Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-08-11

nOrtlDOunQ track l nave not Ielt ike
having anything to do with him. How
do you suppose she heard of our move,
since she left the hop before any one
knew Of it? There were few other
ladies there, admit, for they were still
with MS when the orders came, and it had
cleared by the time we reached the depot.
She, however, seemed to hang on to
him and nobody else to the very last. ]
am distressed at what you tell me about
Winifred, and the more think of it the
more am disposed to urge your in
stant acceptance of Miss Guthrie's in
vitation 1t Will be the very best anti
dote j know Ola few weeks in st.
Louis society-if she has indeed, as you
fear, become interested in him. Go by
all means; it will do you good-do Win
fired world Of good (get her some new.
gowns, and take in all the parties and
all the gayety you possibly CAM, and it
will be good thing for Miss Guthrie
too.
"Now, this is strictly entire nous.
Holden is worried about her, and in
course of q long talk we had last night
he showed me letter just received
from Mrs. Holden. Of course she is all
upset by his having to take the field,
and wants TO leave the children with
her mother and come mp here to him,
but she couldn't be in camp and there
isn't room to be had at the railway
station. The place is just crammed
with newspaper men and quarterinas-
ters people. Mrs. Holden writes that
ever since the night of that queer ad-
venture of hers at the fort Nita has
been unlike herself-strange. nervous.
almost hysterical at times. She will
permit no allusion to it, and seems
striving TO forget it all. She goes every
where, morning, noon and night, but
looks haggard and ILL., | gather from
wh:s Holden said that, as you once sur
missed, there was an old affair which
may have had something to do with her
persistent refusal of every offer; but
what that could have had to do with
her fright at Pawnee cannot imagine.
Holden agrees with me, however, that
it would be capital thing if you and
Winnie would pay her the visit she
urges; 50 again, say, go by all means.
by the way. wish you would run
over and see Mrs. Thorpe as often as
you can. Her letters have depressing
effect on the captain. He tells me the
only insurance he has in all the world is
in the Army mutual, but three thousand
dollars would hardly pay their debts
and take care of them for a year if any
thing We're to happen to him. Don't be
alarmed by newspaper stories Of the
lighted skies and bowling ghost dancers.
Indians will dance all night on any PROV
ocation, and our fires light the skies
quite as much as theirs. Sergeant Ellis,
who volunteered to push through with
dispatches to Buffers command some
where on the other side Of the Bad
Lands, got, back all right this morning
and says he had hardly any difficulty in
working way through the hostiles.
That fellow, | think, is going to make d
name for himself IN this campaign IIo
is always ready for anything that turns
mp.
II heap that Brewster and Ridgeway
have had row and DO not speak. Some
of the boys know what it's all about, but
won't tell me. Do you know? Now,
unless You wire to the contrary, | shall
address my next care Of Hon. Warren L.
Guthrie, St. Louis"
Then Kenyon got letter He was
now commanding officer of the post, and
was unremitting in his thoughtfulness
and attention To the households of the
absent officers. 1t was Rolfe who wrote
to him, and Kenyon was well nigh at
his wits end in the endeaFor to conjecs
ture what ii all meant
You remember my saying | could
find that stolen@,icture If could but
have authority to search one room at the
post. 1t is my conviction still that the
man who goes by the name of Ellis was
the thief He had lock box at the post
office III town, number twenty-three,
and letters haYe been forwarded to him
here by the postmaster, two Of which
We're not addressed to Sergeant Ellis OF
to G. B. Ellis, Twelfth cavalry, but to
Ralph Erroli, box twenty-three. When
he returned from detached service this
morning the sergeant major handed him
his mail and asked him if those addi-
tional letters were his. He turned red,
then pale, but said yes. Both these were
from Louisville, as | happen to know;
both We're addressed in the same hand
that Of an egalcated woman-and there
is no doubt in my mind that this Ellis or
Enroll has a screw loose in his record.
Brewster knows something Of his past,
but refuses to tell. 1t is Of vital impor-
tance to me to find out who and what he
is, for believe him to have been guilty
Of crime beside which the theft of that
picture is as nothing.
NOW, want you to do something
for me. "A man will call on you within
a few days. presenting a letter of intro
duction from me. He is p detective
from Chicago. He has certain inquiries
to make at the post and in town before
going to Louisville. and it should not be
known that he isa detective at all. Give
him every facility in your power. Intro
duee him to the postmaster as friend
Of mine, if you prefer it, and let him oc-
cupy my quarters while at the garrison.
He will want to see the firehouse and
apparatus aud all about Holden's quar-
ters. Kathleen IS there in charge, and
Holden has no objection, though he
pooh poohs the efforts am making ia
get at the bottom Of this strange busi-
ness. hope am not asking too much
of you.
Il saw Hearn last evening, just in
from ten days scout with Lanes
squadron over toward theWakpa Shicha.
He asked after you and sent cordial re-
CARDS. There are two other fellows here
who were on their honeymoon tour when
their regiments were ordered to the field.
1t reconciles one to being a bachelor
almost"
The major put the letter down and
pondered long, perplexed and annoyed.
He had known Rolfe but short time.
and had learned to know him mainly
through Holden. He knew him to be
resolute, positive, even aggressive at
times. He admired his soldierly quail
ties and respected his ability. But when
finally he rose from his desk after stow
ing that letter away old Kenyon ex-
pressed himself about as follows: "That
fellow needs a wife. He is too much ac-
customed to having his own way. I'll
be hanged if I'll do any detective work
for him or anybody else. If Holden
wants his house searched, Holden can