Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-28
Fathers
 Why do

The tulleI hOTSeHldn held out his hdna, trhich Wing shook tcith cordial JcrrOr. off a detachment toward the Gila this morning, and I sent one of my two men back to Ceralvo's to inquire. You must have met him"
 No, we made circuit-came by the old trail around the head of the slough. We haven't passed anybody, have we, Tony:" he asked of the si- lent horseman by his side.
 None, senor; but there were many hoof trails leading to CeralTo's, was the answer, in the Spanish tongue.
 Then you'll need water here, Mir. Harvey. It's a 10 mile pull across to Moreno's, said Wing, as the four mule team came laboring up to the spot and willingly halted, the lantern at the for ward axle slowly settling into inertia from its pendulumlike swing.
 Where are we, Ned:" hailed blithe young voice. Sweet and silvery 1t sounded to the troopers unaccus- toned ears. "Surely not at Moreno's yet?'
 Not yet. paquita mia. Is Ruth awake? Tell her to poke that curly pate of hers out of the door. I want you to know MT. Wing. Sergeant Wing, who has charge of the signal station here.'
 Almost instantly slender hand, hold ing little brass hurricane lantern, ap- peared at the opening followed by a sweet, smiling face, while just behind it peered another, only trifie older and more serious, yet every whit as pretty. Wing raised his old felt hat and mentally cursed the luck that had sent him down there in his ragged shirt sleeves. Pike, the cvnic. busted himself in getting the buckets from underneath the stout spring wagon, and bumped his head savagely against the trunk laden boot as he emerged.
 II never dreamed of seeing ladies tonight, " laughed the sergeant. It s the rarest sight in all the world here, but I remember you well when you came to Yuma last year. That was when you were going to school at San Francisco, believe
 That was when l was in short dresses and a long face. sergeant, " merrily answered the younger girl. II hated the idea of going there to school. Fan, here. was willing enough, but I had never know anything but Arizona and Mexico. All I could think of was that was leaving home.
 She was soon reconciled, Mir. Wing" said Miss Harvey: there were some very pleasant people on the steam CT"
 "Oh, very pleasant for you, Fan, but what did they care for chit of If? You had lovely times, of course. So did you, Ruth, from the very day Mir. Drummond helped you to catch your dolphin"
 An! we were moro than half way to San Francisco then. protested Miss Ruth promptly. and nobody had taken any notice of mo whatever up to that minute.
 Well. MT Drulnmond made up for lost time from that on, laughed the ] elder sister. Il never told of her, Ned wasn't l good but Ruth lost her young heart to q cavalry cadet not a year out of the Point.
 ''Is it our Lieutenant Drummond who was with you?" queried Wing.
 ''Oh, yes; why, to be sure, he is of your regiment. He was going back to | testify before some court at the pre- sidio, and-wasn't madame mean?- she wouldn't allow him to call on Ruth | at the school. even when I promised to i play chaperon and insure strict pro- 1 priety and no flirting"
 Ruth Harvey had, with quick move ment, uplifted little hand to silence her sister. but the hand dropped, ] startled, and the color rushed to her . F,o, of 1 Then you 're almost sure to meet the i lieutenant tonight or tomorrow. He's 1 been scouting the Santa Maria and the 1 Christobal and is due along here at this very moment.
 And now Miss Harvey had the field ] to herself, for the younger sister drew back into the dark depths of the GOV cred wagon and spoke no more. In 10 minutes the team was rattling down the eastward slope. and Sergeant Wing turned with sigh as at last even the sound of hoof and wheel had died away i Slowly he climbed the steep and crooked trail to their aerie at the peak No sign of Jackson yet, no message rom the ranch, no signal fires at Mo feno's or beyond.
  with such precious freight to push or across that open plain when there wa. even rumors uf Apaches in the air? The loveliness of those two dark, radiant faces, the pretty white teeth flashing il the lantern light, the soft, silvery, girl ish voices, the kindly, cordial handclasl vouchsafed him by the elder as they rolled away-these were things to sti1 the heart of any man long exiled in thi desert land It had been his custom to spend an hour in chat with his com rades before turning in for the night but with Jackson still away and Pix still plunged in gloom-with, moreover new and stirring emotions to investi gate and analyze-Wing strolled off b, himself, passed around the rocky but tress at the point and came to the broat ledge overlooking the eastward way t, the distant range.
 Here mass of finder, dry baked b, weeks exposure to the burning sun shine, stood in pyramid of firewoot ready to burst in flame at first toucl of the torch. Close at hand were tn stacks of reserve fuel. Never ligh this until you know the Indians ar raiding west of the Christobal, :" wer his orders. But we'll he knew that ono ignited it could be seen for many league. Here again he filled his faithfu pipe, and moving safe distance ava, lighted its charge and tossed the matcl stump among the jagged rocks below He saw the spark go sailing down ward. unwafted from its course by faint est breath of air. Then he heard Pike growl or something like it and calle, to him to ask if he heard Jackson. N
 answer. Sure that he had heard tn gz6fk thnngh inanfeulats voice of bi