San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-19
TWO SOLDIERS.
By Capt. CHARLES KING.
Copyrighted by J. B. Lippincott Company, Phn@
defphta, and published through special arrange
ment with the American Press Association.l

ment with the American Press Association.l
Inc charges OF misconduct IN lace OF
the enemy had been preferred by the de-
partment commander, who cited as his
witnesses Capt. Lane, Lieut.. Mason,
Lieut.. Royce. the guide and two or
three non-cOmmissioned officers. To the
charge of conduct unbecoming an Off
Ger and a gentleman" there were specifi-
cations setting forth that he had caused
to be circulated and published reports to
the effect that it was his command that
had been severely engaged, and his COM
nland that had rescued the captiyes and
defeated the Indians, which statements
he well knew to be false. Two or three
correspondents and railway employees
and the telegraph operator were wit
neSseS. This would be a hard one TO
prove afIirmatively, as the judge advo-
cate found when he examined his wit
nesses as they arrived, and the great
lawyer assured the accused officer that
he could secure him an acquittal OH that
charge. The real danger lay in the tes-
timony of Capt. Lane and Lieut.. Mason.
who had not yet come.
And now. hour after hour, for two
days, Mabel was reading in h2T hus-
bands face the utter hopelessness that
possessed him: nay, more, the truth was
being revealed to her in all its danaing
details. 1t might be impossible fol the
prosecution to prove that he had actual
iy caused the false and boastful stories
- DE given to the press and the public;
out how about the kilograms and letters
Ir. Withers had so proudly come to
show her? How about the kilograms
md letters she herself had received?
" hat impression could she derive from
uham but that he was the hero of the
whole affair, and thar ne was lying pain
July wounded when he wrote? The
sash through the beautiful white arm
,-3"ned out to be a mere scratch upon the
kin, that a pin might have made. 1t
vas GTeene's command from Fort Ora
ham that had rescued Lane. and Lane
With his men who had rescued the cap
les, and then fought so hard. so des-
,,.a;ely, against such fearful odds, and
sustained their greatest losses while her
url3-her GOrdOu-with nearly fifty
MON. was held only mile away by half
d dozen rdgamufiins in the rocks. She
had almost alOred him, believing him
rndlil;e in courage and m&.gnaniinity;
b,,t now on every side the real facts
We're coming to light, and she even
v-T--n% them from his reluctant lips.
And y 't-and yet-he was her husband,
AMI she loved him.
Again and again did she question Mr..
Tulconer, the eminent counsel, as to the
possibilities. This gentleman had fought
all through the war of the rebellion, and
.aI won high commentator for bra.
very. lie had taken the case because he
Believed. on Withers' statement, that
Noel was a wrOnged and injured man,
and because, possibly, a fee of phenome-
nal proportion could be looked for. He
net among the old captains of the
Eleventh men whom he had known in
Virginia in the war days, and learned
from them what Noel's real reputation
was, and, beyond peradventure, how he
had shirked and played the coward in the
last campaign; so that he, who had
known Mabel Vincent from her baby.
hood and loved her old father, now
shrank from the sorrow of having to tell
her the truth. Yet she demanded it, and
he had to say that her husbands fate
hinged on the evidence that might be
given by Capt Lane and Mr.. Mason.
That very night these two officers ar
rived, together with three members of
the court. The following day at 10
o'clock the court was to begin its session,
and four of its members were still TO
come. That night Mr. Falconer and
Noel were closeted with several men
in succession, seeking evidence for the de-
tense. That night there came dispatch
from Withers saying he had done his
best in Washington. but that it seemed
improbable that the president would in
terfere and accept Noel's resignation from
the service.
Noel showed this to Mabel and sank
upon the sofa with groan of despair.
"Oh, my darling she whispered,
.necling by his siio and throwing her
arms about hi5 neck, don't give way!
There must be hope yet! They cannot
prove such cruel charges! There must
6e way of avarting this trouble"
There is one said he, starting up.
There is one, if You will only do it to
save me-"
What would not do to save you,
Gordon:' she asked, though her face was
paling now with awful dread of what
the demand might be-
Mabel, my wife, it is to see-him at