San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-11-29

their stations again. Some are clustered
in the broad vestibules and on the Office
floor. Others, the juniors mainly, are
paying their respects to the wife of the
commanding general and to the ladies
of the Twelfth, for on the morrow they,
too, with the regiment, take flight for
their prairie home.
The hour is late, and several of those
present have just come in from a some
what subdued and quiet entertainment
given in their honor at one of the beau
tiful homes of the city. The solemn ma
ture of the duty that has called them
hither precludes the possibility of any
general gathering, but the dinner to
which the Berriens and others were bid
den has lasted so long that Winifred be-
gan to believe it would never end, and
Mrs. Berrien has seen all too plainly
that, though she strove. to appear joyous
and appreciative, her daughter longed
to leave the scene and return to the ho-
tel, where, as was well known, many of
the officers were to spend the evening.
Not until nightfall had the Twelfth
passed by on its return from the march
to the distant cemetery, and as they
logged along at ease one or two of the
troop or platoon commanders, in answer
to joyous hail from the sidewalk, had
refined out of column by old Berrien's
permission and dismounted under the
portico, but Brewster, smiling, had
shaken his head and gone on with his
blacks to the muddy. cantonment far
down at the southern verge. Winifred
was already dressed for dinner. She
had fastened to her room as soon as
they returned from the Guthries', and
Mrs. Berrien made no comment. She
well understood that the girls one
thought was to be ready to welcome if
he should come. There was no telling
at what minute he might be announced.
And though they were not to leave the
hotel until nearly seven, Winifred was
readya at four. The mother heart yearned
over her child rs she saw how the shadows
deepened in her dark eyes when the col
umn went on out of sight in the wintry
cleaning, Brewster with it.
At that moment she could almost
share her husbands idea of bringing the
young man to his knees then and there.
What business had he playing the indif-
ferent in this utterly ~unsoldierly fashion?
How dare he treat Winifred with cold
ness? She had done him no wrong. Not
since that night of the last hop at Paw
nee, the night the marching orders came,
had there been opportunity for the girl
to speak to him at all. OF course the
major had been brusque and repellent
and had virtually forbidden his further
attentions: but, heavens, that was not
Winifred'S doing, and both the major
and herself had endeavored to show
him, without unnecessary allusion to
the matter, that whatsoever might have
been the suspicious or impressions
aroused by the singular conduct of that
middle aged married fiirt az Pawnee,
they no longer entertained the ~faintest
i'll opinion of him. Indeed. Mrs. Berrien
never had. Blue blooded herself, her
faith in bon sang was deep rooted. She
had always liked Brewster, but she was
a loyal wife and would i'll no wise act
counter to her husbands wishes. 1t
was now, when Mr.. Brewster seemed
allowing his pride and resentment to
prompt him to this undeserved and cruel
wounding of her daughters heart, that
Mrs. Berriea first felt any unkindliness.
She could have made him suffer for it.
but that she knew it would hurt Wini-
fred as well. Without a word, but Just
so soon as the last Of the yellow cape
Innings disappeared from view, Wini-
fred had turned from the parlor and
again sought her ROOM. Mrs. Berrien
sent a bell boy for Mr.. Randolph, who,
having dismOunted at the entrance, was
standing, the center of a group of
friends, in the marble fioored Office be-
low, and Randolph came up with the
next trip of the elevator.
do you go with us to the dinner at
the As tonight, Mr.. Randolph
mo, Mrs. Berrien; Il believe only
those who are so fortunate as to be the
husbands of certain ladies of the Twelfth
are hidden. We are going to have a lit
tie gathering here to see Curly off"
"And where does Curly go-and
when?"
"Back to Washington by the first
train, Mrs. Berrien. He's been offered
a detail at the war department"
"How delightful that is for Mr.. Brew
sterl, Why, the Twelfth is getting some
little recognition after all. Up to this
moment the generals welcome home is
the only word we've had from a soul.
Then vOu'll all he here tonight, will
your
"Most of us. Rolfes here, too
laughed Randolph, "but he sat in a deer
window during the procession and
doesn't mean to show in public yet. I'm
told he wants to make up with Curly