little
yirl I have heard it all from Mrs.
Cowan; she was their housekeeper in
hose days, and sort of companion, too,
o Mrs. Maitland, who was very delicate.
The old man was very fiery and proud
md full of fierce denunciation of every
hing that had gone wrong in the cam
,aign; and he offended some people by
he way he condemned some officer who
vas friend of theirs, and there were
thers who thought he talked too much;
'ut he fairly boiled over when the news
anne of how the prince imperial had
cen abandoned hv his escort and that q |