Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-09-26

natty uniform with whisk broom and
bounded out of the door, only to en-
counter the man of all others he least
cared to see coming in.
Were you just going, Brewster?
There is a matter i want very much to
ask you about, and thought this the
time to catch you without fail" The
voice was that of Captain Rolfe.
IL am just going out, captain, and I'm
hurried, but if you will step in I'll be
back in ten minutes"
WE'LL, ordinarily, would not de-
tain you, and-d, pardon me, if you were
going to Major Berrien's, they are all at
luncheon. have just left there"
Brewster flushed in spite Of his effort
at control. His first impulse was to say
he was going over anyhow, if only to
leave word. but, since he could not hope
to see her, what was the use? 1t chafed
him, however, to note that Rolfe, in that
calmly superior way of his, was pressing
on into the hall, as much as to say, ''It
is my will that you give up what you
have in view and attend at once to my
behest," just as though Brewster were
still his second lieutenant, instead of
First Lieutenant Brewster, commanding
the BLACK Horse" troop. It must be
confessed that there was about Rolfe an
intangible something that ever seemed
to give that impression to the juniors.
It was one of the things that set their
teeth on edge, as they expressed it, and
set them against him. Feeling as he did
toward the captain and exasperated at
the way in which events seemed consplr-
ing against him. Brewster threw open
his door.
Walk in, as said. captain. Make
yourself at home. / wish to go into
Haddock's moment, and will be right
back" It wasn't that he had anything
to say to Haddock, but Haddock had
succeeded him as second lieutenant Of
Rolfe's troop, and was no fonder of his
stern, self willed commander than Cur
ly himself had been. 1t was simply
hat he would not yield moral victory
o Rolfe, and that in naming Haddock
.e knew he gave at least slight return
for the annoyance afforded him by the
captains untimely call.
Giving no sign whatever as Brewster
sprang away down the steps the captain
pccSCu OLs 'AtO WIG pldnAAy Btb~
ting room. Already McCann was busy
hauling out the ieutenant's field boots,
and overcoat, whisking off the
dust and indulging in Milesian comment
rs he did so. At sight of Rolfe he
abruptly ceased, hustled forward and
offered the captain a chair, and a mo-
ment later bolted across the hall to per-
form similar services in overhauling
and busting Mr.. Randolph's possessions.
Left to himself, Rolfe wearily turned
10 the mantel, and without show of in
terest glanced over the various photo
graphs there displayed. They were
mainly of army friends, young fellows
in whom he felt slight interest at any
time and none at all now. So were those
IN the basket on the round table. Brew
,ter was popular, IL one were to judge
by the array of pictures that had been
sent to him by their prototypes. Then
here was a large, handsome album lying
open on the desk near the window.
Turning hstlessly thither Rolfe gave q
'hrug of the shoulders, something al
most like a shudder, at sight of the pho
;ograph which lay uppermost, cabinet
If an exuberant woman in evening dress
N that neighborhood everybody knew
her by sight. He himself had received
invitations in her hand to lunch or to
Inner. He knew the writing of the
tote that lay beside the album, first page
lppermost. He would have had no eyes
vt all had he not seen the Carroll, mon
Imi," with which it began. With a
hiver of disgust he whirled over q page
# the album, as though to cover and
tide the beguiling face, the betraying
words, and then Brewster came bound
ng back and in. Rolfe's hand was still
N the album as he turned to face him.
The eyes of the two men met, and
gain Brewster flushed holly. He re-
rendered that only in the mornings
nail had the large packet arrived con-
aiming this unasked for and unexpected
edition to his portrait gallery. He had
ot opened it until after court-had not
nore than glanced at the photograph
ven then, beautiful as it was from an
rtistic point of view. Then that note,
nd that idiotic, semisentimental begin
ingi She had never called him Car
oil, but in certain evasive, insinuating,
a-well, we have no word for it in all
be vocabulary of the United States-in
way he could not but see and could
OF find way to object to. she had been
ately verging in that direction. 1t was,
Now, Mr.. Carroll Brewster" or ''my
God friend Carroll" or "Sir Carroll"
r in some way Carroll; but here was
n out and out Carroll, the first of the
ind. A month before he might not
ave hinched; now he shrank from the
lere idea of familiarity of the faintest
ind. He had been striving to cut loose