The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-02-12

Sprague all about it; and, instead of con-
doing with him and bidding him. strive
to be patient and saying that all would
come right in time, the little woman's
kind eyes shone with delight, her cheeks
flushed with genuine pleasure; she fairly
sprang from her chair, and danced up
and down and clapped her hands and
laughed with glee, and then, when Perry
ruefully asked her if that was the SYM
pathy he had right to expect from her,
she only laughed the more, and at last
broke forth with:
ooh, you great, stupid, silly boy! You
ought to be wild with happiness. Can't
you see she's jealous?"
And the very next day she had long
talk with DR.. Quin, whose visits to Dun
raven still continued; and one bright
afternoon when Gladys Maitland rode up
to the fort to return calls, she managed
to have quite a chat with her, despite the
fact that Mrs. Belknap showed strong
desire to accompany that fair English
girl in all three of her visits In this
effort, too, the diplomatic services of
Capt. Stryker proved rather too much
for the beauty of the garrison Was it
possible that Mrs. Sprague had enlisted
him also in the good cause? Certain it
is that the dark featured captain was
Miss Maitland's escort as she left the
garrison, and that it was with the con-
seriousness 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. Every body 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 we'll.
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 q, ter 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 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? l never understood
that
at l. 4