San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-18

y Z
Tic rdS permitted to go himself to the
miICGU 10 meet Mabel.
For week the story of Gordon Noel's
heroism was the talk of Queen City So
ciety. He had led the charge upon the
Indians after pursuit of over hundred
miles through the desert. He had fought
his way to the cave in which these poor
captive women We're guarded, and had
himself cut the thongs that bound them.
He was painfully wounded, but never
quiz the fight till the last savage was
driven from the field. For daring and
brilliant conduct he was to be promoted
over the heads of all the captains in his
regiment. His name was already before
the president for vacancy in the adju-
t2It generals q Dartment, and the APP
pOintment would be announced at once.
He was coming east just as soon as the
surgeon said he was well enough to
travel. Mrs. Noel wanted to join INN,
but he had telegraped saying no, that he
would soon be with her.
SO rang the chorus for several days.
At the club the men shook hands over
the news and sent kilograms of praise
and CCaGrat JlatiOn to Noel and drank
his health in bumpers, and two or three
old 'sOreheads.' who ventured to point
out that the q III TNpOrts were not yet
in, were pooh poohed and put down.
Amos Withers had left for Washington
on a midnight train Immediately after
furnishing The Chronicle with the con-
tents OF his dispatch, making no allu-
sion to that part of it WHICH said, Now
push for th&t Vacancy. Not an instant
must be lost" Nobody could say nay to
the man who had subscribed the heavi-
est sum to the campaign fund in his own
stare, and therefore both its senators and
half its representatives in the house
went with him to the president to urge
the immediate nomination of Capt. Noel
to the majority in the adiutant generals
department made vacant by the promo
ton consequent upon the retirement Of
one of its oldest members. Already the
war department had furnished the ex-
eCutive with the names and records of
the four men whom it considered the
most deserving, and Gordon Noers name
was rot one of the four. But what was
that in comparison with the eminent pc
cuniary and political services of Mr..
Withers, when the nephew had just be-
haved so superbly in action?
Meantime, the Apaches had scattered
through the mountains, and escaped
across the border, the remnant of Lanes
troop taking part in the pursuit, and
they, with their commander, only slowly
returning to the railway. For three or
four days Noel had the wires and the
correspondents pretty much to himself;
but then some of those enterprising news
gathers had been getting particulars
from the men, and there We're two or
three Of K troop in the detachment who
could not conceal their deriSiOn and con-
tempt when the newspaper men spoke of
the bravery of their captain This set
the correspondents to ferreting, and then
the dispatches began to take a different
color The very day that Mabel re-
ceived her first letter from her husband,
and was reading extracts from it to en-
vious friends who had come in to swell
sse chorus Of Jubilee and cOngratulation,
an evening paper intimated that recent
dispatches received from the seat of war
revealed different state of affairs than |
was popularity supposed.
But by this time interest was waning. |
1t is the first impression that is always |
the strongest, we first story that islOng-
est remembered, and no man who has
believed one version will accept the truth |
without vigorous resistance. In his let
ter to his wife Noel had spoken modestly |
of himself and slightly of his wounds.
This only made her worship him-her
hero, her gallant Gordon-the more in
sanely. He intimated that he had been
to place in arrest one of the
most prominent officers of the regiment
for misconduct in the face of the enemy;
and this and previous matters, he said,
would surely make of this officer an I'M
foe She need not be surprised,
therefore, if this gentleman should strive
to do him grievous harm. Mabel blush
ed beComingly as she read these lines to
some of her friends, and that night at
5he club it was limited that Lane had
been placed in close arrest for failing to
support Noel in his desperate assault.
lust at this time, too, Mr.. Withers came
pack from Washington looking mys-
eriOus
The next published dispatches were
rom the general himself He was in