The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-12-29

beyond which could be seen the white
pillared veranda of a long, low, south
ern homestead. A grinning negro boy
answered the summons.
cts you, is it, Alphonse? Is your
mistress at homer"
mo; gone town-chez Mime. d'Her-
Willy"
"Mme. Devillease, is it? Very we'll;
you skip to town wild that note and get
1t in your masters hands before the
cathedral clock strikes twelve, or yen
suffer. There's car in tree minutes"
And then, well content with her
mornings work, the consort of the
senior first lieutenanto of Light Battery
"X" IA dame whose credentials were
too clouded to admit of her reception
or recognition within the limits of a
regular garrison, where, indeed, to do
him justice, Mr.. Doyle never wished to
see her, or, for that matter, anywhere
else) betook herself to the magnolia
shaded cottage where she dwelt be-
yond the pale of military interference,
and some hours later sent 'Louette to
say to Doyle she wanted him, and
Doyle obeyed. In his relief at finding
the colonel had probably forgot
ten the peccadillo for which
he expected punishment, in bliss
full possession of Mr.. Warnings
sitting-room and supplies now that
Warning was absent, the big Irishman
was preparing to spend the time in
drinking his juniors health and whisky
and discoursing upon the enormity of
his misconduct with all corners, when
Ananias entered and informed him
there was lady below who wished to
see him-''lady" being the euphem-
ism of the lately enfranchised for the
females of their race. 1t was 'Louette
with the mandate from her mistress, a
mandate he dared not disregard.
Say I'll be along in minute" was
his reply, but he sighed and swore
heavily, as he slowly reascended the
stair. ''Give me another dhrink,
smut" he ordered Ananias, disregard
ing Ferry's suggestion: Better drink
no more till after dark" Then, swal-
lowing his potion, he went lurching
oOW thC StCDS WltuOub dHOJiCl
Ferry and Pierce stepped to the gal
lery and gazed silently after him as he
veered around to the gate leading to
the old war hospital Enclosure where
the battery was quartered. Already
his walk was perceptibly unsteady.
keeps his head pretty well, even
after his legs are gone" said Ferry.
Knows too much to go by the sally
port. He's sneaking out through the
back gate"
"Why, what does he go out there for,
when he has the run of Warnings side
board?"
"Oh, didn't you hear? She sent for
him."
That's it, is it? Sometimes 1 won
| der which one of those two will kill
the other"
'Oh, he wouldn't dare. That fellow
is an abject coward in the dark. He
believes in ghosts, spoolls, banshees
and wraiths-everything uncanny-
and she'd haunt him if he laid his
hands on her. There's only one thing
that he'd be more afraid of than
Bridget Doyle living, and that would
be Bridget Doyle dead"
"Why can't he get rid of her? What
hold has she on him? This things an
internal scandal as it stands. She's
only been here a month or so, and
everybody in garrison knows all about
her, and these doughboys don't make
any bones about chatting us on our
lady friends"
well, everybody supposed he had
got rid of her years ago. He shook her
when he was made first sergeant, just
before the war. Why, I've heard some
of the old stagers say there wasn't
finer looking soldier in all the regi-
ment than Jim Doyle when he married
that specimen at Brownsville. Doyle,
too, supposed she was dead until after
he got his commission, then she reap
peared and laid claim to him. 1t would
have been an easy enough matter five
years ago to prove she had forfeited
all rights, but now he can't. Then
she's got some COMPOUNDED hold on
him, don't know what, but it's kill
ing the poor beggar. Good thing for
the regiment, though; so let it CO."
vi, L Noh SdiO . AaP III" oOOh
we're rid of him or her-the sooner the
better; only hate to hear these fell
lows laughing and sneering about Mrs.
Doyle" And here the young fellow
hesitated. Ferry, you know I'm as
fond of Sam Waring as any of you. l
liked him better than any man in his
class when we wore the gray. When
they were yearlings we were plebes,
and devilled and tormented by them
most numerically day and night. I
took to him then for his kindly, jolly
ways No one ever knew him to say
or do cross or brutal thing. 1 liked
him more every year, and missed him
when he was graduated. l rejoiced
when he got his transfer to us. It's
because like him so much that hate
to hear these fellows making their lit
tie filings now"
what flings?" said Ferry.
"Well, you know as much as I do.
You've heard as much, too, haven't a
doubt"
"Nobody's said anything about Sam
Warning in my hearing that reflected
on him in any way worth speaking of,
said Ferry, yet not very stoutly.
Not on him SO much, perhaps, as
the world looks at this sort of thing,
but on her. She's young, pretty,
married to a man years her senior, a
snuffy, frowzy old Frenchman. She's
alone with her child and one or two
servants from early morning till late
evening, and with that weakened little
monkey of a man the rest of the time. |
The only society she sees is the one or |