San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-11-15

'hOW 40 you vote, BreWSUerE ARC
your wits wool gathering"
He pulled himself together as best he
could, but that was morning of tor
ment.
And now to think that, after all, he
could have no moment at her side this
dayl To think that Farquhar should
have ordered them out for hours of pot
tering around at saddlebags, nosebags,
side lines, lariats, picket pins and all
that sort of truck! 1t was simply bar
barous. He curbed his tongue as well
as he knew how, for plainly he saw that
his chums were mischievously exulting
over him, but any one who knew Brew
ster could see his wrath and discom-
future. The announcement was made
just before luncheon was over. The adj
jutant came boiling in with the order,
and shutting his ears to the chorus of
expletives.
"What time did you say boots and
saddles would sound?' fiercely demanded
Randolph.
''In quarter of an hour; so you've no
time to waste saying swear words or
asking damn fool questions. And as for
you, Curly, you're for guard tomorrow
Brewster finished his cup of tea in an
undigniied gulp, quitting the table and
the room in three strides. There was
just time to scurry over to Berrien's
and see her for five minutes before he
had to jump back to his quarters and
into riding boots, etc. Any pretext
would answer-the dance tonight, for
instance.
SECT my field rig ready at once and
bring my horse up here in ten minutes"
he called to his servant, siashed at his
natty uniform with whisk broom and
bounded out of the door, only to ell
counter the man of all others he least
cared to see coming in.
"Were you just going, Brewster?
There is a matter | want very much to
ask you about, and l thought this the
time to catch you without fail" The
voice was that Of Captain Rolfe.
81 am just going out, captain, and I'm
hurried, but if you will step in I'll be
back in ten minutes"
"Well-l, ordinarily, l 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, ut
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. 1t must be
confessed that there was about Rolfe an
intangible something that ever seemed
to give that impression to the Juniors.
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 1 said, captain. Make
yourself at home. | wish to go into
HaddOck's moment, and will be right
back" 1t 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
that he would not yield a moral victory
to Rolfe, and that in naming Haddock
he 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
passed ON into the plainly furnished sit
ting room. Already Mccain was busy
hauling out the lieutenants field boots,
breeches and overcoat, whisking off the
dust and indulging in Milesian comment
as 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 YEARLY turned
to the mantel, and without show of in
tetest 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. Severe those
in the basket on the round table. Brew
ster was popular, if one were to judge
by the array Of pictures that had been
sent to him by their prototypes. Then
there was a large, handsome album lying
open on the desk near the, window.