Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-09-11

Tie that you ali give him at the club as
only tride premature"
''Well, captain or lieutenant, it doesn't
make any difference" said Regy, i'm
pulsively; 'he's a mighty good fellow,
and mighty good friend of your friend
Capt. Lane, and if you have no objection,
mother, I'll bring him around to dinner
tonight, and then perhaps we might go
to the theatre afterward. Tmvery sure
that Capt. Noel will enjoy it. Fact is,
he enjoys everything Everybody in the
club is perfectly delighted with him.
You ought to hear him sing an Irish song
or tell French story! I'll try and get
him started when he comes here. He's
wonderful mimic; and he's so full of in
formation about their service on the
frontier. Now, Lane so seldom spoke of
anything of the kind; but Noel will talk
for hours at time about the wonderful
country through which they have
secuted 81 fought. and all that they
have been through in their campaigns.
By Jove! but that fellow has seen lot
Of hard service, and has been through
some hairbreadth escapesr'
Who inquired Mrs. Vincent; Capt.
Lane or Mr.. Noel?"
"Noel, of course-NOel I'm speaking of.
Lane, no doubt, saw a great deal Of SER
vice with the regiment; but Noel says
ne was adjutant so much of the time,
and on other staff duty, while he (NoeD
was almost necessarily scouting, hunting
after various Indian parties, and being
on the warpath, as he laughingly ex-
presses it..
Does he mean that Capt. Lane didn't
see much actual service there?" asked
Miss Mabel, with heightened color.
"Oh, l don't know that he means that.
Don't understand me as saying for a mo-
ment that Noel disparages Lanes ser
vices; ON the contrary, he never speaks
Of him except with the most enthusiastic
regard. Neither does he boast at all of
his own service; only you can't help see
ing, in the modest, ofhand way in
which he speaks of his campaigning
what deal of hardship and danger he
has encountered, for the simple reason
that he was with the command that had
70 go through it all"
your father tells me-" said Mrs. Vim
cent, that he met him one day on
Change when Mr.. Withers brought him
in; that was before the crash, and when
he had no time to pay him any atten-
ton. OF course, the cousin Of Mr..
Amos Withers was received with a great
deal Of bowling and scraping by Fir.
Withers' friends in that honorable body.
But all the same, l know your father
will be glad to meet Mr. Noel now, and
by all means bring him, if you feel dis
posed, tonight. What manner Of look
ing man is he?"
a remarkably handsome man, moth
en-" said Mabel at once; zone Of the
handsOmast ever saw, and he certainly
made himself very entertaining and very
jolly the night we sat together at din
Ger at the ThorAtons'."
There's a great contrast physically
between him and Lane" put in Res
Noel is such an elegantly built fellow
so tail and fine looking. Lane would
be almost understood when standing be
side hin, and is very much at a disad-
vantage when they appear together, 7
should judge"
A very bright and joyous party it was,
seated around the home like table of the
Vincents that evening, and, as Regy had
predicted, Noel proved very entertaining
and a most agreeable guest. While
showing much Difference to Mr.. Vincent
and attention to his good fHife he never
theless managed to have great deal to
say about the regiment and its daring
and perilous service ON the frontier, and
to throw in here and there many pleas
ant word about Capt. Lane and their
long and intimate acquaintance, and be-
fore dinner was over had won a warm
place in Mabel Vincent's heart by the
way in which he so frequently spoke of
the man to whom she had plighted her
troth.
And that very evening, as Frederick
Lane-far out under the starlit sky Of
Arizona-with his hart full of longing
and love for her, and thinking only of
her as he rode over the desolate plain,
with the lights of old Fort Graham al
ready in view, Mabel Vincent, seated by
Gordon Noel's side, was looking up into
his handsome face and listening to his
animated voice between the acts of
Twelfth Night"