The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1890-02-15

explanatlOn that SatlShed him.
"You know she can walk only with
great pain and difficulty even now,"
said Mrs. Cowan. "Her ankle was very
badly wrenched. and she hardly goes
farther than from her own to her faith
er's room. You ought to feel compli-
mented that she has been here to your
door three times"
II feel more like butting my brains
out for being asleep" muttered Perry in
reply. II wish you would wake mo
next time, Mrs. Cowan. sllan't believe
it until I see it, or hear her voice at the
door,"
She had excused herself to Mrs. Bel
knap, and the doctor had denied that
lovely woman her request to be allowed
to come up and see Mr.. Perry; and yet
the very next day, when the big four
mule ambulance from Rossiter came
driving up to the front door, and Mrs.
Sprague and Mrs. Lawrence, escorted
by the colonel and Capt. Stryker, ap-
peared on the veranda, how did it hap
pen that the ladies were speedily ushered
upstairs to Miss Maitland's own room,
and that, after IN animated though low
toned chat of half an hour with her,
they were marshaled down the long cor
ridor by Mrs. Cowan in person, and, to
Perry's huge delight, were shown in to
his bedside? 1t looked as though Quin
were showing gunwarrantable discrimina-
ton. Stryker and tho colonel, too, came
in to see him, and the latter told him that
both Mr.. Maitland and Mr.. Even had
begged that the arrested soldiers might
not be punished. Including Sergt. Leary
and Kelly, there wero now twenty men
under charges more or less grave in their
character, and lie had asked that a gen.
eral court martial be convened for their
trial. The colonel deeply appreciated the
feeling displayed by the stricken propri-
etor and his overseer; he was touched
that even in his extreme illness and pros
tration Mr.. Maitland should intercede for
the men who had made SO hostile an in
vasion of his premises and brought upon
the inmates of Dunraven night of dread
and anxiety; but discipline had to be
maintained, lie replied, and the ringlead-
ers in the move had been guilty Of
fragrant breach which could not be over
looked.
But on the following day-the fourth
of Perry's stay-the doctor came down
with face full of gloom and distress.
Both nurse and patient noted it, and in
quired the cause. For a time Quin
avoided any direct reply: something
had ruffled him up at the post" he an
swered: "can't tell you about it now.
I'll do it by and by. I want to think"
He examined Perry's leg, dressed and re-
bandaged the wound, and then went
back to Mr.. Maitland room. They could
hear his voice in the hall after while,
and Perry's heart began to throb heavily;
he was sure the low, sweet tones, almost
inaudible, that came floating along the
corridor, were those of Gladys When
Mrs. Cowan spoke to him on some Or
dinary topic. he impatiently babe her
hush-he could not bear to be disturbed
and, far from being hurt at his petu-
lance, Mrs. Cowan smiled softly as she
turned away.
Then Quin came back, and, after
fidgeting around a moment, abruptly ad-
dressed his patient:
"Perry, do you remember that morn
ing you rode down here right after re-
veille and met me on the trail-or at
least would havo met me If I hadn't
lodged and gone over to the other side
of the valley"
"Certainly do, DOCTOR"
II may as we'll explain that singular
performance first You may have heard
that didn't get along amicably with
your predecessors of the Eleventh. Their
colonel was ass enough to totally miscon-
strue the purpose of my visits here, and
Twas ass enough TO make no explana-
ton. T!:a Maitlands went away; was
not called for again while the Eleventh
remained; and therefore said no more
about it. Mr.. Maitland returned unex-
pectedly soon after you came, and the
first knew Of it was the signal lights
telling mo he was there, i'll, and that 1
was wanted. It was the night of the
coloners dinner party. I couldn't ex-
plain then, and decided to go at once
and explain afterward. When / met
you all of sudden the next morning,
the first impulse was to get away out of
your sight, and obeyed it simply be-
cause of the unpleasant experiences
had been having with your fellow caval-
rymen. did not want to have to an
swer questions. See? I was ashamed
of it, but too late to turn back"
Perry nodded. II understand it
now," he said.
"Well, what l want to ask is about
Sergt. Gwynne. Did you meet him be-
fore you got back?"
"Yes-a mile or so out from the post. :"
"You stopped and talked with him,
didn't your"
"Yes-for several minutes"
Mrs. Cowan's needlework had fallen in
her lap. She was seated near the window,
and had been busily sewing. Now she
was looking up, eager and intent.
you've known him long time,
haven't your"
"Yes-ever since he Joined. He's one