News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1893-07-20
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lip. Now, as first lieutenant of the
"Black Troop" with a mustache all
bristle and curl, and with pate where
on the curls were cropped to regulation
lines, he was a very different sort OF fell
low. All the morning long he had sat
on a garrison court, where as Swing
member" he had not enough to do TO
keep him from brooding over his woes
He had counted on spending the hours
from two until stables baslxing in the
light of those wonderful, deep, dark
eyes of Miss Winifred Berrien. Some
what petted and spoiled in his earlier
years of service, Brewster had had much
of the nonsense knocked out of him in
the harsh experiences of seven years in
the saddle with a regiment renowned for
its touch-and-go sort of work. He had
steadied greatly in those years, part OF
the process being due TO his own latent
good sense, and not a little thereof e.
incessant striving on the range TO win
high honors as a sharpshooter, and to-
day there was not a finer looking soldier
wearing the broad yellow stripes in tho
Twelfth than this same ex-dandy "Cur.
ly Brewster"
There still fingered about him n GER
tain repute for self consciousness, IL not
for actual conceit, but he had grown 20
be thoroughly respected in the regi-
ment and was vastly popular with the
men. He was ever ready to umpire
their matches at baseball, coach their
shooting, lend his own fishing tackle or
shotguns to longing sportsmen in tho
ranks who had none Of their own.
and he had won the lasting gratitude
of q troop, two of whose men were
being mobbed by a gang Of toughs
one windy night in Sheridan City.
Just as Curly came trotting back
en- route to the post. "He was of 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 n while, and.
barring an early experience, cadet
love affair that he was long ago well
over, had never let himself 20 again
never until the Twelfth came TO settle
in this happy valley and Winifred Ber-
rien returned from her eastern school
Then he went all of a 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 aud
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 Berrienls coming, after which II
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 rs she
leaned back in her stylish victoria and
looked mp 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
"the ladies" had been returned when
she was conspicuously absent from
home, and opportunities for meeting
|
ents. There were girls at tho post who
were quick to sec 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 tho 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 ono
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 a 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 a 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 70
do anything that might keep him at her
side. Confound the fellowl 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 mp 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 i'm the dark courtroom
and watch the glinting Of the freight
on the Berriens' parlor window. Tho
major loved a broad fireplace and
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 tho
coziness and comfort of the scene with
ini How must it be flickering about
the dark masses of her lustrous hair at
this very momentl 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
fro BE Continued