The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-09-25

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effective clawing whenever his name
came up for discussion in the feminine
conclaves occasionally held In the regi-
ment. Sometimes, too, when opportun.
ity served, he was made the victim Of
some sharp or sarcastic speech that was
not always easy to bear in silence. Mrs.
Judson, wife Of the captain Of B troop,
was reputed to be down on Lane" and
the men had no difficulty whatever in 10
eating the time when her change Of heart
took place.
The truth Of the matter was that,
thanks e. simple habits and to his sense
of economy, Lane had quite a snug little
balance in the bank, and the ladies Of
the regiment believed 1t to be bigger
than it really was; and, having approved
the furnishing and fitting up of his quar-
tiers, the next thing, of course, that they
essayed to do was to provide him with
wife. There the trouble began. Stimuli
taneously with the arrival Of his first
bar as a first lieutenant there came from
the distant east Mrs. Judson's younger
sistc- Emmy" and Mrs. Loring's pretty
niece Pansy Fletcher. Lane was prompt
to call on both, to take the young ladies
driving or riding, to be attentive and
courteous in every way; but, while he
did thus perceive a divided duty"
what was Mrs. Loring's horror on discov-
ering that pretty Pansy had fallen rap
turously in love with Jerry" baltimore,
as handsome, reckless and impecunious
a young dragon as ever lived, and moth
ing but prompt measures prevented their
marriage! Miss Fletcher was suddenly
re-transported to the east, whittier Jerry
was too hard up to follow; and then, in
bitterness Of heart, Mrs. Loring blamed
poor Fred for the whole transaction.
Why had he held aloof and allowed that
that scamp-that ne'er do weel-to cut
In and win that innocent child's heart,
as he certainly did do!" Against Latti-
more the vials Of her wrath were emptied
coram publico, but against Lane she
could not talk so openly.
Mrs. Judson had behold the sudden de-
parture Of Miss Pansy with an equanim-
ity she could barely disguise. Indeed,
there were not lacking good Christians
in the garrison who pointed significantly
to the fact that she had almost too hos
pitably opened her doors to Miss Fletcher
and her lover during that brief but vol
canic romance. Certain it is, however,
that it was in her house and in certain
little nook off the sitting room that their
long, delicious meetings occurred almost
daily, the lady Of the house being busy
about the dining room, the kitchen, or
the chambers overhead, and Emmy, who
was a good girl, but denscly uninter-
esting, strumming on the piano or yawn-
ing over a book at the front window.
What Mr.. Lane needs is a gentle,
modest, domestic little woman who will
make his home q restful, peaceful ref
uge always" said Mrs. Judson; and, in
ferentially, Emmy was the gentle and
modest creature who was destined so to
bless him. The invitations to tea, the
lures by which he was induced to be-
come Emmy's escort to all the hops and
dances, redoubled themselves after Miss
Fletchers departure; but it was all in
vain. Without feeling any particular
affinity for Mr.. Lane, Emmy stood ready
to say "Yes" whensoever he should ask;
but weeks went on, he never seemed to
draw nearer the subject, and just as
Mrs. Judson had determined to resort to
heroic measures and point out that his
attentions to Emmy had excited the re-
mark Of the entire garrison, and that
the poor child herself was looking wan
and strange, there was o stage robbery
not twenty miles from the post. Lane,
with fifteen troopers, was sent in pur-
suit Of the desperadoes, and captured
them, after q sharp fight, ninety miles
up the river and near the little infantry
cantonment at the Indian reservation;
and thither the lieutenant was carried
with bullet through his thigh. By the
time he was well enough to ride, the
regiment was again in the field on In
dian campaign, and for six months he
never saw Fort Curtis again. When he
did, Emmy had gone home, and Mrs.
Judsons pohteness was something awful.
Lane was out with the Eleventh again
In three more sharp and severe cam
paigns, received an ugly bullet wound
through the left shoulder in the memoir
able chase after Chief Joseph, was quar-
termaster of his regiment a year after
that episode, then adjutant, and finally
was given the recruiting detail as he
neared the top Of the list Of first lieu
tenants, and, for the first time in fifteen
years, found himself once more among
the friends Of his youth-and still
bachelor.
Securing pleasant quarters in the ad-
joining street, Mr.. Lane speedily made
himself known at the club to which he
had been paying his moderate annual
dues without having seen anything Of 1t
but its bills for years past, yet never
knowing Just when he might want to
drop in. Then he proceeded, after Office
hours, to hunt up old chums, and in the
course Of the first week after his arrival
he had found almost all Of them. Bailey,
who sat next to III in school, was now
prominent and prosperous lawyer.
Terry, who sat Just behind him and oc-
casionally inserted crooked pins in a acon-
venient crack in his chair, was thriving
in the iron business.
Warden had made o fortune ION
change" and was one Of the leading
brokers and commission merchants Of
the metropolis. He had always liked
Warden; they lived close together, and
used to walk to and from school with
each other almost every day. Mr.. Lane
had started on his quest with feeling
akin to enthusiasm. Calm and reticent
and retiring as he generally was, he felt
. glow Of delight at the prospect Of once
more meeting "the old crowd" but that
evening he returned to his rooms with q
distinct sense Of disappointment. Bailey