Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-10-03

he could marry beneath him, so she
gave him no deathbed warnings Hi:
father, a tall and stately old general,
with huge white mustache and fond
ness for good wines, still lived in Wash
ington. where he sat in the war depart
ment all day and at the Army and Navy
club all night.
Now Bayard had not much beauty Of
feature, but he was we'll built and re-
fined to the last degree. His ambition
was something unbounded. He was regi.
mental adjutant now and could have
had almost any detail or appointment
he chose to ask for There was for him
one aim-to rise as high as an officer
may He would have graced any rank,
too, better than a good many others.
For myself need no description, for
was out of the race from the first.
We had Welsh rarebit and some
beer before we left. Miss Rohan liked
beer, but l think she was disappointed
in the rarebit.
She camo upon the porch the next
morning to see guard mounting, and
$ she brought her manicure set with her
If you can get used to it, woman real
ly looks fascinating when she sits before
the world in broad daylight and ''does"
her nails, more especially if you happen
to be one of several lone bachelors who
have not looked on the face of a young
woman for six months.
After guard mounting she went for a
ride with Blake and Bayard. She sat
her horse splendidly, although she did
hold the reins in both hands, but that
was habit she had picked up from rid
ing hard mouthed cart horses, she sweet
ly explained. Blake and Bayard took
luncheon with her, We sat by and
bet ON the outcome.
In honor of the young lady's arrival
we had a hop that night. 1t was quite
an affair-20 couples in all, some of the
best people from the neighboring rail-
road town having driven over. We
promptly discovered that Miss Rohan
could not dance-at least her way was
not our way. She went around in a
circle, which was enough to make even
a soldiers head swim; but, then, she
took it SO cheerfully aud sweetly when
she stepped on our patent leather pumps
and informed US so honestly that she
guessed she never had been much at
dancin" that we were only too anxious
to assure her that she was a perfect
fairy. In course of time she came to be-
Geve it.
She had one habit which was delight
full. Itwas SO old fashioned and quaint.
She said ''Yes'm" and "No'm, I" eyes
sir" and ''Nosir," always. Captain
Grant said it was like servant girl.
But, then, he had just been ON leave
and was engaged to an eastern girl.
We thought she was very good COM
pany, and SO did the garrison children.
They took a violent fancy to her. She
played tag and prisoners base with
them, she climbed fences and wood
piles, she sat on the top of the barns,
and she rode barebacked horses around
the post. And, then, she was such a
thoroughly good hearted girl, generous
to the last degree, and such cook!
For long time Bayard and Blake
divided the honors. Miss Rohan and
fate smiled on both equally. But Miss
Rohan was girl with considerable
natural tendency to aim high. Moreover,
her married sister had an eye to the
main chance. If there was one thing
more than another that she hoped for, it
was to see the girl Kate Bayard.
Here is the case stated plainly: Given
lieutenant of 26, who is born with a
fondness for feminine society, who has
not had any of it for at least year
that is, not any young feminine society;
given also two women, one of them
married and determined, the other un-
married and not unattractive. 1t needs
no great wisdom to see the natural out
come. Had Bayard just then had one
redeeming, womanly influence had he
broken away for month and gone back
among his equals, or had one of his
equals come to him, he would have been
saved. AS it was, he was left alone
with his ambition and this girl
He fell in love. Therefore he lost his
reasoning powers; otherwise he would
have been bound to see that this woman
and ambition could not both be in his
life. He fell in love, and he married
her then and there She wore the dia-
monds of the stately old mother as she
sat ON the porch at guard mounting
with her manicure set.
The first intimation we had of the
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when the young Mrs. Bayard sat one
day ON the front steps and read a copy
of ''Don't, which she told us that ''my
husband" had bought for her. She was
very much pleased with the gift and
took much pleasure in reading it. We
noticed after that that she was most
careful about breaking, biting and cut
ting her bread at dinner, breakfast and
luncheon, but DON'T evidently did
not include any reference to manicure
sets. I think Bayard told her about
them, though, after time, for she
ceased making her appearance in public
with it, but she bit her nails nervously.
went away on leave about this time.
When l came back, there was little
Bayard, which promised to look very
like its mamma. There had been a great
quarrel as to the naming of the child.
There were good many quarrels now
anyway AIRS. Bayard mad liked the
name of Kathleen-she said it was her
mothers name, and, for my part, it
seemed that it was very musical and
pretty-but the father was determined
upon Beatrice, with the accent on the
second syllable. The child was baptized
Kathleen.
When had gone east on my leave,
Bayard had begged me to give my atten-
tion and what personal influence l had
to his promotion as captain and COM
missary at Washington. He wanted it
even worse than he did a foreign at
tacheship
I saw the turn affairs had taken-that
madam was growing stouter, ugly and
untidy; that she neglected even the
manicure set for the very noisy and un-
prepossessing baby; that poor Bayard's
spick and span clothing and appearance
were thing of the past; that he looked
worn and did not seem to feel at ease
among his brother officers. So carried
to him some encouraging news with re-
gard to his erstwhile desired appoint
ment. l told him that | knew it to be
sure thing; that the enviable post in
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