The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-22

THE story opens in one of the Government
posts on the frontier, Col. Morris commanding.
The hereof the story is Lieut.. Hearnc, who just
as the story opens is cultivating an acquain-
TANGO with Miss Georgia Marshal. n young lady
visiting her friends at the post. Capt. Lane and
wife. The acquaintance is interrupted, how
ever and sensation produced in the fort by the
receipt OfnewSpaperS attacking Lieut.. Hearne S
character for certain transactions which
occurred some years before. Hearne discov-
ers that the paper which edectualy cleared him
Of the charges had been stolen from his quar-
TcrS. and while affairs are in this condition Col.
LAWYER, a somewhat crotchety judge advocate
arrives to investigate the newspaper reports re-
regarding LieutH earne and the conduct OF af-
fairs at the fort eenerally.l
''Now, are you not a trihe prejudiced.
colonel? I thought the law presumed a
man innocent until proven guilty"
Theoretically, yes; practically, men
who have studied human nature through
the courts, as L have had to, get to see
through the yeneering of high tone that
these youngsters are so apt to assume. a"
"And so you are probably quite ready
to agree with the correspondent of The
Palladium, colonel, that most officers
are frauds, especially the second heuten-
ants?"
"My experience has certainly not given
me high opinion of the young men,
Miss Marshall
''And now, do you know, colonel, my
intuition is very much in their favor"
''But is your intuition as well founded,
do you think, as long legal experiences"
'Well, your experience has been con-
fined to the limited few that have come
before courts martial, has it not? My
intuition covers the great array of their
number-the ninety-and-nine. Now,
haven't any especial knowledge of the
matter you seem to be investigating
Col. Lawler, but fancy that evidence
such as Mr.. Schonberg might give would
have little weight before court of intel
Ggent men,"
"You will change your mind when
you come to see the books, young lady y
''Have you changed yours?"
''No; they simply confirmed my judy
ment."
'Then my intuition was right, colo
mel"
''How so, may 1 ask"
''It told me that you had prejudged
the case"
AT this moment the officers came saun-
tering out into the open air, joining the
group of ladies, who had fed back to
Che western END of the piazza IS soon as
they saw their obnoxious visitor safely
anchored by Miss Marshall's side.
"Wheres Lawler?' queried Morris in
no pleasant tone. HAS he gone off with
those fellows?'
mo; I'm here, colonel, getting les
son in law which this young lady is SC
good as to give me-" Miss Marshall
flushed at the discourtesy in his tone
but gave no other sign. 81 shall ex,
pect to see you appearing in the role of
counselor yet, Miss Marshall
Very well. colonel; if it ever come:
TO that 1 shall fall back on my intui
tioA.''
Miss Marshall's cheeks were still flush
ed and her eyes had dangerous CLEAN
under their dark and fringing lashe:
when she stepped a moment after int
the lately desecrated parlor.
you appear to have had quite til
with our friend the judge advocate, sale
Lane, who had come in for more cigar
for his guests. 81 think once told yol
] would not care to be cross-examined b,
you, Miss Marshall; and it looks as though
he were not a little nettled."
81 hope haven't been rude TO a CUES
Of yours, Capt Lane: but that gentle
mar makes me wish over and over agar
that were a man. Did you know whC
his callers were?
~ have Just heard. said Lane.
81 wonder what that can be. THAI
fellow yells in earnest. doesn't he?"
''What is it," asked Lane, stepping t.
the door.
mo. s yelling for the corporal of the
guard. Yonder they CO."
Capt. Cross, who was officer of tn,
day, had quietly picked up his SWORD
and hurried out of the southwest gate
while down the roadway could be hearC
the sound of rapid footballs. The call
however, was not repeated. Converse
ton soon became brisk and general, an(
in five minutes Cross came back.
What was the matter" asked Col
Morris.
'tSome civilians, sir, and one Of our mel
in a buggy, who said they came out b.
order Of the general commanding the di
vision, and had been detained here unit
after taps"
Certainly; that's all right. Thos
were doubtless the witnesses Col. Law
Ter sent for. Why wasn't the corpora
Of the guard sent down with them t.
pass them OUTS
Their buggy was tied the other sid
OF the store, sir, and no one at the guart
house could see them start"
"Well, the sentry ought to have lie
them go anyhow as soon as he saw VIII,
they were. We have no authority t,
hold civilians here"
cit wasn't the civilians the sentry wa
after, sir; he was perfectly willing the.
should go; but they had an enlisted maj
with them"
"Who?" asked Morris, with uncom
Portable premonition of the answer.
"Private Welsh, sir, of G troop"
CHAPTER II.