Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-07-10

of warning, she suddenly took her de-
parture in the spring, there was gasp
of gossip loving cronies in the garrison;
all doubts were at an end; she had left
him and taken her children with her.
The more think of it," said Law
renee, "the more / believe the whole
thing capable of explanation. The only
thing that puzzles me now is that Quin
hides anything from your colonel, who
is one of the most courteous and copsid-
crate men / ever served with. Perhaps
he has told him by this time; we don't
know. Perhaps he thought he might be
of the same stamp as his predecessor,
and was waiting to find out before he
made his condolences. As to Mrs. Quin's
going away when she did, it may have
been simply that her health was suffer
ing, she needed change, and went with
his full advice and by his wish, and he
simply feels too much contempt for gar
rison gossip to explain. Very probably
he knows nothing of the stories and the
cries in circulation; I'm sure | did not
until very few weeks ago. You know.
Perry, there are some men in garrison
who hear and know everything, and
otheI who never hear q word of scan
DIAL"
could not forget Quin's sudden appear
ance; his calling her Gladys; and then he
hated the thought that it was Quin who
saw him having that COMPOUNDED tender
interview with Mrs Belknap. Was there
ever such a streak of i'll luck as that?
No doubt the fellow had told her about
i'll Perry left Lawrences that night
very little comforted, and only one
gleam of hope did he receive in the two
days that followed Mrs. Sprague joy
fully beckoned him on Wednesday after
noon to read him a little note that had
just come from Miss Maitland. Her
father had been very i'll, she wrote; his
condition was still critical; but she sent
world of thanks to her kind entertain
ers at Rossiter, and these words: 81 was
sorry not to be able to see Mr.. Perry
again Do not let him think have for
gotten, or will be likely to forget, the
service he-and Nolan-did me"
Of DR.. Quin he saw very little. With
the full consent and knowledge of Col.
Brainard, the doctor was spending a
good deal of time at Dunravcn now. at
tending to Mr.. Maitland Indeed, there
seemed to be an excellent understanding
between the commandant and his medi-
cal officer, and it was known that they
had had a long talk together. Upper
circles in the garrison were still agltated
with chat and conjecture about Gladys
Maitland and her strange father; Perry
was still tortured with questions about
his one visit TO Dunraven whenever he
was so incautious as to appear in public;
but all through 1.-The quarters" every
where among the rank and file, there
was a subject that engrossed all thoughts
and tongues, and that was discussed with
feeling that seemed to deepen with every
day-the approaching court martial of
Sergt Leary and of Trooper Kelly.
AS result of his investigation, Capt.
Stryker had preferred charges against
these two men-the one for leading and
the other for being accessory to the as
sault on his stable sergeant. Gwynne
was still at the hospital, though rapidly
recovering from his injuries Not word
had he said that would implicate or ac-
cuse any man; but Strykers knowledge
of his soldiers, and his clear insight into
human motive and character, were such
that he had readily made up his mind rs
to the facts in the case. He felt sure that
Leary and some of the Celtic members of
| his company had determined to go down
| to Dunraven and "have it OUT with the
hated Britons who had so affronted and
abused them the night of Perry's visit.
They knew they could not get their horses
by fair means, for Gwynne was above
suspicion lie was English, too, and
striving TO shield his countrymen from
the threatened vengeance. They there
fore determined, in collision with Kelly,
20 lure him outside the stables, bind and
gag him, get their horses, having once
rifled Gwynne of the keys, ride down to
the ranch, and, after having a Donny
brook fair on the premises, get back to
Rossiter in plenty of time for reveille and
stables. No sentries were posted in such
a way as to interfere with them, and the
plan was feasible enough but for one
thing. Gwynne had made most gallant
and spirited resistance, had fought the
whole gang like a tiger, and they had
been unable to overpower him before the
noise had attracted the attention of the
sergeant of the guard and some of the
men in quarters An effort, of course,
was made to show that the assaulting
party were from without, but it was
futile, and Stryker's cross-questioning
among the men had convinced them that
he knew all about the matter. There
was only one conclusion, therefore, that
Gwynne must have "given them away"
as the troopers expressed it.
Despite the fact that he had been as
saulted and badly beaten, this was some
thing that few could overlook, and the
latent jealousy against the "cockney
sergeant blazed into a feeling of deep
resentment. Garrison sympathy was
with Leary and his fellows.
Thursday came, and Sergt. Gwynne
returned to light duty, though his face
was still bruised and discolored and he
wore a patch over one eye. He resumed
charge of the stables in the afternoon,
after brief conversation with his cap
tain, and was experimenting the issue
of forage, when Perry entered to inspect
the stalls of his platoon. Nolan was
being led out by his groom at the mo-
ment. and pricked up his tapering ears
at sight of his master and thrust his lean
muzzle to receive the caress Of the hand
he knew SO we'll Perry stopped him
and carefully and critically examined
his knees, feeling down to the fetlocks
with searching fingers for the faintest