The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-08-01

though still confined to her room.
Would he not come in? Mrs Vincent
was out, but she thought-did that most
intelligent young woman, Mary Ann
that perhaps there was a message for
him. Like Mr.. Toots, poor Lane, in his
anxiety to put no one to any trouble,
came within an ace of stammering: SITS
of no consequence" but checked him.
self in time, and stepped into the bright
parlor in which he had spent so many
delicious hours listening to her soft, rich
voice as she sang, or as she chatted
blithely with him and her frequent
guests 1t was some time before Mary
Ann returned. Evidently, there was q
message, for the girls face was dimpled
with smiles as she handed him little
note. miss Mabel says please excuse
pencil, sir; she had to write lying down.
Miss Holton has just gone away. after
spending most of the morning"
Excuse pencils Lane could hardly
wait to read the precious lines. How he
longed to give the girl five dollar bill!
But this wasn't England, and he did not
know how Mary Ann would regard such
proffer. She promptly and discreetly
retired, leaving the front door open for
his exit, and the sweet June sunshine
and the soft warm breath of early sum-
mer flowing in through the broad vesti-
bule.
"How good you are to mel" she wrote
''The flowers were-and are still-ex-
quisite. ! shall be down stairs a little
while tomorrow afternoon, if the doctor
is good to me as you are. Then l can
thank you, can / not? M. l.. ""
The hours dragged until Friday after
noon came. He had to go to the With
erses to dinner on Thursday evening,
and dreary, ostentatious, ponderous
feast it was. Noel, in his full dress uni
form, was the hero of the hour. He
greeted Lane trifle nervously.
Il meant to have telephoned and
begged you to bear me out, old man."
said he, but this thing was sprung on
me after l got home. Cousin Matte
simply ordered me to appear in my war
paint, and had to do it. You are to 90
in to dinner with her by the way; and
wish you were en- grande tenue instead
of civilian spike tail. Here's Amos"
And Amos marched him around to
one guest after another-"self made |
men, sir"-heavy manufacturers and |
money makers, with their overdressed |
wives. Lane strove hard to be enter |
tanning to his hostess, but that lady's |
mind was totally engrossed in the prog
ress OF the feast and dread of possible |
to style or service. Her
Eyes glanced nervously from her hus-
,and to the butler and his assistants, and |
Ter lips perpetually framed inaudible in
tructions or warnings, and so it hap
'ened that the captain was enabled to
hat good deal with slight, dark
yed and decidedly intelligent girl who
at to his right. and who was totally
gnored by the young cub who took her
1.-THE eldest son of the house of With
rs, callow youth of 90.
"You did not hear my name, l know"
he had said to him. 81 am Miss Mar
hall, very distant connection of Mrs.
the teacher of her younger
and the merest kind of an acct
ent at this table. Miss Faulkner was
ompelled to send her excuses at the last
and so l was detailed-isn't
hat your soldier expression?-to fill the
ap."
Sand where did you learn our army
IMPRESSIONS, may ask?' said Lane smil-
Ugly.
IL had u cousin i'll the artillery some
ears ago, and visited his wife when
a cfof ot II I. |
cross the river. There's no one there
ow, believe. Listen to Captain Noel:
Q is telling about Indian campaigns"
Indeed, pretty much everybody was
stening already, for Noel, with much
was recounting the expe-
ences of the chase after the Chiricahua
Geronimo. He was an excel
mt talller, and most diplomatic and
illful in the avoidance of any direct
ference to himself as the hero of the
ries of dramatic incidents which he so
told, and yet the impression
intended to be convened
was that no man had seen more, en-
lred more or ridden harder, faster and
rther, than the narrator. Flattered
? the evident interest shown by those
'out him, and noting that conversation
as brisk at Lanes end of the table, the I
soon lost himself in the en-
usiasm of his own descriptions. and :,
as only suddenly recalled to earth bv |.
ting that now the whole table had '
ased its dinner chat, and that, with ,
Q possible exception of the hostess, :,
ho.was telegraphing signals to the but ).
:, every man and woman present was
oking at him and listening. The color +,
aped to his face, and he turned to- y
ards Lane with nervous laugh. :,
''Fd no idea l was monopolizinp the
TX" he said. Erred, old man, wasn't ;.
u troop that tried to get across the "
nge from your command to ours when :,
} neared the Guadalupe? Amos and y
:. Hawks had been asking me about =
chase after Geronimo" -
Eyes, it was G troop-Capt. Greene's." .
swered Lane.
You know that Capt. Lane and are
the same regiment, and, though not
tually together in the chase, we were d'
the same campaign" said Noel. apollo. III
hcally, and then, quickly changing re
subject: ''By the way, Mr.. Hawks In
Harry Hawks off the arfi11ar,, :, - Tn