The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-24

"Why dida't yoW tcU me Miss EcaQbicD
3rdS Oat here iastniHt"
but some things are pretty clear to my
eyes, and-don't you bo falling in 1ove
with Nina Beaubien. That is no match
for you"
'Im sure You never had a word to
say against her father. The old colonel
was perfect type Of the French gentle
man, from all L hcar.'
Eyes, and her mother is as perfect n
type of a Chippewa squaw, if she is
only a half breed and claims to be only
a sixteenth. Rollins, there's Indian
blood enough in Nina Beaubien's little
finger to make me afraid Of her She is
strong as death in love or hate, and you
must have seen how she hung on Jer-
rold's every word all last winter You
must know she is not the girl to be
lightly dropped now."
"Sho told me only a day or two ago
they wero the best of friends and had
never been anything else, " said Rollins
hotly.
HAS it gone that far, my boy? I had
not thought it SO bad by any means.
It's no use talking with a man who has
lost his heart. His reason goes with it. :"
And Chester turned away.
"You don't know anything about it, +"
was all poor Rollins could think of as a
suitable thing to shout after him, and
it made no more impression than it de-
served.
AS has been said, Captain Chester had
decided before T o'clock that but one
course lay open to him in the matter as
now developed. Had Armitage been
there he would have had an adviser, but
there was no other man whose counsel
he cared to seek. Old Captain Gray was
as bitter against JeIrold as Chester him
self and with even better reason, for he
knew well the cause of his little daugh-
ter's listless manner and fearful eyes.
She had been all radiance and Joy at the
idea Of coming to Sibley and being near
the great cities, but not one happy look
had he seen in her sweet and wistful
face since the day of her arrival. Will
ton, too was another captain who dis
liked Jerrold, and Chesters rugged
sense Of fair play told him that it was
not among the enemies of the young
officer that he should now seek advice,
but that if he had friend among the
older and wiser heads III the regiment it
was due to him that that older and wis
er head be given a chance to think q lit
tie for Jorold's sake. And there was
not one among the Seniors whom he
could call upon. As he ran over their
names Chester for the first time realized
that his cX-subalten had not friend
among the captains and senior officers
now on duty at the fort His indiffer-
ence to duties, his airy foppishness, his
conceit and self suiLiciency, had all serv-
ed to create feeling against him, and
this had been intensified by his conduct
since coming to Siblcy. The youngsters
still kept up joyial relations with and
profcssed to like him, but among the
seniors there were many men who
had only nod. for him on meeting
Wilton had cpitomized the situation by
saying ho chad no use for masher. "
and poor old Gray had one day scowl-
ingly referred to him as "the profes
sional beauty"
In view Of all this feeling, Chester
would gladly have found some man to
counsel further delay, but there was
none. Ho folt that he must inform the
colonel at once Of the fact that Mr.. Jcr-
rold was absent from his quarters at
the time Of the firing, of his belief that
it was ,Ierold who struck him and sped
past the sentry in the dark. and of his
conviction that the sooner the young
officer w9s called to account for his
strange conduct the better. As to the
episodes Of the ladder, the lights and tho
form at the dormor window, he meant,
for the present at least, to lock them j:
his heart
But he forgot that others, too, mu
have heard those shots, and that othcls
too, wculd bo llaLir% inquiries.
TO De CCETJyIrFD.