The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-09
Ienting in her condemnation of Mr..

Ienting in her condemnation of Mr..
Hayne.
To those who pointed out that he had
made every atonement man could make
she responded with the severity of con-
scious virtue that there could be no
atonement without repentance and no re
pentance without humility. Mr.. Haynes
whole attitude was that of stubborn pride
and resentment. His atonement was
that enforced by the unanimous verdict
of his comrades, and even if it were so
that he had more than made amends for
his crime the rules that held good for
ordinary sinners were not applicable to
an officer of the army. He must be a
man above suspicion, incapable of wrong
81 fraud, and once stained he was for
ever ineligible as gentleman. 1t was a
subject on which she waxed declamatory
rather too often, and the youngsters of
her own regiment wearied of it. As Mr..
Foster once expressed it in speaking of
this very case, "Mrs. Rayner can talk
more charity and show less than any
woman l know" So long as her talk was
aimed against any lurking tendency of
their own to look upon Hayne as posi-
bic martyr, it fell at times ON unapprecia-
tive ears, and she was quick to see it and
to choose her hearers; but here was new
phase-one that might rouse the latent es-
prit de corps of the Riflers-and she was
bent on striking while the iron was hot.
If anything would provoke unanimity of
action and sentiment in the regiment,
this public recognition by the cavalry,
in their very presence, of the man they
cut as criminal was the thing of all
others to do it, and she meant to head
the revolt.
Possibly Gregg and his modest help
meet discovered that there was some
thing she desired to ''spring" upon the
meeting. The others present were all of
simply glanced in, spoke hurried good
evenings, and went as hurriedly out
again, Gregg was sure of it, and marched
his wife away. Then came Mrs. Ray
ner's opportunity:
eff it were not Capt. Rayner's house,
I could not have been even civil to Capt.
Gregg. You heard what he said at the
club this morning, I suppose?'
In one form or another. indeed, almost
everybody had heard. The officers pres
ent maintained an embarrassed silence.
Miss Travers looked reproachfully at her
flushed sister, but to no purpose. At
last one of the ladies remarked:
"Well, of course 1 heard of it, but
I've heard so many different versions.
1t seems to have grown somewhat since
morning."
cit sounds just like him, however,"
said Mrs. Rayner, "and made inquiry
before speaking of it. He said he meant
to invite Mr.. Hayne to his house to-mor-
row evening, and if the infantry didn't
like it they could stay away"
'"Well, now, Mrs. Rayner," protested
Mr.. Foster, ''of course none of US heard
what ne said exactly, but it is NY expe-
rience that no conversation was ever re-
peated without being exaggerated, and
I've known old Gregg for ever SO long,
and never heard him say sharp thing
yet. Why, he's the mildest hammered
fellow in the whole -th cavalry. He
would never get into such asnarl as that
would bring about him in five minutes"
''Well, he said he would do Just as
the colonel did, anyway-we have that
straight from cavalry authority-and
we all know what the colonel has done.
He has chosen TO honor Mr.. Hayne in
the presence of the officers who de-
nounce him, and practically defies the
opinion of the Riflers."
''But, Mrs. Rayner, 1 did not under
stand Gregg's remarks to be what you
say, exactly. Blake told me that when
asked by somebody whether he was go
ing to call on Mr.. Hayne, Gregg simply
replied he didn't know-he would ask
the colonel"
Every well. That means he proposes
to be guided by the colonel, or nothing
at all; and Capt. Gregg is simply doing
what the others will do. They say to us
in SO many words: we prefer the So
ciety of your bette noire to your own
That's the way look at it," said Mrs.
Isdy uer, III ueSD excitement.
1t was evident that, though none were
prepared to indorse SO extreme a view,
there was strong feeling that the colo
mel had put an affront upon the Rifiers
by his open welcome to Mr.. Hayne. He
had been exacting before, and had caused
a good deal of growing among the Off
GERS and comment among the women.
They were ready to find fault, and here
was strong provocation. Mr.. Foster was
youth of unfortunate and unpopular
propensities. He should have held his
tongue instead of striving to stem the
tide.
II don't uphold Hayne any more than
you do, Mrs. Rayner, but it seems to me
this is case where the colonel has to
make some acknowledgment of Mr..
Haynes conduct"-
Every good. Let him write him a
letter, then, thanking him in the name
of the regiment, but don't pick him up
like this in the face of ours, interrupted
one of the juniors, who was seated near
Miss Travers Ia wise stroke of policy;
Mrs. Raynor invited him to breakfast),
and there was chorus of appreciation.
"Well, hold on moment" said Foster.
Hasn't the colonel had every one of us
to dinner more or less frequently?'
Admitted. But what's to do with it?''
Hasn't he invariably invited each
officer to dine with him in every case
where an officer has arrived?"
"Granted. But what them"
eff he broke the rule or precedent in
Mr.. Haynes case would he not practic-
ally be saying that he Endorsed the views