The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-12-14
CHAPTER III.

When Mrs Maynard came to Sibley
in May and the officers with their wives
were making their welcoming call she
had with motherly pride and pleasure
yielded to their constant opportunities
and shown to one party after another an
album of photographs-ikenesses Of her
only daughter. There were little cartes
de visite representing her in long dresses
and baby caps; quaint little pictures Of
a chubby faced, chubby legged infant a
few months older; charming studies Of
a little girl with great black eyes and
delicate features; then Of tall, slender
slip of a maiden, decidedly foreign look
ing; then of a sweet and pensive face,
with great dark eyes, long, beautiful
curling lashes and very heavy, low
arched brows, exQuisitely nodded mouth
and chin and most luxuriant dark hair;
then others, still older, in every variety
of dress, even III fancy costume, such as
the girl had worn at fair or masquerade.
These and others still had Mrs. May
nard shown them, with repressed pride
and pleasure, and with sweet acknoWl-
edgment of their enthusiastic praises.
Alice still tarried in the east, visiting
relatives whom she had not seen since
her fathers death three years earlier,
and long before she came TO join her
mother at Sibley and to enter upon the
life she so eagerly looked forward to-
" way out in the west, you know, with
officers and soldiers and the band and
buffalo and Indians all around you
there was not an officer or an officers
wife who had not delightedly examined
that album. There was still another
picture, but that one had been shown to
only a chosen few Just one week after
her daughters arrival, and rather an
absurd scene had occurred, in which
that most estimable officer, Lieutenant
Sloat, had figured as the hero. A more
simple minded, well intentioned fellow
than Sloat there did not live. He was
so full Of kindness and good nature and
readiness to do anything for anybody
that it never seemed to occur to him
that everybody on earth was not just as
ready to be equally accommodating.
He was a perpetual source Of delight to
the colonel and one of the most loyal
and devoted Of subaltens, despite the
fact that his locks were long silvered
with the frosts of years and that be had
fought through the war Of the rebellion
and risen to the rank Of a field officer in
Maynard's old brigade. The most tenn
perate of men ordinarily, the colonel
had one anniversary he loved to cele-
brate, and Sloat was his standby when
the Sd of July came round, just as he
had been at his shoulder at that supreme
moment when, needless Of the fearful
sweep of shell and canister through
their shattered ranks, Pickett's heroic
Virginians breasted the slope Of Gene
terry Hill and surged over the low stone
wall into Cushing's guns, Hard, stub
born fighting had Maynard's men TO do
that day, and for serene courage and
determination no man had beaten SlOat.
Both officers had bullet hole mementos
to carry from that field, both had won
their brevets for conspicuous gallantTy,
and Sloat was a happy and grateful man
when, years afterwATd, his old command
er secured him a lieutenanCy in the
regular service. He was the cOlOnel's
henchman. although he never had brains
with de7gnt and envy: Sldat-c0uid not
restrain his Impotence to get it in his
own hands, and finally he gTasped it
and then eyed it i'll rapture. 1t was two
minutes before he spoke a word, while
the colonel sat laughing at his worship
ing gaze, Mrs. Maynard somewhat
uneasily stretched forth her hand, and
the other ladies impatiently strOve to
regain possession.
Come, Major Sloet, you've surely
had it long enough. Wewant it again. y
Never" said Sloat with melodra-
matte intensity. Never This Is my
ideal of perfection Of divinity in yEom-
an. I will bear it home with me. set it