Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-02-06

effect on almost every man they seek to
impress, She was not chatty. She was
anything but confidential. She was
rather silent and decidedly reserved,
yet most attentive listener withal; and
then she had the courage of her opin-
ions. Her prompt and prominent part
in the little drama enacted the night of
her arrival had made her famous in the
garrison; her frank, unaffected, but gra-
cious ways had done much to make her
popular.
The statement that she was an orphan
and poor, combined with the fact, which
the other women 80 speedily determined,
that she was not pretty, had removed
her, presumably, from the range Of
jealousy. The other girls found her
very entertaining, since she let them do
much of the talking, and We're willing
TO accord to her certain quiet style of
her own. The men We're glad TO be civil
to any friend Of Mrs. Lanes. And yet
Georgia Marshall Ind not been there %
week before, rs Mabel confidently pre-
dictcd she was having in abundance
tetes-a-tete of her own.
1t was the third morning after the es-
cape of the prisoner Cross, and for forty
eight hours nothing else had been talked
OF among the soldiers, and nothing had
excited so much comment among the
families at the post. Up to this moment
not trace had been found. The two
iron Stats in front Of his window had
been cut through swiftly and noisclessly
from within with watch spring saws, and
the tallow and iron filings lay about the
stony window sill. He had been thor
ouchly searched before being put in that
cell, and it was absolutely certain that
neither files nor tallow were then in his
possession. The guard swore that no
man had had access to him afterward.
A wire netting prevented anything from
being thrown 10 him from the outside,
and this had been forced upward and
outward after the bars wcrc cut.
The sergeant of the guard was sure
that no man had touched or even spoken
to him, except when he himself had
seen his dinner and supper handed in.
There could have been no collision on
the part OF the sentries, for the men on
No. l all through the day and night
were of the infantry, and warm friends
of Brent who would have lost no chance
of putting bullet through the supposed
assailant in the event Of his attempting
To escape The blacksmith said it would
take several hours-at least ive-to file
through those two bars, and the man
must have worked with the patience of
Il beaver. II was a drop of only seven
feet to the ground without, for the win
dow overlooked the uphill slope back of
the guard house; and vet, as he proba-
bly, had to come through head first, that
was quite q fall. The prints OF his out
spread hands were found in the dust
heap, ana it looked AZ though he must
have lain there some moments before
stealing away.
the sentry far down by the wood
yards, No. =, stated that just as he was
calling OF and standing faced to the
cast - That his voice might carry TO the
guard house, he heard a sudden stumble
behind him; q man trippod over log
, between him and the road, then ran like
mad down toward the old station. 1t
, was too dark TO recognize who it could
be. The officer Of the guard had stopped
t. intfrrogate the sentry on reaching
his post but MIR. Hcarn had pushed
, ahead. aad down at tho foot Of the hill
had plainly heard a horses hoofs and
, tie Light rumble Of wheels crossing the
, bridge and going Mt a spanking trot;
. yet soldiers returning from pass, reEa-
bic men, had neither seen nor heard
horse or wagon anywhere on the flats
!; along which lay the road to town. IN
effort had been made TO trail the wheel
tracks from tho bridge, but, though n
place was found among the trees near
the old station where ii horse and buggy
had evidently stood for two or three
, hours, it was impossible to determine
which way they had gono after crossing
the stream, for the farm wagons com
ing from every by road in the morning
had totally obliterated the tracks.
. Goss' escape while under charges OF
such grave character was regarded as
, taItanouut t. admission Of his guilt.
+ Meanwhile Corp. Breut's case seemed
, to havo taken a turn for the better, and,
, though there was still danger, there was
+ hope. What struck many inquirers was
the fact that the doctor seemed i'll at
, ease, and invariably evadcd the ques
?, ton, when pressed rs to the nature OF
| Brent's delirium. THIS, of course, sim
: ply served to whet public curiosity; and
| the young soldier became, all uncon-
sciously, an object Of greater interest
a than ever, The ladies of the infantry
+ who had known him by sight some time
? wero certain that from the very first he
had borne all the outward appearance OF
. gentleman, and in every word and
I gesture had given the world assurance
Of d man" Of birth and breeding Their
q sisters Of the cavalry, who had but r.
: Gently reached Fort Ryan, were not slow
r in accepting their theories.
r Such things were by no means un
, common in the service; and wouldn't il
be delicious, now, to have a romance in
, the ranks at Ryan, Only fancy, Mrs
, Burnham, Mrs. Brodie, and, above all,
p Mrs. Graves, were quite ready to 90 tC
the hospital at any time tho doctor would
! permit and become the nurse of the
t young corporal; but the medical man
/ almost bluntly declined the services oi