The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-11-23

at the garments, raised the hem of q
skirt to his lips and turned quickly
away. A door led from the room to tho
one behind it, a spare bedroom evident
ly, that was lighted only from the hack
of the house and had no side window at
all. Another door led 70 the hall,
broad old fashioned affair, and crossing
this he stood in tho big front room &C.
cupied by the coloneland his wife. This
was furnished almost as luXuriously.
from an army point of Wow, as that of
Miss Renwicll. but not in white and yell
low.
Armitage smiled to see the evidences
of Mrs. Maynard's taste and handiwork
on every side. In the years he had been
the old soldiers adjutant nothing could
have exceeded the simplicity with which
tho colonel surrounded himself. Now it
was something akin to Sybaritish ele-
gance, thought tho captain, but all tho
same no made his deliberate survey.
There was the big dressing table and
bureau on which had stood that ravish-
ed picture, that photograph of the girl
he loved which others were able to
speak Of and one man to appropriate
feloniously, while yet he had never seen
it, His impulse was to go to Jerrold's
quarters and take him by the throat and
demand it of him, but what right had
he? How knew he even that it was now
there? In view of the words that Ches-
ter had used toward him, Jerrold must
know of the grieyous danger in which
he stood. That photograph would prove
most damaging evidence if discovered.
Very probably, after yielding to his
vanity and showing it to Sloat, he
meant to get it back. Very certainly,
after hearing Chcster's words, he must
have determined to lose no time in get
ting rid of it. He was no fool if he was
% coxcomb
Looking around the half darkened
room, Armitage fingered long over the
photographs which hung about the
dressing table and over the mantel sew
eral prettily framed duplicates of those
already described as appearing in the
album One after another he took them
i'll his hands, bore them to the window
and studied them attentively. Some
were not replaced without long, lin
gering kiss. He had not vcHtured to dis
turb an item i'll her room. He would
not touch the knob of drawer or at
tempt to open anything she had closed,
but here in quarters where his colonel
could claim joint partnership he felt less
sentiment or delicacy He closed the
hall door and tried the lock, turning the
knob to and fro. Then he reopened the
door and swung it upon it's hinges. For
q wonder neither lock nor hinges creall-
ed. The door worked smoothly and
with little noise. Then he similarly
tried the door of her ROOM 1t was i'll
equally good working order, quite free
from squeak and complaint with which
quartermasters' locks and hinges are apt
to do their reluctant duty. The discov-
cry pleased him. 1t was possible for one
to open and close these portals noise
lessly, if need be, and without disturb
ing sleepers in either room.
Returning to the east chamber, he
opened the shades, so as to get more
light, and his eye fell upon an old al
bum lying on little table that stood by
the bedside. There was u night lamp
upon the table, too, Il little affair that
could hold only thimbleful of oil and
was intended evidently to keep merely
faint glow during the night hours.
Other volumes--a Bible, some devo-
tional books, like "The Changed Gross, -
and hymnal or two-werc also there,
but the album stood most prominent,
~ t,D . Il
opened il.
There were only half dozen photo
graphs in the aifair It was rather a
case than an album and was intended
apparently for only few family pic
lures. There was bat one that interest
ed him, and this he examined intently,
almost excitedly. 1t represented Il little
girl Of or 10 years-Alice undoubted-
ly--with her arms claspeG about the
neck of magnificent ST. Bernard dog
and looking up into the handsome fea-
lures Of tall, slender, dark eyed, black
haired boy Of 1G or thereabouts. and the
two were enough alike to be brother and
sister. Who, then, was this boy?
Armitage took the photograph to the
window and studied it carefully. Parade
was over, and tho troops were marching
back to their quarters. The band was
playing gloriously as it came tramping
into the quadrangle, and the captain
could not but glance out at his own old
company as III compact column of fours
it entered the grassy diamond and
swung off toward the barracks. He saw
knot of officers, too, turning the cor
ner by the adjutant's Office, and for II
moment he lowered tho album to look.
Mr.. Jerrold was not of the number
that came sauptering up tho walk, drop
ping away by unes or twos rs they
reached their doors and unbuckled their
belts or removed their helmets in eager
haste to get out of the constraint Of full
dress. But in another moment Jerrold,
too, appeared all alone, walking rapidly
and nervously. Armitage watched him
and could not but see how other men
turned away or gave him the coolest
possible noe rs he passed. The tall,
slender il, Caal.t was handsomer even
than who. ,lc last saw him, and yet
there were gloon worry on the dark