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

| 4 uOt hItOU NOU W tttt HOu ftDW 4 To
| gret hGUtng to say No, Mr.. Lane"
Never before had Fred Lane known
the sensation of being reluctant to rejoin
his regiment. When the colonel wrote
q personal letter to him some eight or
ten weeks previous. telling him that Cur
ran would almost surely get the next va
cancv on the retired list and that he
would expect his old adjutant to come
back to them at once and restore efficien-
cy and discipline to troop D, Mr.. Lane
replied with the utmost readiness; but
this was before Mabel Vincent came
into his life and changed its whole cur
rent How much and how devotedly he
loved her Lane himself never realized
until the day of his promotion reached
him, and with it the news that his sue
cessor WAS already designated. He knew
that within the week he might expect
orders from the war department to join
bis troop at Fort Graham as soon as he
had turned over his funds and property
to the officer designated to relieve him;
he knew Noel so well as to feel assured
that he would not wait for the arrival of
formal orders, but, if the colonel would
permit. would start the instant he re-
ceived Geographic notification from
Washington that "Old Riggs" nomina-
ton had been approved. This is We'd
nesday," he unused; land by. a week
from today can count on his being
here; and in ten days must CO."
There was large party that night,
and, fully week before, he had asked
that he might have the honor of being
Miss Vincent's escort. 1t was with great
disappointment that he received her an
swer. which was spoken, however, in a
tone of such sorrow that poor Lane felt
been removed
Il don't know how to tell you how
regret having to say No. Mr.. Lane"
she said, and there was tremor in her
voice and little culver at the corners of
her pretty mouth. 81 have almost felt
confident that you were going to ask me
lis that very bold thing to say?-for
you have been 500 kind to me since
our first meeting, and indeed l wanted
in some way to let you know that there
were other arrangements already made.
But how could say anything? Mr. Ros-
sitter, the eldest son Of fathers former
partner, comes to pay us visit of four
or five days before he goes abroad again.
And he is great friend of the Chiltons,
and, being our guest, he goes with me.
Indeed. I'm very sorry. Mr.. Lane. if you
are disappointed.
Fred, of course, begged that she should
give herself no uneasiness. There was
no other girl whom he had thought of
taking. Mr.. Rossiter was very much to
be envied, and he would like to call and
pay his respects to that gentleman when
he arrived. "By all means do" said Miss
Vincent; and, if not asking too much,
would Mr.. Lane get him card at the
club? Brother Rex was away, or she
wouldn't trouble him. But Lane was
delighted to be troubled. Anything she
asked-any service he could render her
he few with untold eagerness to accom-
plish; and, though properly jealous Of
the coming man-this Mr.. Rossiter, Of
whom he had never before heard men,
tion--he was eager to meet and entertain
him. The gentleman was to arrive on
Monday, and Lane spent a delightful
evening at the Vincents', wondering why
he hadn't come. Tuesday would surely
bring him, or an explanation. said Miss
Mabel; and on Tuesday Lane was prompt
to call. and glad to spend another long
evening at the hospitable old homestead,
and stoutly did he hold his ground
through three successive relays of visi-
tors, encouraged to do so by certain
look in his lady's bright eyes that spoke
volumes to his throbbing heart, and that
very next morning at the club he found
her dainty missive on his breakfast
table,
How early she must have risen to write
it!-and to have seen the announcement
Of his promotion in the Washington dis
patchesl True, he remembered that it
was frequently her pleasure to be up be-
times to give her father his coffee; for
Vincent pere was business man Of the
old school, who liked to begin early in
| the day. OF course he had seen the name
in the Washington news and had read
the paragraph to her; that was the way
to account for it. But her note was a
Joy to him in its sweet, half shy, half
confidential wording. She merely wrote
to say that Mr.. Rossiter had wired that
be would be detained in New York until
the end of the week; and now. if Capt.
Lane had really made no engagement,
she would be glad indeed if he cared to
renew the invitation which with such re-
greet she was compelled week ago to
decline. Lane totally forgot his break
fast in his haste to rush to the writing
room and send her a reply.
All THE Queen City" had been quick
to see or hear Of his sudden smite" and
consequent devotion to Mabel Vincent,
and great was the speculation as to the
probable result