Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1893-07-12

est in Mr.. Lane during his first six
months in society and had danced with
him all through the season. He is one
of the forlornest, stupidest men | ever
knew-utterly unlike what supposed
cavalry officer to be-"
And yet, Fanny dear, you were very
much taken up with him the first winter
last year, mean" was the reply OF
her most devoted and intimate friend.
what an outrageous fib wasn't,
and, if | was. it was because | wanted
to draw him out-do something to en-
liven him. OF course danced with him
a great deal. There isn't better dancer
in town, ana you know it. Maud; you've
said SO yourself time and again"
well, you didn't draw him out-nor
on. But the moment he sees Mabel Vim
cent he falls heels over head in love with
her. Why. | never saw a man whose
every look and word so utterly gave
him away" was Miss Mauds character
istic and slangy reply. And it's my be-
lief she'll take him, too. She likes him
well. and she says he knows more than
any other man she has ever met.
He has money, too, and can resign
and live here if she wants him to-" went
on Miss Maud after pause which, oddly
enough, her friend had not taken auvan-
tage of.
You don't know anything about what
Mabel Vincent will or won't do, Maud.
I've known her years longer than you
have. and. though I'm awfully fond of
her. and wouldn't have this repeated for
the world--and you must swear never to
repeat it to anybody know her so well
that l can say she doesn't know her own
mind now and would change it in less
than six months if she did. She is as
tickle in love as in her friendships; and
you can't have forgotten how inseparable
you and she were for three months at
Nine. Hoffnlan's, and then how she fas-
tened on Katherine Ward. don't care
snap of my finger whom Mr.. Lane
chooses to fall in love with, but if it's
Mabel Vincent he'd better insist on a
short engagement and stand guard over
her with his sword in the meantime.
It's out of sight out of mind with her,
and has been ever since she was 4 years
old"
And SO in the smoking room at the
club and in the feminine cliques and CO.
teries in society the probability Of Ma
bel Vincent's accepting Lieut.. Lane was
matter Of frequent discussion. But of
all this chit-chat and speculation Capt.
Lane stood in profound ignorance as he
entered his dark Office that drenching
Wednesday morning with her precious
note in his waistcoat pocket. He neither
knew nor cared what old Vincent was
worth; all he wanted was Mabel's own
sweet self, for he loved her with his
whole heart and soul, with all the
strength and devotion Of his deep and
loyal nature. He could hardly control
his voice SO as to speak in the conven-
tional official tone to the sergeant in
charge as the latter saluted him at the
doorway and made the customary report
of the presence of the detachment. Lane
stepped into his little dressing room and
quickly appeared in his neat fatigue uni
form. There wasn't ghost of chance
of would be recruits wandering in that
day; but he was stickler for discipline
He required his men to be always in
their appropriate uniform, and never
neglected wearing his own while in the
office; yet in all the Queen City no one
but his little party, the applicants for
enlistment and the few citizens who
came in on business, had ever seen him
except in civilian dress.
"These reports and returns all go in to-
morrow. believer" said Lane to his SER
geant.
"They do, SIR"
well, will you take them in to the
clerk again" said Lane, blushing vivid
ly, land tell him to alter that first lieu
tenant to captain wherever it occurs?
The-official notification is just here"
he added, almost apologetically.
Sure I'm glad to hear it, sir. All the
men will be glad, sir, and I'm proud to
think that was the first man to salute
the captain today" was the sergeant's
delighted answer. "Tll call Taintor in
at once"
But Lane was blissfully thinking of
the little note, now transferred to the
breast pocket of his uniform blouse, and
of how not his honest old sergeant but
sweet Mabel Vincent was the first to
hail him by his new title, and in think
ing of the note and of her he failed to
notice that so far from coming at once,
it was fully ten or fifteen minutes before
Taintor, the clerk, put in an appearance,
and when he did that his face was ashen
gray and his hand shook as though with
palsy.
1.-The sergeant will tell you what is to
be done with the papers, Taintor." said
Lane, conscious that he was blushing
again. and consequently striving to ap-
pear engrossed in the morning paper.
The man picked them up one after an
other and without word: he dropped
one to the floor in his nervousness, but
made quick dive for it, and then for
the door, as though fearful of detention.
He hurried through the room in which
the sergeant and one or two men were
seated. and, reaching his big desk at a
rear window, where he was out of sight,
dropped the papers on the floor and