Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-09-08

CHAPTER VII.
A number of tho stable attendants
who had witnessed the alteration run
TO the spot md assisted the officer &c
rise. His nose was bleeding profuscly
from the blow, and In obedience to hi:
command guard was summoned and
Brown was marched away to the guard
house.
Seated ona bunk in gloomy cell hi:
anger cooled and he awolse to n real
izing sense of what he had done. In
civil lify he would have been applaudcd
for so promptly resenting IN inten'
tional insult, but in the army II was
different. Violence offered by pri'
vate soldier To an officer is most
serious offcnse, and one which under
army rules demands severe punish.
ment. While il is true that the officers
conduct toward him was highly repre-.
hcnsiblc and such Ss would Ivy him
liable to oli,iGl investigation, that
fact dill no. in The least mitigate his
oifensc. lad h. quietly submitted to
Vandevcr's abuse he would have been
justified in seeking redress in the
proper official quarter and justice
would have been done him, but he had
allowed his anger to override his better
Judgment. and now he was in for il
and must suffer the consequences.
What would Alice think Of him?
Would she pass hasty Judgment on his
act before seeking the details? Would
she not now regard him as quarrel
some bully. and deem him unworthy
of her friendship The thought
troubled him. and as he paced back
and forth in the forbidding gloom Of
the cell he was very miserable. His
gratitude toward the girl for taking so
kindly an interest in him had ripencd
into love which seemed TO consume
him. Although no word indicative of
his new feeling toward her had ever
been brcGthcl in her presence. he felt
that she must instiactively know that
he loved her. ana her eyes had on more
than one occasion told him that her
friendship toward him was gaining IN
intensity which might some day devel-
op into far more tender passion. In
his dreamy moments he had even dared
TO picture o future wherein their mu-
tual love would light the path down
which they wandered hand in hand,
and now by one rash act he may have
blighted the bud Of affection which
was swelling toward bursting in her
young heart-hlvc blightcd II so COM
pletely that even the sun OF future vim
dication might fail to warm 1t into life
again.
In the midst OF his gloomy reflections
the heavy cell door swung open, and
Capt. Colby entered.
brown" he said, ''what was the
trouble between yourself and Lieut..
Vandcver?'
Captain, have been guilty of
most serious oiense, and in the light OF
calm reflection do most deeply regret
it. was grossly insulted, sir, and in
my rage lost sight of the officer and
saw only the man who was heaping in
dignitics upon me. My position us a
soldier was forgotten, and ! resented
the insult Us would have done in civil
lifc-as any gentleman would have
done. sir
"Win you tell me without any rescr-
walton or palliating coloring just what
occurred between you?"
Brown related all the details in a
truthful manner. While he felt that
in the eyes Of anyone possessing
sense OF justice his blow would seem
justiia.Jlc, he admitted that he had
been rIilty of serious infraction of
army law. and avcrred that he would
humhly submit to any punishment q
court-martial might inilict upon him.
II an sorry this occurred. Brown,
very sorry. Your conduct ever since
you joined my troop has been most eX-
en- )lar.., ,al l have hoped to soon be
able 90 offer you promotion. j fear
that Ihis matter will go hard with you.
Col. Sanford Is n. most severe disci-
plsharian, and Din assault by private
soldier upon commissioned officer
will assume most gricvous proportions
in his eyes. He will insist upon your
trial by court-martial, and his views
on this question are so well known TO
the officers OF the post that those who
try you will, should you be convicted,
feel that severe punishment must fol-
low. l can only hope the palliating
circumstances may bear due weight
with both the commander and the
pembcrs of the court
lie passed out, leaving Brown again
alone with his bitter thoughts.
Lieut.. VGndever lost no time in en-
deavoring TO poison the minds of his
brother officers against his assailant.
lie pictured him as brawny bully of
p1grncious nature, and loudly
uvcrred that lJng term 81 years il
military prison was the puniShment he
richly deserved. lis words bore little
weight, however, for the young lieu
tenant had become most thoroughly
dislilscd by every officer in the garri-
son. While there was no outward dem
onstrn.ion to establish the fact. there
was not one OF them be: secretly re-
joice that he had been so promptly
chagtiscd for his unofficerlike conduct.
And what OF Alice? That young lady
acted in most remarkable manner
when the details OF the affair reached
her cars through Mrs. Colby. She did
not turn pale and weep and wiring her
hands in inconsolable anguish in the
conventional wny. Not she. A great