Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-11

III
you rant to do something for her, don't
you, Hdbelf"
1t was a lovely Nav morning, and a
warm south wind was blowing through
the open windows of Capt. Lanes coy
quarters and billowing the dainty cur
tains of the breakfast room. Down in
he westward valley. close under the
bluffs, a white mist was creeping up
ward from the shadows Of the stream.
and here and there among the burrows
of the company gardens, and along the
railway embankment, little wisps Of fog
lowered over the soaking earth. 1t had
rained in torrents during the night, but
Nature emerged from her bath glowing
in the rays Of a sunrise that the officer
of the day pronounced simply gorgeous
as he turned out for reveille
y man less joyous hearted than Capt.
Lane might have found much to delight
him in such a radiant morning. But
those sunrises were old stories to this
particular trooper, and though there
was hardly a state or territory west of
the Missouri in which he had not turned
out with the lark and welcomed in the
new born day, he seemed just rs keen a
worshiper of the sun god as in the buoy
ancy OF his boyish days, when, nearly a
score of years before, he had first Joined
the Eleventh cavalry. He was a man
honored and esteemed in his profession
He was well to do in the world, thanks
to the prudence and frugality of his
subaltern days. He had hardly care
in the world. He had charming quar-
tiers, had charming station. and he was
welded only during the year before to
woman whom he devotedly loved, and
who believed that the world had never
contained a man so true and tender and
noble as he.
\ very lovely woman was Mrs. Lane,
and very sweet and winning hostess
she made when doing the honors of her
army home. There were those. to be
sure, who could detect a species Of ner-
vouSness and a vague anxiety in her
manner at times, and there We're people
there always are, worse luck.-who
could not quite forgive her her present
happiness, or excuse it in her that after
having been wooed and won by and
welded to the Adonis of the regiment
some few years before she had again
welded. and this time the most eligible
bachelor in the command, not much
more than two years after the not I'M
timely taking of of her first husband.
NO woman ought to be allowed more
than one choice ont of a regiment" was
the half laughing, half rueful remark of
some Of the army wives who had sisters
yet unchosen. They thought Mrs. Lane
had rather too much good luck, despite
the fact, now well and generally known,
that her first marriage was brief story
of sudden disenchantment, of woe and
wretchedness, of shame AMI sorrow IN
speakable. Except among the women.
the name of her first husband was rarely
spoken in the Eleventh; but, unworthy
though he was. there were not lacking
censors OF her own sex to point ont time
and again how impossible it would have
been for them, had they lost husband
IN the army, ever to think of taking an
other in the same regiment, especially
when it was known that No. ? had been
in love with her before she met the orig
inal conqueror of her maiden heart.
That these remarks should in various
forms come eventually to her ears one
can hardly doubt; and that cloud
should at times overspread the TRANQUIL
sky of her sweet home life no one who
knew Mabel Vincent in her school days
could fail to understand No one at the
1ar
dreamed of the tears she shed over re-
marks that, wilfully or witlessly, were
repeated to her. He strove earnestly to
soothe and comfort her. He redoubled
his devoted and thoughtful attentions.
Women at the fort simply raved over
the lover like ways of Capt. Lane to
his wife, and never tired of pointing
out to their respective lords and masters
how tender and watchful he was. What
charming little presents he was ALWAYS
bringing her! Where did he get such
exquisite violets-such lovely carna-
tions? did you ever see ANYTHING
sweeter than that locket he gave her
last week? 1t was an anniversary of
some kind. She blushed when asked
her, but wouldn't tell what. He's al
ways finding excuses for giving her
something" etc. And finally some of
his brother Benedicks had come to him
with gloomy faces to say that if he
didn't ''let up on this sort of thing they
would have 10 quit the regiment and the
service; life was getting to be all one in
vidipas comparison between has lowell
hes as husband and their own indi-
vidual shortcomings in that capacity.
Several months had been spent abroad
oy Capt. and Mrs. Lane after a quiet
wedding which united them, and then