The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-01-30

fortnight Of getting settled" at the
new post, preceded by a month Of march
Ing that had brought the battalion from
distant service to this strange Texan sta
ton The new corners had been hospita-
bly, welcomed by the officers Of the little
garrison Of infantry, and now, In recog-
milton Of their many courtesies, the field
officer commanding the arriving troops
had been entertaining the resident off,
GERS and ladies at dinner. The colonel
was host in himself, but preferred not
10 draw too heavily on his reserves Of
anecdote and small talk, 90 he had called
In two Of his subalterns to assist In the
pleasant duty Of being attentive to the
infantry ladies, and just now, at Has p.
~, he was wondering II Lieut. Perry
had not too literally construed his In
structions, for that young gentleman
was devoting himself to Mrs. Belknap In
q manner 20 marked Is 10 make the cap
tain, her lawful lord and master, mani
testify uneasy.
Mrs. Belknap, however, seemed to en-
Joy the situation immensely. She was
pretty woman at most times, as even
her rivals admitted. She was q beauti-
full woman at all times, was the verdict
Of the ofiicersOf the regiment when they
happened to speak Of the matter among
themselves, She was dark, with lus-
trous eyes and sweeping lashes, with
coral lips and much luxuriance Of tress,
and . way Of glancing sideways from
under her heavily fringed eyelids that
the younger aud more impressionable
men found quite irresistible when 40
corded the rare luxury Of q tete-a-teta
Belknap was big and boisterous man;
Mrs Belknap was small In stature, and
soft-Very Soft-of voice Belknap was
either brusquely repellent or oppressively
cordial In manner; Mrs Belknap was
either gently and exasperatingly indif.
ferent to those whom she did not care to
attract, or caressingly sweet to those
whose attentions she desired
In their own regiment the young on.
GERS soon found that unless they wished
70 DO involved In an unpleasantness with
Belknap Il was best to be only very mod
erately devoted to his pretty wife, and
those to whom an unpleasantness with
N1S bAk N1RSaAu uANo llAu no IeE@
rors Of consequence were deferred by
the fact that Mira Belknap's devotee
among the ''youngsters" had invariably
become an object Of GOODNESS and aver
sion TO the other danes and damsels Of
the garrison. Very short lived, there
fore, had been the little Airtations that
Sprang up from time to, time in those
frontier posts wherein Capt. and Mrs.
Belknap were among the chief orna-
ments Of society; but now matters
seemed to Be taking other shape From
the very day that handsome Ned Perry
dismounted In front Of Belknap's quar-
ters and with his soldiery salute reported
70 the then commanding officer that Col
Brainard and his battalion Of cavalry
would arrive In the course Of two or
three hours, Mrs Belknap had evinced
contentment In his society and assumed
an air Of quasi-proprietorship that served
70 annoy her garrison sisters more than
q little. For the time being all the cav
alrymen were bachelors, either by 40
tual rank or "by brevct." as none Of tho
ladies Of the -th accompanied the bat
talon on Its march, and none were ex-
pccted until the stations Of the regiment
In its new department had been definite
y settled. The post surgeon, too, was
living life Of single blesSedness as the
early spring wore on. for his good wife
had betaken herself, with the children,
to the distant east as soon as the disap-
pearance Of the winters SHOWS rendered
staging over the hard prairie roads q
matter Of no great danger or discomfort
Il was the doctor himself who, seated
In IN easy chair ut the end Of the We
randa, Hrst called the colonel's attention
TO Perry's devotional attitude ct Mrs
ISelknap's side. She was reclining In Q
hammock, one little. slippered foot occa-
Sionally touching tho floor and impart-
Ing q gentle, swinging motion to the
affair. and making n soothing swish
swish Of skirts along the mating under
meath Her jeweled hands looked very
slender and fragile and white as they
cleaned In the soft light that shono
from tho open windows Of the parlor.
They were busted In STRENGTHENING out
the kinks In tho gold cord Of his forage
cap and In rearranRing q little silken
braid and tassel that was fastened In .
clumsy. man Ike fashion to one Of the
buttons at the side; he, seated In q camp
chair. was bending forward % that his
handsome. shapely head was only .
tribe higher than hers, and the two
hers 90 dark and rich In coloring. his
70 fair and massive and strong-came
rather too cl0ss together for the equa-
nImlty Of Capt. BelknaP. who had es-
myed To take hand ~ whist In the par.
l..as