The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-12-21
CHAPTER III. Continued.

utiNf 44dipA OAont GtC InfO1FCus
CHAPTER Ill Continued.
Captain Chester found food for much
thought and speculation over this incl
dent. So far as he was concerned, the
abrupt remark Of Sloat by no means
ended it. In his distrust of Jerrold he,
too, had taken alarm at the very sub
stantial intimacy to which that young
man was welcomed at the colonel's
quarters Prior to his marriage old
Maynard had not liked him at all, but it
was mainly because he had been so neg.
ligent Of his duties and so determined
a beau in city society after his arrival
at sibley, He had indeed threatened to
have him transferred to a company still
On frontier service if he did not reform,
but then the rife practice season began,
and Jerrold was a capital shot and sure
to be on the list Of competitors for the
department team, so what was the usel
lie would be ordered in for the rife
camp anyway, and so the colonel decid-
cd 20 keep him at headquarters. This
was in the summer Of the year gone by.
Then came the colonel's long leave, his
visit to Europe, his meeting with his
old friend, now the widow Of the la
mented RenWick; their delightful win,
ter together in Italy, his courtship, her
consent, their marriage and return to
America When Maynard came back
TO Sibley and the old regiment, he was
so jolly and content that every man was
welcomed at his house, and it was
really q source Of pride and pleasure to
him that his accomplished wife should
find any Of his young officers so thor
oughly agreeable as she pronounced Mr..
Jerrold. Others were soldierly, cour-
teous, we'll bred, but he had the air Of a
foreign court about him. she privately
informed her lord, and it seems indeed
that in days gone by Mr. Jerrold's IA
Their had spent many years in France
and Spain, once as his country's repre-
sentative near the throne. Though the
father died long before the boy was out
Of his kniokerbockers, ne had left the
impress Of his grand manner, and Jer-
rold, to women Of any age, was at once
a courtier and a knight. But the colonel
never saw how her eyes followed the
tall young officer time and again. There
were women who soon noted it, and one
Of them said it was such yearning,
longing look.
Was Mrs Maynard really happy? they
asked each other. Did she really want
to see Alice mate with him, the hand
some, the dangerous, the selfish fellow
they knew him to be? If not, could any,
thing be more imprudent than that they
should be thrown together as they were
being, day after day? Had Alice wealth
Of her own? If not, did the mother know
that nothing would tempt Howard Jer-
Told into an alliance with a dowerless
daughterI These and many more were
questions that came up every day. The
garrison could talk of little else, and
Alice Renwick had been there Just three
weeks and was the acknowledged queen
Of hearts at Sibley when the rife COM
petitions began again, and great array
Of officers and men from ali over the
northwest came to the post by every
train, and their canvas tents dotted the
broad prairie to the north.
One lovely evening in August, Just
before the practice began, Colonel May
naTd took his wife to drive out and see
the camp. Mr.. Jerrold and Alice Rem
wick followed on horseback. The car
Tiage was surrounded as it halted near
the range, and half a score of officers, old
and young, were chatting with Mrs.
Maynard, while others gathered about
the lovely girl who sat there in the sad
die There came marching up from the
railway a small squad Of soldiers, COM
petitors arriving from the far west
Among them-apparently their senior
uoheommissioned officer was tail
cavalry sergeant, superbly built, and
with a bronzed and bearded and swarthy
face that seemed to tell Of years of cam
paigning over mountain and prairie.
They were all men of perfect physique,
all in the neat, soldierly fatigue dress
Of the regular service, some wearing the
spotless white stripes of the infantry,
others the less artistic and equally de-
struotible yellow of the cavalry, Their
swinging stride. erect carriage and clear
and handsome eyes all spoke of the per-
lection of health and soldierly develop
ment Curious glanees were turned to
them as they advanced, and Miss Rem
wick, catching sight of the party, ex-
{gS. BID tAeses And what tall
81 4 70 til & 81 geant ISL
''That sergeant, Miss Renwick, said
= slow. deliberate voice, sis the man
believe YBilb knocks Mr. Jerrold out Of
the frsk4EFizs That is Sergeant Nc,
1885, 1885, ads iuo4i s1,yTil5 ,lis..a 81 Is.
viAs l6Aoaghithe heard bis name pro-
1sz5tRc ktstlsH stssali scaEalTyiasa glanced
for the rst-k,asa u the group; Brought