The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1890-11-01

but mere MISS 1ravcrS came TO mel re-
lief. Her beauty, her winsome ways,
her unqualified delight in everything
that was soldierly, speedily rendered her
vastly attractive to all the young officers
in garrison. Graham and Foster, Of the
Infantry, Merton, Webster and Royce, Of
the cavalry, haunted the house at all
manner of hours, and the captain babe
them welcome and urged them to come
oftener and stay later, and told Mrs.
Rayner he wanted some kind of a sup
per or collation. every night. He set be-
fore his guests good deal of wine, and
drank a good deal more himself than he
had ever been known to do before, and
they were keeping very late hours at
Rayner's, for, said the captain, ~ don't
care If Nellie is engaged; she shall have
good time while she's here; and if the
boys know all about it-goodness knows
you've told them often enough, Kate
and they don'tmind it, why, it's nobody's
business--here, at least"
What Mr.. Van Antwerp might think
or care was another matter. Rayner
never saw him, and did not know him.
He rather resented it that Van Antwerp
had never written to him and asked his
consent. As Mrs. .Rayner's husband and
Nellie's brother-in-law, it seemed to him
he stood in loco PARENTS; but Mrs. Ray
ner managed the whole thing herself,
and he was not even consulted. If any
thing, he rather enjoyed the contempla-
ton of Van Antwerp's fidgety frame of
mind as described to him by Mrs. Ray
ner about the time it became apparent to
her that Nellie was enjoying the atten-
tions OF which she was SO general an OBJ
ject, and that the captain was sitting up
later and drinking more wine than was
good for him. She was aware that the
very number Of Nell's admirers would
probably prevent her becoming entangled
with any one of them, but she needed
something to scold about, and eagerly
pitched upon this.
She knew well that she could not COM
fort her husband in the anxiety that was
gnawing at his heartstrings, but she was
jealous of comfort that might come to
him from any other source, and the
Lethe of wine and jolly companionship
she dreaded most of all. Long, long be-
fore, she had induced him to promise
that he would never offer the young Off
GERS spirits in his house. She would not
prohibit wine at table, she said: but she
never thought of there coming time
when he himself would seek consolation
in the glass and make up in quantity
what it lacked in alcoholic strength. He
was impatient of all reproof now, and
would listen to no talk; but Nellie was
years her junior-more years than she
would admit except at such times as
these, when she meant to admonish; and
Nellie had to take it.
Two weeks after their arrival at War
rener the burden of Mrs. Rayner's song
morn, noon and night--was: "What
would Mr.. Van Antwerp say if he could
but see this or hear that"
Can any reader recall an instance
where the cause of an absent lover was
benefited by the ceaseless warning in a
woman's ear, Remember, you're en-
gaged!" The hero of antiquity who
caused himself to be attended by shad-
owing slave whispering ever and only,
Remember, thou are MORTAL" is o fine
figure to contemplate-at this remote
date. lie, we are told, admitted the
need. submitted to the infection. But
lives there woman who will admit that
she needs any instruction as to what her
conduct should be when the lord Of her
heart is away? Lives there a woman
who, submitting, because she cannot es-
cape, 10 the constant reminder, Thou
art engaged" will not resent it in her
heart of hearts and possibly revenge her.
self on the one alone whom she holds at
her mercy? Left to hersclf--to her gen
crosity, her conscience, her innate ten
derness-the cause of the absent one will
plead for itself. aud, if it have even faint
hold its own. with tho
best intentions in the world" many an
excellent cause has been ruined by the
urgingS Of mother; but to
talk an engaged girl into mutiny, RELY
ON the infallibility Of two woaaa-a
sister or u maiden aunt.
Just what Mr.. Van Antwerp would
Lave said could he have seen the situa-
ton at Warrener is perhaps impossible
TO predict. Just what he did say with
put seeing was. perhaps, the most I'M
wise thing lie could have thought of: he
urged Mrs. Rayner to keep reminding
Nellie of her promise. His had hot been
\ life of unmixed joy, He WIZ now
nearly %, and desperately in love with q
pretty girl who had simply bewitched
lim during tho previous sumlner. 1t
vas not easy to approach her, then. he
,ound, for hey sister kept vigilant guard;
Iut, once satisfied of his high connec-
ions. his wealth and his social standing,
nc door was opened, and he was some
hing more than welcomed, said the ros,