Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-11-13
knous mors than any other man ahe has

knows more than any other man she has
ever met.
..He has money TOO, and can resign and
live here if she wants him 20, went on
Miss Maud after a pause which. oddly
enough. her friend had not taken adyan-
tage OF.
"Yon don't know anything about what
Mabel Vincent will or won't do, Maud
I've Known her years longer than you
have. and, though Pm awfully fond of her,
and wouldn't have this repeated for the
warld-and y0u must swear never to re
peat il TO anybody know her so well
thnt can say she doesn't know her own
mind now and would change it in less
than six months if she did She is as
tickle ii lo.e ms in her friendships; and
YOU can't have forgotten how i~nseparable
Won and She were forthree monthS,a at Nine.
Hotffalas. and then how she fastened on
katllpiinp Ward. | don't care "A snap Of
my finger whom Mr.. Lane chooses 10 fall
in love with. if its Mabel Vincent he'd
better insist on a short engagement and
stand guard oyer her with his sword in the
meantime It's out of sight out OF mind
with her. and has been ever since she was
4 years old"
And SO 10 the smoking room at the club
and in the feminine cliques and lotteries in
society the probability Of Mabel Nincent's
accepting Capt. Lane was Il matter of fire.
ouent discussion. But OF all this chit-chat
and speculation Capt. Lane stood in pro-
found ignorance a. he entered his dark Of
fee that drenching "Wednesday morning
with her precious note In bis waistcoat
pocket. He neither knew nor cured what
old Vincent was worth; all he wanted was
Mabel's own sweet self, for he loved her
with his whole heart and soul, with all the
strength and devotion of his deep and loyal
nature. He could hardly control his voice
so as to speak in the conventional official
tone to the sergeant IN charge as the latter
saluted him at the doorway and made the
customary report OF the presence Of the de
tachment. Lane stepped into his little
dressing room and quickly appeared in his
neat fatigue uniform There wasn't "A
ghost of a chance of would be recruits wan
dering in that day; but he was a stickler
for discipline. He required his men TO be
always IN their appropriate uniform, and
never neglected wearing his W while IN
the office. yet in all the Queen City no on
but his little party, the applicants for en-
listment and the few citizens who came in
on business had ever seen him except in
civilian dress
These reports and returns all 80 in to
morrow. | believer said Lane to his ser
geant.
They do, sir"
Wei. viii You take them in to the clerk
again said Lane, blushing viyidly, "and
tell him TO alter that first lieutenant to
captain wherever it occursg The-oficial
notification IS just here he added. almost
apologetically
sure I'm glad to hear it. sir. All the
men will be glad, sir, and I'm prond to
think that I was the first man to salute
the captain today, WIS the sergeant's de
lighted answer 'Ill call Taintor in AT
-
But Lane was blissfully thinking Of the
little note. now transferred to the breast
pocket Of his uniform blouse. and Of how
not his honest old sergeant but sweet Ma
bel Vincent was the first to hail him by his
new title. and in thinking OF the note and
of her lac failed % notice that, 50 far from
coming at once, il was fully ten or fifteen
minutes before Taintor, the clerk. pat IN
appearance. and when he did that his
face was ashen gray and his hand shook as
though with palsy
"The sergeant viii tell you what is to be
done with the papers, Taintor, said Lame,
conscious that be was hlushing again, and
consequently striving % appear engr1ssel
the morning paper. The man picked
hem up one after another and without q I
word. he dropped one 70 the door iu bis
nervousness, but maie % quick dive for fl. /
and then for the door. rs though fearful of
detection. Tie hurried through the room
10 which the sergeant and oue or two men /
we're seated, and, reaching his big desk nc
B rear window. where be WIS out of sight, /
the papers on tine floor and buried
his face in his shaking hands
A few minutes latcrthe sergeant, coming
nto che little cubhy hole Of . room in
which Taintor hai preferred 10 do his
work, found him wi,hhisarms on the desk
nd his face hidden in them, and the sol
clerk was quivering and twitching
head TO foot.
Whats the matter with you, Taintor3"
the old soldier. Didn't You prom
me you'd quit drinkings''
The face that locke up into his was
1T isn't drink, sergeant, moaned the
nan AT least, | haven't exceeded for a
month. I've got a CHILEAN ague Of some
ind Just let me run down TO the drug
tore and get some quinine-with perhans
little brandy. Then | can do this work.
Do. sergeant won't abuse your kind
Tess
We'll. go. then - was the reluctant n
wer, but get back quick And only one
rink, mind YOU"
Taintor seized his cap and fairly tottered
through the adjoining Don to the stair
down which he pl9aged madly, and,
Of the pelting rain. darted across
he street TO the gas lighted barroom.
There's something worse than either
Fhisky or ague hack of this, :" muttered the
sergeant. and could swear to it, "
CHAPTER ".
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