The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-21
"Hml Odd thing that, Leary! Why

QUICK as lVcr we seU eyes Ou eiicn OIner.
He was bendin down, an 1 thought it
was one of the hound pups when first
sighted him."
"And he hasn't been around sincep"
"No, sor, nor nobody till the officer
Of the day came along"
Chester walked away puzzled. Sibley
was quiet and orderly garrison. Night
providers had never been heard from,
especially over here at the south and
southwest fronts The enlisted men 60
ing to or from town passed across the
big high bridge or went at once to
their own quarters on the east and
north. This southwestern terrace behind
the bachelors row was the most seclud-
ed spot on the whole post, SO much so
that when fire broke out there among
tho fuel heaps one sharp winters night
year agone it had well nigh enveloped
the whole line before its existence was
discovered. Indeed not until after this
occurrence was sentry posted on that
front at all, and once ordered there he
had SO little to do and was so compara-
lively sure to be undisturbed that the
old soldiers eagerly sought the post in
preference to any other and were given
1t as a peace privilege. For months re-
lief after relief tramped around the fort
and found the terrace post as humdrum
and silent as an empty church, bat this
night NOD leaped suddenly into notori-
ETY..
Instead Of going home. Chester kept
on across the plateau and took long
walk Oh the northern side of the reser-
walton, where the quartcTmaster' stables
and corrals were placed. He was affect
ed by a strange unrest. His talk with
Rollins had aroused the memories Of
years long gone by, of days when be-
too, was young and full Of hope and
faith-aye, full of love-all lavished Oh
one fair girl who knew it well, but gen
tly, almost entreatingly, lypelled him.
Her heart was wrapped up in another,
the Adonis Of his day III the gay old sea-
board garrison. She was Il soldier
child, barracl born, simply taught,
knowing little Of the vice and tempta-
tions, tho follics and the frauds, Of tho
whirling life of civilization. A good
and gentle mother had reared her and
been called hence. Her father, an Off
Ger whose sabcr arm was left at Molino
del Rey, and whose heart was crushed
when the loving wife was taken from
him, turned to the child who so resent
blcd her and ccntered there all his re-
manning love and life. He welcomed
Chester to his home and tacitly favored
his suit, but III his blindness never saw
how few moonlit strolls on the old
moss grown parapet, few evening
dances in the Caaemates with handsome,
wooing, winning Will Forester had
done their work She gave him all the
wild, enthusiastic, worshiping love Of
her girlish heart just about the time
Captain and Mrs. Maynard came back
from leave, and then he grew cold and
negligent there, but lived at Maynard's
tireside, and one day there came sen
sation-a tragedy-and Mrs. Maynard
went away and died abroad, and o
shocked and broken hearted girl hid her
face from all and pined at home, and
Mr.. Forester's resignation was sent
from no one knew just where, and no
one would have cared to know except
Maynard. He would have followed him,
pistol in hand, but Forester gave him
no chance. Years afterward Chester
again sought her and offered her his
love and his name. 1t was useless, she
told him sadly. She lived only for her
father now and would never leave him
till he died, and then she prayed she
might go too. Memories like this will
come up at such times in these same
still watches of the night" Chester
was in moody frame of mind when
about half an hour later he came back
past the guardhouse. The sergeant was
standing near the lighted entrance, and
the captain called him:
There's ladder lying back of the
colonolsquarters on the roadway. Some
of those painters lefcit l suppose. It's
a wonder some of the reliefs have not
broken their necks over it going around
tonight. Let the next one pick it up
and move it out of the way. Hasn't il
been reported?"
''Not to me, sir. Corporal Schneider
has command of this relief, and he has
said nothing about it. Here he is, sir. "
Didn't you see it or stumble over il
when posting your relief, corporal?''
asked Chester.
mo, indeed, sir. II think the cap.
tain must have been mistaken in think.
ing it u ladder. We would surely have
struck it if it had BEEN"
"No mistake at all, corporal. l lifted
it. 1t is a long, heavy ladder, over 90
feet, should say"
'There is such ladder back here,
captain" said the sergeant, "but it al.
ways hangs ON the fence just behind the
young officers quarters - bachelors
row, sir, mean"
"And that ladder was there an houl
ago when l went my rounds" said the
corporal earnestly. "Ihad my hurricane
lamp, sir, and saw it on the fence plain
ly, And there was nothing behind the
colonels at that hour"
Chester turned away, thoughtful anG
silent. Without word he walked
straight into the quadrangle, past the
low line Of stone buildings, the offices
of the adjutant and quartermaster, the
home Of the sergeant major, the clut
and billiard room, past the long piazza
shaded row of bachelor quarters and
came upon the plank walk at the cor
ner Of the colonel's fence, Ten more
steps, and he stood stockstill at the head
of the fight of wooden stairs.
There, dimly visible against the south
ern sky, its base ON the plank walk be-
low him, its top resting upon the caves
midway between the dormer window
and the roof of the piazza, so that one
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