The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-09-28

| shut up, you fool! was the sharp,
kissing whisper. "Wait till l go home
if you want to talk about it's And as
| quickly as he came Mr.. 'Jerrold slipped
out again upon the piazza.
OF course the story was told with
varied comment all over the post. Sew
eral officers were injudicious enough to
chaff the old subaltern about it, and
be was little sore headed the next day
anyway-the usually placid Sloat grew
the more indignant at Jerrold He de-
cided to go and upbraid him. and, as
i'll luck would have it, they met before
noon on the steps of the clubroom.
~ want to say to you, Mr. Jerrold,
that from an officer Of your age to one
of mine think your conduct last night
piece of impertinence.
81 had perfect right to do what I
did," replied Jerrold coolly. "You
were taking most unwarrantable lib
erty in trying to carry off that picture. "
''How did you know what it was?
You had never seen itr'
"There's where you are mistaken, Mr.
Sloat" (and Jerrold purposely and tx.
asperatingly refused to recognize the
customary brevet( 81 had seen it-fre.
quently"
Two officers were standing by, and
| one of them turned sharply and faced
Jerrold as he spoke. 1t was his former
company commander. Jerrold noted the
symptom and flushed, but set his teeth
doggedly.
"Why, Mr.. Jerrold Mrs. Maynard
said she never showed that to any one, .
said Sloat in much surprise. You
heard her, did you not, Captain Ches.
ter?"
II did, certainly was the reply.
'All the same, l repeat what I've
said" was Jerrold's sullen answer 81
have seen it frequently, and, what's
more He suddenly stopped.
"Well, what's moreP'' said Sloat sug-
gestively
Never mind. / don't care to talk of
the matter, replied Jerrold and started
to walk away
But SlOat was angry, nettled, jealous.
He had meant to show his intense 10y
atty and admiration for everything that
was his colonel's and had been snubbed
and called fool by an officer many
years though not so many Giles his
junior. He never had liked him, and
now there was an air of conscious supe-
riority about Jelrold that fairly exas-
perated him. He angrily followed and
called to him to stop, but Jerrold walk
ed on. Captain Chester stood still and
watched them. The little man had al
most to run before he overlook the tall
one They were out of earshot when he
finally did so. There were a few words
on both sides. Then Jerrold shifted his
light cane into his left hand, and Ches-
ter started forward, half expecting a
fracas. To his establishment, the two Of
ficers shook hands and parted.
"Well, said he as Sloat came back,
with an angry yet bewildered face,
Pm glad You shook hands. l almost
feared q row and was just going to stop
it. So he apologized, did hep
mo, nothing like it. "
'"Then what did you mean by shaking
hands?"
That's nothing-never you mind"
said Sloat confusedly. 81 haven't for
given him, by good deal. The mans
conceit is enough to disgust anything
but q woman, l suppose" he finished
ruefully
"Well, it's none of my business,
Sloat, but pardon my saying don't see
what there WAS to bring about the ap.
parent reconciliation. That handshake
meant something"
"Oh, wellAd-n it! We had some
words, and he-or well, there's a
bet, and we shook hands on it. 4"
''Seems to me that's pretty serious
business, Sloat-a bet following such a
talk as you two have had. hope
"Well, captain,'' interrupted Sloat,
II wouldn't have done it if hadn e
been mad as blazes, but made it and
must stick to it. That's all.
"You wouldn't mind telling me what
it was. SUPPOSED"
Il can't, and that ends it. F"
Captain Chester found food for much
thought and speculation over this Incl.
dent So far as he was concerned, the
abrupt remark of Sloat by no means
ended it. In his distrust of Jerrold he,
too, had taken alarm at the very sub.
stantial intimacy to which that young
man was welcomed at the colonel's
quarters. Prior to his marriage old
Maynard had not liked him at all, but il
was mainly because he had been so neg
ligent of his duties and so determined
beau in city society after his arrival
at Sibley He had indeed threatened to
have him transferred to company still
on frontier service if he did not reform,
but then tho rife practice season began,
and Jerrold was q capital shot and sure
to be on the list of competitors for the
department team, so what was the usei
He would be ordered in for the rifle
camp anyway, and so the colonel decid'
ed to keep him at headquarters This
was in the summer of the year gone by.
Then came the colonel's long leave, his
visit to Europe, his meeting with his
old friend. now the widow of the la
mented Renwiclx; their delightful win.
ter together in Italy, his courtship, her
consent, their marriage and return to
America. When Maynard came back
IN S;b1ax, opd tba old reoip,avt 10 ,,voa