The times., 1890-10-03


lid, nerveless being, standing with hang
ing head before him, the peerless queen
he had so loyalty and devotedly served
whose faintest wish was to him a royal
mandate-to kiss whose soft white hand
was JOY unutterable? All this flashed
through his mind in the instant of her
irresolute pause. Then the great pity Of
strong and manful heart, the tender
ness that lives ever in the bravest, sent
him forward to her side. All thought
of self and suffering. of treachery and
concealment and deception, vanished at
once at the sight Of her bitter woe. His
own brave eyes filed up with tears he
would gladly have hidden, but that she
saw and was comforted. He took her
limp, nerveless hand and led her to u
chair, saying only her name-''Mrs.
Noel"
For several minutes she could not
speak, but wept unrestrainedly, he, poor
fellow, walking the floor the while, long,
ing to comfort her, yet powerless. What
could he say? What could he do? AT
last she seemed to regain her self-con-
troll
capt. Lane" she said, lit is useless
for me to tell you how much l have
learned since coming here, Of which /
was ignorant before. Every effort has
been made to spare me; people have
been so considerate and kind that the
truth, as l am beginning to see, has
been kept from me. Mr.. Falconer, Capt.
Noel's-our lawyer, has at last admitted
that almost everything depends upon
your evidence. Forgive me, if you can,
that l believed for while that you in
spired the charges against him. know
now that you refused to press the mat
ter, and that-that am not to blame
any one. In his deep misfortune my
duty is with my husband, and he-con-
sented that l should see you. Capt.
Lane" she said, rising as she spoke, ''do
not try to spare my feelings now. am
prepared for nything-ready to share
his downfall. If you are asked as to the
contents of the note You sent him before
the fight, must you tell what they Were?
Do you recall them"
II must, Mrs. Noel. l remember al
most the exact words" he replied, gen.
tly, sorrowfully.
''But that is all, is it not? You know
nothing more about the delay in reach
ing you?" And her eyes, piteous in en-
treaty, in shame, in suffering, sought one
instant his sad face, then fell before the
sorrow and sympathy in his.
For a moment there was no answer,
and at last she looked up, alarmed.
Mrs. Noel" he said, 81 could not help
it, Twas eagerly awaiting their coming.
l saw them approach the ford and the
pass. saw that there were only six
Apaches to resist them, and the next
thing l saw was the retreat"
"Oh, Capt. Lane!" she cried, must
you testify as to thisY' And her tIem-
bling hands were clasped in misery "Is
there no way-no way"
Even if there were." he answered,
slowly and mournfully, "Mr. Mason.s
testimony and that Of the men would be
still more conclusive"
Throwing herself upon the sofa, the
poor girl gave way to fit of uncon-
trollable weeping; and Lane stood help
lessly, miserably by. Once he strove to
speak, but she could not listen. He
brought her glass of water presently
and begged her to drink it; there was
still something he had to suggest. She
took the goblet from his hand and looked
thinking only Of her-for her-now. The
man who had robbed him of happiness,
of love, of wife and home and hope, and
who had done the utmost that he dared
to rob him Of honor and his soldier repu-
tation-the man now wrctchedly listen
ing overhead to the murmur of voices
below-he forgot entirely except as the
man she loved.
"Mrs. Noel, your .friends-his friends
are most influential. Can they not be
telegraphed to that his resignation will
be rendered? Can they not stop the trial
in that way?"
"It is hopeless. 1t has been tried, and
refused. If he is found guilty there is
nothing left-nothing left" she moaned,
"but to take him back to the east with
me, and, with the little we have now, to
buy some quiet home in the country,
where our wretched past need not be
known-where we can be forgotten
where my poor husband need not have
to hang his head in shame. Oh, God!
oh, God! what ruined life!'
''Is there nothing / can do for you,
Mrs. Noel? Listen; that court cannot
begin the-the case tomorrow. Four
members are still to come. 1t may be
two days yet--perhaps three. Perhaps
Mr.. Withers and his friends do not ap-
preciate the danger and have not brought
pressure to bear on the president; but
forgive me for the pain this must give
you-there are other, new charges COM
ing from division headquarters, that l
fear will harm him still more. grieve
to have to tell you this. Try and make
Mr.. Withers understand Try and get
the resignation through. IL you will see
Mr.. Falconer and-and the captain now,
can get the telegraph operator"
"What charges--what new accusa-
tions do you mean?" she asked, her eyes
dilating with dread. care we not crushed
enough already? Oh, forgive me, Capt
Lane! l ought not to speak bitterly,
you-you have been so good, so gentle