The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-16

needy OF his company, Sne eNplalueu W
the doctor, who could not recall having
seen her on q similar errand before, al
though sick and needy of Company b
were not unknown in garrisons where
he had served with them. She spent q
good while with Mrs. Clancy, whom she
had never noticed hitherto, much to the
laundress' indignation, and concerning
whose conduct she had been known to
express herself in terms of extreme dis
appreciation. But in times of suffering
such things are forgotten; Mrs. Rayner
was full of sympathy and interest; there
was nothing she was not eager to send
them, and no thanks were necessary.
She could never do too much for the
men of her husbands company.
Yet there was member of her hus-
bands company on whom in his suffering
neither she nor the captain saw fit to call.
Mr.. Haynes eyes were seriously injured
by the flames and heat, and he was row
living in darkness. 1t might be month,
said the doctor, before he could use his
eyes again.
''Only think of that poor fellow all
alone out there on that CHASTITY prairie
and unable to read!' was the exclama-
ton of one of the cavalry ladies in Mrs.
Rayner's presence; and, as there was an
awkward silence and somebody had to
break it. Mrs. Rayner responded:
"If lived on Prairie avenue should
consider blindness blessing
1t was an unfortunate remark. There
was strong sympathy developing for
Hayne all through the garrison. Mrs.
Rayner never meant that it should have
any such significance, but inside of
twenty-four hours, III course of which
her language had been repeated some
dozens of times and distorted quite as
many, the generally accepted version of
the story was that Mrs. Rayner, So far
from expressing the faintest sympathy
or sorrow for Mr. HAYNES misfortune, so
far from expressing the natural gratifi-
cation which a lady should feel that it
was an officer of her regiment who had
reached the scene of danger ahead of the
SO many words that Mr.. Hayne ought to
| be thankful that blindness was the worst
thing that had come to him.
! There was little chance for harmony
after that Many men and some women,
of course, refused to believe it, and said
they felt confident that she had been
misrepresented. Still, all knew by this
time that Mrs. Rayner was bitter against
/ Hayne, and had heard of her denuncia-
/ ton of the colonel's action. So, too, had
the colonel heard that she openly de-
clared that she would refuse any invita-
/ ton extended to her or to her sister
which might involve her accepting hos
pitality at his house. These things do
get around in most astonishing ways.
Then another complication arose:
Hayne. too, was mixing matters. The
! major commanding the battalion, asraan
! in no wise connected with his misfort-
unes, had gone to him and urged, with
the doctors full consent, that he should
be moved over into and become an in
mate of his household in garrison. He
had big, roomy house. His wife ear
nestly added her entreaties to the ma
jor's, but all to no purpose: Mr.. Hayne
firmly declined. He thanked the ma
jor;. he rose and bent over the lady's
hand and thanked her with a voice that
was full of gentleness and gratitude;
but he said that he had learned to live
in solitude. Sam was accustomed to ali
his ways, and he had every comfort he
needed. His wants We're few and sim
pie. She would not be content, and
urged him further. He loved reading:
surely he would miss his books and
would need some one to read aloud to
! him, and there were SO many ladies in
the garrison who would be glad to meet
at her house and read to him by turns.
He loved music, she heard, and there
was her piano, and she knew several
who would be delighted to come and
/ play for him by the hour. He shook his
head, and the bandages hid the tears
that came to his smarting eyes. He had
made arrangements to be read aloud to,
he said; and as for music, that must
wait awhile.
The kind woman retired dismayed-
she could not understand such obduracy,
/ and her husband felt rebuffed. Stan
nard, of the cavalry, too, came in with
his gentle wife. She was loved through
out the regiment for her kindliness and
grace of mind, as we'll as for her devo-
ton to the sick and suffering in the old
| days of the Indian wars, and Stannard
had made similar proffer and been
similarly refused, and he had gone away
indignant. He thought Mr.. Hayne too
bumptious to live; but he bore no malice,
and his wrath was soon over. Many of
the cavalry officers called in person and
rendered their services, and were very
civilly received, but all offers were posi-
| lively declined. Just what the infantry
officers should do was momentous
/ question. That they could no longer
hold aloof was matter that was quick
ly settled, and three of their number
went through the chill cleaning of the
wintry eve and sent in their cards by
Sam, who ushered them into the cheer
less front room, while one of their num-
Der followed to the doorway which led
to the room in rear, in which, still con-
fined to his bed by the doctors advice,
the injured officer was lying. 1t was
Mr.. Ross who went to the door and
cleared his throat and stood in the pres
ence of the man to whom, more than
five years before, he had refused his
hand. The others listened anxiously:
''Mr. Hayne, this is Ross. l come
with Foster and Graham to say how
deeply we regret your injuries, and to
tender our sympathy and our services"
There was dead silence for moment.
Foster and Graham stood with hearts