The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-03-19
CLINTON N. c., THURSDAY, MARCH 49, 1891

nented that she has bssa hsrs 10 yoar
door three times
Il feel more like botting my hratns
out for being asleep." muttsred Perry In
reply. 81 wiah you would wake ms
next time, Mrx Cowan. I shant believe
Il until ses it. or hear her voios st the
door"
She had excused herssK 20 Nru. Bal
KNAPP, and the doctor bad denied that
lovely woman her request 10 bs allowed
to come up and zee Mr.. Perry; and yea
the very next day. when the big four
mule ambulance from Rossiter came
driving up to the front door, and Nra
Sprague and Mrs Lawrence, escorted
BY the colonel and Capt Stryker. ap-
peared on the veranda, how did 10 hap
pen that the ladies were speedily ushered
upstairs to Miss Maitland's own room,
and that, after an 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 bedsidea II looked as though Quin
were showing unwarrantahle discrimina-
ton. Stryker and the 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. Lsary
and Kelly, there were now twenty men
under charges more or less grsvein their
character, and he had asked that Q 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 intsrceds Tor
the men who had made 20 hostile an In
vasion of his premises and brought upon
the inmates Of Dunraven night Of dread
and anxiety; but discipline had 10 Be
maintained, he replied, and the ringiead-
ers in the move had been guilty Of .
fragrant breach which could not be over.
looked.
But on the following day-ths fourth
of Perry's stay-the doctor came down
with face full Of gloom and distress
Both nurse and patient noted It, and ip-
quired the cause. For . time Qufn
avoided any direct reply: something
had ruffled him up at the post, he an
swered: "can't tell you about IL now.
I'll do it by and by. want to think.
He examined Perry's leg, dressed and rs-
bandaged the wound, and them went
back to Mr.. Maitland's room. They could
hear his voice In the hall after . while,
and Perrys 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 bade hel
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, aftel
idgeting around moment. abruptly ad
dressed his patient:
"Perry, do you remember that morn
| ing you rode down here right after 10
veille and met me on the trailer al
least would have met mo II I hadnA
lodged and gone over to the other sidG
of the valleyw
Certainly DO, doctor"
II may as well explain that singular
performance first. You may have heart
that I didn't get along amicably with
your predecessors Of the Eleventh. Theil
colonel was ass enough to totally miscon
strue the purpose of my visits here. ant
l was ass enough TO make no explana
ton. The Maitlands went away; wa
not called for again while the Eleventh
remained: and therefore | said no NOR
about it. Mr.. Maitland returned unex
pectedly soon after you came. and tn
first knew OF it was the signal light
telling me he was there, i'll. and that
was wanted. 1t was the night of tn
colonel's dinner party. / couldn't ez
plain then, and decided to so ct ono
and explain afterward- When | me
you all Of sudden the next morning
the first impulse was to get away out c
your sight, and l obeyed 1t simply b
cause of the unpleasant experiences
had been having with your fellow cava
rymen. did not want to have to N
swer questions. See? I was ashame
of it, but too late to turn back"
Perry nodded II understand II
now," he said.
"Well, what I want to ask is abox
Sergt. Gwynne. Did you meet him b
fore you got back?"
"Yes-a mile or 30 out from the post
"You stopped and talked with hin
didn't your
"Yes-for several minutes"
Mrs. Cowan's needlework had fallen
her lap. She was seated near the windos
and had been busily sewing. Now 9,
was looking up, eager and intent.
you've known him q long tim
haven't your"
"Yes-ever since he joined. Hes o.
Of the best sergeants ever knew"
-"You would hardly think him gull
Of any dishonesty. would your
Mrs. Cowan was rising from her chai
the needlewcrk had fallen to the floor.
Dishonesty Not by a-good deal
was the reply that bade fair to be evt
} more impulsive, and was checked On
in Difference to the presence OF woma
''Well. neither would l, from VIII
: I've seen of him: and yet Mr.. Maitlan<
seal ring was fouEd on him last night.
"My Godi OF course he could expia
; it in some wayY
} HE couldn't-or wouldn't he siI
ply stood there, white as a sheep exec
, where those bruises made him green q
blue. He had denied the charge fat
when accused; and yet there it was
, his chest / never saw any man so TAX
aback as Capt. Stryker: he said he wou
. have sworn to his innocence"
; $50 would I!-so do, by Jupiter! ]
3 some fonl plot!-itis"-
, But he got no further. To his os
, amaze, to the utter bewilderment Of I