The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1890-02-15

the service of the old country, he said,
and headmired many q captain and sub
altern in that of his adopted land, but
the first one to whom he "warmed"-the
first one to win his atfection-was the
young cavalryman who had met his pain
full wound in their defense. Old Matt
land listened to it all eagerly-he had
already given orders that the finest thor.
oughbred at Dunraven should be Pcrrv's
the moment he was able to mount again
and lie was constantly revolving in mind
how he could show his appreciation of
the officers who had befriended his son.
Mrs. Cowan, too, never tired of hearing
Perry's praises, and eagerly questioned
when the narrator tagged. There was
another absorbed auditor, who never
questioned and who listened with down.
cast eyes. 1t was sho who seldom came
near Perry during his convalesccnce, she
who startled and astonished the young
fellow beyond measure, the day the am
bulance came down to drive him lack to
the fort. by withdrawing the hand he
had impulsively seized when at last she
appeared to bid him adieu, and cutting
short his eager words with Mrs. Bclknap
will console you. dare say" and alb
ruptly leaving the room.
Poor Ned! In dire distress and per-
plexity he was driven back to Rossiter
and that very evening he did most SEN
siblo and fortunate thing; he told Mrs.
Spraguo all about it; and, instead of con-
doling with him and bidding him strive
to be patient and saying that all would
come right in time, the little woman's
kind eyes slone with delight, her checks
flushed with genuine pleasure; she fairly
sprang from her chair, and danced up
and down and clapped her hands and
laughed with glec, and then, when Perry
rucfully asked her if that was tho SYM
pathy he had a 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 DIR. Quin, whose visits to Dun
raven still continues; and ono bright
afternoon when Gladys Maitland rode up
to the fort to return calls, she managed
to have quite chat with her, despite the
fact that Mrs. Belllnap showed strong
desire to accompany that fair English
girl in all three of her visits In this
effort, too, the diplomatic services Of
Capt. Strykcr 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 Everybody 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 OH rid
ing up the Moncc, he was presently seen
to have made the circuit of tho post and
was slowly cantering down towards the
lower valley. Out on the eastern prairie
another Aorseman could be Geen, and
presently the two came together. Col.
Brainard took down his binocular and
gazed out after them.
II DECLARE" said he, "thoso two fig
ures are so much alike l cannot tell
which of them is Perry"
"Then the other is Sergt. Gwynnc, 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 llo saw Perry"
GLOW 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, l fancy"
The colonel was silent moment. Then
he suddenly asked:
"By the way, how was it that Gwynne
wasn't drowned? / never understood
that"
"He never meant to be-" said Stryker.
"He told Perry all about it. Ho was
ruined, he thought, in his profession and in
his own country, and he knew his fathers
inexorable pride; SO he simply decided to
put an end to Archie Maitland and start
a new life for himself. He wrote his
letters and arranged his property with
that view, and he called the steward to
eIlaDle lllul 10 swear llo was III MS state
room after the steamer weighed anchor.
Then in a jiffy he was over the side in
the darkness; it was flood tide and he was
an expert swimmer; he reached coast
ing vessel lying near; he had money,
bought his passage to France, after a
few days at Cape Town, and then came
to America and enlisted He got con-
fession outof one of their irregulars who
was with him, Perry says, and that was
one Of the papers he was guarding SO
jealously. He had given others to Perry
that very night"
"They seemed to tako to each other
like brothers from the start" said the
colonel, with quiet smile.
"Just about" answered Capt. Stryker.
Meantime, Perry and Sergt. Gwynne
have been riding slowly down the valley.
Night has come upon Dunraven by tho
hour they reach the northern gate-no
longer closed against them-and as they
near the house Perry slowly dismounts
"I'll take the horses to the stable myself: