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

nlemDer ne had not enough to do II
keep him from brooding over his woes
He had counted on spending the hour.
from two until stables baslling IN the
light Of those wonderful, deep, dark
eyes Of Miss Winifred Berricn Some
what petted and spoiled in his earlier
years Of service, Brewster had had much
of the nonsense knocked out Of him iH
the harsh experiences of seven years III
the saddle with regiment renowned fol
its touch-and-go sort of work He had
steadied greatly in those years, pari ot
the process being due to his own latent
good sense, and not a little thereof u
incessant striving on the range to win
high honoIs as sharpshooter and IL
day there was not finer looking st,lt,isa
wearing the broad yellow stripes III q,
Twelfth than this same ex-dandy "Cur
ly Brewster
There still fingered about him a Ger
tain repute for self consciousness, If hot
for actual conceit, but he had grown t.
be thoroughly respected in the regi
ment and was vastly popular with the
their matches at baseball coach thelf
shooting, lend his own fishing tackle q
shotguns to longing sportsfnen in th,
ranks who had none Of their own
and he had won the lasting gratitude
of 9 troop, two of whose men were
flng mobbed by gang of tough.
one windy night in Sheridan Citv
just as Curly came trotting back
en- route to the post. HE was off his
horse and into that crowd quicker than
winking," said Murphy, 'and the way
he laid over that gang with them white
fists of his just made my sides crack
with delight" He had more sense than
they gave him credit for, said the sen
iors of the regiment after a while, and
barring an early experience, cadet
love affair that he was long ago well
over, had never let himself 80 again
never until the Twelfth came to settle
in this happy valley and Winifred Bcr
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
tuInilal infatuation. Nevertheless, in
those numberless ways m 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 oi
Miss Berriens coming, after which il
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
'sthe 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 We're girls at the post who
were quick to see how s-Antinousn had
lost his heart; bnt these, those at least
who were near enough to Winifred to
dare allude to the matter at all, were
content to archly quote the warming
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, 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
long 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 Il 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 linn 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 '.Curlyl'' 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 BelTiens parlor window The
major loved broad fireplace and a
hickory blaze. and here be had them to
his hearts content for the first time in
full twenty years Of army wanderings.
How must that firelight enhance the
coziness and comfort of the scene with
inl How must it be Pickering about
the dark nIasses of her lustrous hair at
this very moment. How
"How do you vote, Brewster Are
your wits wool Gathering"
He pulled himself together as best lie
could, but that was morning Of tor
ment.
And now to think that, after all, he
could have no moment at her side this
day! To think that Farqullar 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
ss he knew how, for plainly he saw that
his chums We're mischieyously 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 bolting in with the order,
and shutting his ears to the chorus of
expletives.
4.