Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-13

There Is no gOldcnrod here, and so of- ten see her as-hum and hum, and all that sort of talk of no interest to any body, says he, with n quizzical look over his bows" at tho lovely face and form bending forward with furgetful engerness to hear how ''he so often sees her" " And there is q great bunch of goldenrod in her lap now and vivid blush on her cheek. The colonel is wax ing as frivolous as Fred and quite us great tease.
 And then October comes, and Fred has gone, and the colonel and his house. hold are back at Sibley, where tho gar rison is enrapturcd at seeing them. and where the women prccipitatc themselves upon them in tumultpous welcome. If Alice cannot quite make up her mind to return the kisses and shrinks slightly from the rapturous embrace of some of the younger and more impulsive of the sistcrhood, if Mrs. Maynard is triflc more distant and stately than was tho case before they went away. the garri- son does not resent it. The ladies don't wonder they feel indignant at the way people behaved and talked and each lady is sure that the behavior and the talk were all somebody Clse's-nOt by any possible chance cO.lld it be laid at the door of the speaker.
 And Alice is the rcigning belle be yond dispute, though there is only sub dued gayety at the fort, for the memory of their losses at the Spirit Wolf k still fresh in the minds of the regiment. But no man alludes to the events of the black August night; no woman is per mittcd to address either Mrs. Maynard or her daughter on the subject. There are some who seek to bC confidential and who cautiously feel their way for an opening but the mental sparring Is vain. There is an indcfinablc some thing that tells the intruder, Thus far and no farther" Mrs. Maynard is courteous, cordial and hospitahlc; Alice sweet and gracious and sympathetic even, but confidential never.
 And then Captain Armitagc, late in the month, comes home on CrutchCs, and his men give him welcome that makes the rHftcrs ring. and he rCjoiCcs in it and thanks them from his heart, but there is welcome his eyes plead for that would mean tO him far more than any other. How wistfully he stud ies her face! How unmistlkahlC arc the love and worship ill every tone! How quickly the garrison sCCS il all, and how mad the garrison k to sec whether or not 'tiS welcome to her! But Alice RcnwiCk k no maiden Ia hc lightly won. The very thought that the E:,rri | son had so easily given her over tu JCr- rnld k enough tO mantle her cheek with | indignant protest. She accepts his at- | tcntions aS she dOCs thuSV uf the young | CT officers. with CunSummatv grace. She | shows no pr, fUrVncc; will grant no fa- vurS. She makes fair distribution of her dances at the hops at the fort and the parties ill town. There arv young civil l ians who lVEin to la devoted in society and tO come out to the fort on every possible opportunity, and these. ton, she welcomes with laughing grace and cor diality. She is n glowing. radiant. gor- gcOus beauty this cool autumn, and she rides and drives and dances. and. the women say. flirts and looks handsomCr every day. and pour Armitagr k bcgin- ming tn look very grave and depressed. He wuO'S and wins not. " k the cry. His wound has almost healed sn far as tho thigh k concerned, and his Crutchcs arc discarded. but his heart is hl,ysling, | 1llel II ltAlN 'll -NllNItA4 NhAllallAAtIl. The doctors say he ought tn lc getting well faster. and sn they tell Miss Rem wick-at least somebody dotS-hut still sho rclCnts not, and it iS something be yond the .y;irri>un'S power If conjecture | to decide. what the result will lr. Into her pretty whit" and yellow ru"m n" one p,.nctratcs except at her invitation. even when the garrison ladies arc spend T they did there would bc no visible sign by which they could judge whether his | flowers were treasured or his picture hOnorcd above others. Into her brave and beautiful nature none can gaze and say with any confidence either "shc lovcs'' or "shc loves not. Winter comes, with biting cold and binding snow, and still there is no sign. Tho joyous holidays, the glad New Year, arc almost at hand, and still thcro is no symptom of surrrndcr. No ono dreams of the depth and reverence and Grati- tudo and loyalty and strength uf the love that is burning in her heart until all of n sudden, ill the most unexpected and astonishing way. it bursts forth ill sight of all.
 They had been down skating on tho slough, q uumlr.r uf the youngsters and tho daughters of the garrison. Rollins was there doing tho devoted to Mamie Gray, and already there were gosSipS whispering that she would soon forget she ever knew such a bean as Jcrrnld in tho new found happiness of another one. Hall was there with tho doctors pretty daughter. and Mrs. IIuyt was matrun- izing the party, which would, of course. have been incomplete without Alice. Sho had lC,n skating hand in hand with a devoted young Subaltcrn in th" artil- lCrv, and pnur Armit;,i;v. wh'r, leg was unequal tu skating hud b,t,u rurfully admiriu- the scene. He hat persuaded SlOat to 20 out and walk with him. and Sluat went but the. hollow mack, " uf the whole thing laCIuIC apparent tu him after they hId been watching the skat- CTS awhile, and he got chilled and wanted Armitatc to push ahead The captain said he believed his leg was toe stiff for further tramping and would be tho better for n rest, and SlOat left him
 Heavens, how beautiful she was, with her sparkling eyes and radiant col. or, glowing with tho graceful cxorcisc He sat there on an old log watching the skaters as they flow by him and striving to keep up an impartial inter. est, or an appearance of it, for the other girls But the rcd sun was going down, and twilight wns on them all uf n sud. den, and he could SIC nothing but that face and form. He closed his eyes a mo, mcnt to shut out the tno cagvr glarc oi the glowing disk taking its last flcrc, peep at them over the western bluffs, and as he closed them the same vision came back-thc picture that had haunt. ed his every living drcaming mnrncnt since the beautiful August Sunday il