Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-03


 not take his rfeI0 Of the cdptdtn." of the captain at all. Remember what the colonel said of him''-
 Mother, protested Alice, laughing, "I have no doubt Captain Armitage is the paragon of a soldier, but he is un- occasionally a most unpleasant and un- gentlemanly person ill his conduct to | the young officers MT. Hall has told me the same thing. I declare, don't see how they can speak to him at all, he has been so harsh and discourteOus and unjust. !" The color was rising i'll earnest now, but n warning glance in her moth CTS eye seemed to check further words There was an instant's silence. Then Aunt Grace remarked:
 "Alice, your nSxt door neighbor has vanished. It think your vehemence has frightened him..
 Surely enough, the big, blue eyed man in tweeds had disappeared During this brief controversy he had quickly and noiselessly let himself out of the open door, swung lightly to the ground and was out of sight among the trees. ''Why, what n strange proceeding" said Aunt Grace again. 'We are fully a mile and half from the hotel, and he means to walk it in this glaring sun. " Evidently he did. The driver refined up at the moment in response to a sug- gestion from some one in forward seat, and there suddenly appeared by the way side, striding out from the shelter of the sumacs, the athletic figure of the | stranger.
 "Go aheadr" he called in deep chest voice that had an unmistakablc ring to it-thc tone that one so readily recognizes in men accustomed to prompt ] action and command. I'm going across lots" And swinging his heavy stick, with quick, elastic steps and erect car riage, the man in gray plunged into a wood path and was gone.
 Alice" said Aunt Grace again, "that man is an officer, I'm sure, and l you have driven him into exile and lonely wandering. I've seen so much of them when visiting my brother in the old days before my marriage that even in civilian dress it is easy to tell some of them Just look at that back and those shoulders! He has been a soldier all his life. Horrors! Suppose it should be Captain Armitage himself!' Miss Renwick looked genuinely dis tressed as well as vexed. Certainly no officer but Captain Armitagc would have had reason to leave the stage. Ger | tainly officers and their families occa- sionally visited Sablon ill the summer time, but Captain Armitage could hard ly be here. There was comforting as surance in the very note she held ill her hand.
 "It cannot be-" she said, "because Mir Jerrold writes that they have just I heard from him at Sibley. He is still at the seashore and will not return for a month. MT. Jerrold says he implored Captain Chester to let him have three days leave to come down here and have 0 sail and a picnic with us and was told that it would be out of the question.
 "Did he tell you any other news?'' asked Mrs. Maynard, looking up from
 her letter again. anything about the
 german?'
 "He says he thinks it shame We arc
 to be away and-well, read it yourself. '
 And she placed it in her mothers
 hands. the dark eyes seriously, anxious
 ly studying her face as she read. Pres
 ently Mrs. Maynard laid it down and
 looked into her own; then. pointing tC
 a certain passage with her finger, hand
 ed it to her daughter.
 "Men were deceiyers ever," she said
 laughing, yet oracularly significant.
 And Alice Renwick could not qusc
 control the start with which she read:
 "Mr. Jerrold is to lead with his olt
 love, Nina Beaubien. They make n cap
 ital pair, and she of course will be radi
 ant-with Alice out of the way
 That is something Mir. Jerrold failet
 to mention, is 1t not:''
 Miss Renwick's cheeks were flushed
 and the dark eyes were filled with sud
 den pain as she answered: T did not know she was there Sh, was to have gone to the lakes the sam'
 day we left-''
 ''She did go. Alice, said her mother ''but 1t was only for a brief visit. i seems"
 , The colonel was not at their cottag
 when the omnibus reached the lake Over at the hotel were the usual mum Der of loungers gathered to see the new ' arrivals, and Alice presently caugh sight of the colonel coming through tn park If anything. he looked more list
 less and dispirited than he had befor l they left She ran down the steps |, ? meet him, smiling brightly up into hi
 worn and haggard face.
 Are you feeling a little brighter
 papa? Here arc letters for you" H, took them wearily, barely glancing n ' the superscriptions
 "I had hoped for something more, . [ he said and passed on into the littl, frame house which was his sisters sum 7 mer home. "Is your mother here?" h. s asked, looking back as he entered tn Q door.
 l ''In the north room, with Aun 0 Grace, papa, {" she answered, and thel n once more and with graver face she be t gan to read Mir. Jerrold's letter. 1t wa | careful study she was making of |, this time. and not altogether o pleasan - one. Aunt Grace came out and mad
 some laughing remark at seeing her stil l. so occupied. She looked up. pluckil '- smiling despite sense of wounde e pride, and answered:
 @ "I am only convincing myself that l. was purely on general principles tha 't MT. Jerrold seemed so anxious I shoul e be there He never wanted me to lea d with him at all" All the same d stung, and Aunt Grace saw and kne' k 1t and longed to take her to her heal r, and comfort her, but it was better sc y She was finding him out unaided 70 She was still studying over portion d of that ingenious letter when the rul n tie of her aunt's gown indicated thi It she was rising. She saw her move t' p ward the steps, heard a quick, firi 70 tread upon the narrow planking an
 glanced up in surprise There. unco' D. ering his close cropped head. stood tt u tall stranger, looking placidly uD as