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


they gave him credit for, said the SEN
iors of the regiment after while, and.
barring an early experience, a cadet
love affair that he was long ago well
over, had never let himself go again
never until the Twelfth came to settle
in this happy valley and Winifred Der,
rien returned from her eastern school
Then he went all of sudden Only one
man did not see it; that was Berrien.
Only one woman couldn't forgive his
devotion, and she had no business inter
fering, being herself otherwise dis
posed of.
To his credit be it said, Brewster and
the lady's husband were about the only
men who appeared unaware of this au-
tumnal infatuation. Nevertheless in
those numberless ways in which women
can claim and secure the appearance, at
least, of attention from men, the dame
had managed to monopolize consider
able of his spare time up to the week of
Miss Berrien's coming, after which it
was not he who rode to town, but she
who drove out to the post and sent for
him to come and talk to her as she
leaned back in her stylish victoria and
looked up at him from under her tinted
lashes. She could have found it in her
heart to strangle the lovely girl SO dark
ly, richly beautiful, but her call upon
1.-The ladies" had been returned when
she was conspicuously absent from
home, and opportunities for meeting
were not afforded by the damsel's par
ents. There were girls at the post who
were quick to see how 'Antinous" had
lost his heart: but these, those at least
who were near enough to Winifred to
dare allude to the matter at all, were
content to archly quote the warning
Change the name and not the letter
Marry for worse and not for better.
There was one man with whom Brew
ster was at odds, a sentiment due to an
old difference when both were younger
and that was Rolfe There was one
man the gallant major especially liked
and swore by, and that was Rolfe
These facts, added to the coincidence
that the captain had never forgotten the
hot words used by his second lieutenant
Ion g years before, made q combination
most unfortunate for fellow SO much
in love as was Carroll Brewster.
On this particular morning he had
striven to hurry matters through on the
court-to try three or four cases where
the accused were only too ready to plead
guilty and throw themselves on the
mercy" etc.. and then adjourn on the
specious plea of giving the judge advo-
cate time to write up the proceedings.
But the president of the tribunal had
other views and held him. Brewster
knew that Randolph and Hunt and
Ridgeway, perhaps others. had taken
advantage of the weather and no drill
to slip over to Berrien's for blithe
morning hour with the girls. He could
imagine that pretty parlor. with its pic
lures and piano, its attractive curtains
and portieres, the group of bright, sweet
faces, the animated chat, Winifred her
self. in her dark, rich beauty. seated at
the piano. with Ridgeway hanging over
her. eager to turn the leaves, eager to
do anything that might keep him at her
side. Confound the fellow! he had
money and handsome old family home
stead. What business had he roughing
it in the cavalry, with no end Of chances
of getting his head knocked off, when
his doting mother was so eager to have
him come home, marry, settle down and
take up the management of the property
his father had left him two years be-
fore? Poor "Curlyr' he could only gaze
wistfully out across the dripping parade
from his seat in the dark courtroom
and watch the glinting of the freight |
on the Berriens' parlor window. The |
major loved a broad fireplace and a |
hickory blaze. and here he had them to |
his hearts content for the first time in |
full twenty years of army wanderings. |
How must that freight enhance the |
coziness and comfort of the scene with |
ini How must it be Pickering about |
the dark masses of her lustrous hair at |
this very momenti How
How do you vote, Brewster? Are |
your wits wool gatherings
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 trucki 1t was simply bar
Darous. He curbed his tongue as well
rs he knew how, for plainly he saw that
MS chums were mischievously exulting
over him, but any one who knew Brew
'ter could see his wrath and discom-
iture. The announcement was made
Just before luncheon was over. The adj
utant came boiling in with the order,
Ind shutting his ears to the chorus of
sxpletives.
"What time did you say boots and
,add1es would sor1ud9', fiorce1v dom andod |