Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-07-28

ask you about, and thought this the
time to catch you without fail. The
voice was that Of Captain Rolfe.
~ am just going out. captain, and I'm
hurried, but if you viii step in III be
back in ten minutes"
"Well-l, ordinarily, | would not de-
tain you, and-d pardon me, if you were
going to Major BerTien'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, s:uce he could not hope
to see her, what was the use? It 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, sit
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 s.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.
1t 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 conspir-
ing against him, Brewster threw open
his door
walk in, as | said, captain. Make
yourself at home ! wish to 20 into
Haddock's ! a moment, and will be right
back 1t wasn't that he had anything
to say to Haddock, but Haddock had
ruceeeded 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
ihat he would not yield moral victory
20 Rolfe, and that III 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 OH into the plainly furnished sit
ting room. Already McCann was busy
hauling ont tile lieutenant's field boots,
breeches and overcoat. whisking off the
dust and indulging in Milesian comment
as he did 50. At sight of Rolfe he
abruptly ceased, hustled forward and
offered tho captain Il chair, and mo
inent later bolted across. the hall to per-
form similar services in overhauling
and dusting Mr., Randolph's possessions.
Left to himself, Rolfe YEARLY turned
70 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. Sowere 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.
Turning listlessly thither Rolfe gave a
shrug of the shoulders, something al
most like d shudder, at sight Of the pho
tograph which lay uppermost, cabinet
portrait, highly FURNISHED and finished,
of an exuberant woman in evening dress.
In that neighborhood everybody knew
her by sight. He himself had received
invitations in her hand TO lunch or to
dinner He knew the writing If the
note that lay beside the album, first page
uppermost. He would have had no eyes
at all had he not seen the Carroll, mon
ami,' with which it began. With a
shiver of disgust he whirled over IA page
of the album, as though to cover and
hide the beguiling face, the betraying
words, and then Brewster came bound
ing back and in. Rolfe's hand was still
on the album as he turned to face him.
The eyes of the two men met, and
again Brewster flushed hotly. He re-
membered that only in the mornings
mail had the large packet arrived con-
tanning this unasked for and unexpected
addition to his portrait gallery. He chad
not opened it until after court-had not
more than glanced at the photograph
even then, beautiful as it was from an
artistic point of view Then that note,
and that idiotie, senisentimental Begin
ming. She had never called him Car
roll, but III certain evasive. insinuating,
in-well, we have no word for it IN all
the vocabulary Of the United States -i in
way he could not but see and could
not find way to object to, she had been
lately verging IN that direction. 1t was,
Now, Mr.. Carroll Brewster" or my
good friend Carroll or ..Sr Carroll, .
or in some way Carroll; but here was
an out and out Carroll, the first Of the
kind. a month before he might not
have flinched; now he shrank from the
mere idea Of familiarity of the faintest
kind. He had been striving to cut loose
from her IN every possible way, but bers
was friendship that 'clung closer than
a brother" and just as sure as shooting
Rolfe must have seen that internal pic
ture, those misleading words. Brewster
read it in Rolfes calm brown eyes, but
he would not discuss matters with him,
much less stoop to explain.
"You wish to see me, captain. viii
you take seat?'
mo What have to ask need occupy
but little time, and the call Will sound
III a moment on two. | am going to ask
you question, and as man to man
want you to answer it," He paused, as
though awaiting submissive reply.
"And the question" asked Brewster,
finally and unyielding.
81 was in hopes you would assure me
Of readiness to answer. Whatsoever
have been the differences between us in
the past, you can never accuse me Of
having pried into your affairs. and the
question | wish to ask is one of deep inn
.portance to myself. and its answer can
not | believe, unpleasantly involve you. I"
And still Brewster stood silent, the blue
eyes looking straight into the brown.
II viii not prolong matters unnecessa-
rily. What desire to know, Mr.. Brew
ster, is this: Have you or have you not
some knowledge of the past history Of
Sergeant Ellsg'
Pardon me, Captain Rolfe, but do
not see how that can concern you in the
least.
Il have stated substantially that it
did, was the quiet reply, after mo-
ment's Thought ''It concerns me very
deeply. | need to know something Of
his antecedents. l have reason to ask,
and repeat my question"
There was Il painful pause. Then
Brewster spoke firmly:
Captain Rolfe, it il question | re-
fuse to answer"
CHAPTER w.