The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-10-06

were marching SCuIOAly AWAY W uilVo
the Indians from their old haunts down
the wild wastes of the Mini Ska, and
Perry Thornton riding on his first cam
paign.
CHAPTER w.
The cavalry battalion had been gone
only two days. Some few of the Of
fcers' families, we'll assured that 1t
would be Thanksgiving in earnest be-
fore they could hope to see the cam
paigners again, had taken wing to the
east and were domiciled with friends
or relatives FAR from scenes which SO
constantly brought to mind the image
of the absent husband and father. In
most cases, however, the little house
holds remained at the post assured by
department headquarters that they
should be undistrrbed in the tenure Of
their army homes Morgan whose
health and spirits had slowly revived
as the sun came northward over the
line, had striven to convince Old Tin
top and the surgeon that it would do
him good to go, but was fatty denied
the luxury he craved and hidden to re-
main at the post. The department COM
mander came out to look over the field
in early May, and told Morgan that he
meant to keep him on duty at the post
all summer in the hope that the autumn
would find him promoted to his cap
taincy Then he might be able to get
an order to GO before a retiring board
and go home to- the Old state and old
friends he had not seen for years.
Morgan thanked the kind-hearted chief
for all his help and consideration, but
his tired eyes wandered away over the
prairie to the lonely grave he often
managed to visit now. If it were only
possible TO retire for good and all, how
willingly would he go and be laid away
there by Carries side. were there only
some provision for Constance and the
babies! 1t appalled, him 10 realize that
they were dependent absolutely upon
so slender a thread as his life; that he
must struggle on, must exist, must
suffer, and try, at least, to be strong
that they might not starve. If only
those debts were paid. it OILY he could
retire and take the children to some
quiet eastern home. however humble,
where they might be sent toschool and
where Connie might receive the edllca-
ton thus far so utterly neglected: then
Morgan might live Oh, grateful and al:
most content. lie could surely get some
clarksbip, some desk work that would
ena BILE him to add a few hundred dol.
lars yearly to the allowance Of Il re-
tired dragon. lie did not begin to-
know, poor fellow, how universal was
the theory among business ncn that
old soldiers, were unfit for business, OF
any kind. He wrote to Carries broth
ers again, saying nothing. az course, Of
how often and how much he had helped
them in the past, and begged them to
find some opening that would warrant:
his retiring. Noanswer came. He wrote
again. Then Bob sent few curt lines:
yours reed, contents noted. Thot Wrn
had ans d or Wild have done so business very
slack. Times hard. No opening OF any kind
H'd to Gischg two cllss last month. Better,
hang on to your present situation awhile long:
er. II anything turns I'D will let you know
''Yr bro. atfy''
Morgan read human nature we'll
enough to see just how much that
meant. He would "hang on to the sit
uation'' as matter of course, despite;
the fact that the doctor said the rheu-,
matism would hang on to him as long
as he remained in that climate Both
Gen. c. and the colonel had again
interested themselves in his behalf,
and the railway managers said they
could place him in their Office in town.
when he got ready to retire. The sal
airy was very small, but would help.
The work was exacting. however, and
the doctor said he simply could not
do it in that climate.
"Never mind old friend Well FIX
somehow" said Tintop, cheerily, as
he came 60 say good-by, looking very
much the younger Of the two as Nor
gan leaned heavily on his stick "Youi
just stay here and run the ordnance
Office this summer. There's bound to
be promotion by fall" And SO, sadly;
enough, the veteran trooper had seen
the squadrons ride away, and he was
left sole representative of the commits
stoned force Of his regiment at old
Fort Ransom, and not till they had
been gone two days did he note that
Connie was dropping.
''What is it, Little Mother, he said,
fondly stroking back the tumbling|
mass Of auburn hair and kissing her
white forehead. ''Tired out with all your
household care? Growing too fast?I
Lot and Billy too much for you now?"l
The big pathetic brown eyes werei
swimming little, but she looked
brayely up Perhaps it's spring fever, =
she said, with an attempt at laughing
it all lightly away. ''I'm sure there's|
nothing else. I'm only trife tagged.
It will be all right now that we CAM
get out again in the sunshine every
day" ..5 .sl}. ssss
(To be Continued.)