The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-12-28

night-apy officers horses. / mean?"
''NO, sir, not one.
'I thought possibly some officers
might have driven or ridden to town. :"
i 'No, sir. The only horses that Cross
ed this threshold going out last night
were Mr.. SuttOn's team from town.
They were put up here until near
O'Clock, and then the doctor sent for
them. I locked up right after that and
can swear nothing else went out
Chester entered the stable and looked
curiously around. Presently his eye
lighted on tail, rangy bay horse that
was being groomed in a wide stall near
the doorway.
''That's Mr.. Jerroid's Roderick, isn't
Rl'' J.@.
''Yes, sir. He's fresh as a daisy too
Hasn't been cut for three days, and Mr..
JerrOld's going to drive the dogeart
this morning,
Chester turned away.
/ "Sloat," said he as they left the
stable, "if Mr.. JeTrold was away from
the post last highland you heard
me say he was out Of his quarters
could he have gone any way except
afoot after what you heard Park say?'
GONE in the Suttons' outfit, sup
pose, p" was Sloat's cautious answer.
Sin which event he would have been
seen by the sentry at the bridge, would
he not?"
Fought to have been certainly. "
''Then Well go back to the guard
house. p" And wonderingly and uncom-
fortably Sloat followed. He had long
since begun to wish he had held his
| peace and said nothing about the con-
founded roll call He hated rows Of any
kind. He didn't like Jerrold, but he
would have crawled ventre terre across
the wide parade sooner than see a scan
dial in the regiment he loved, ana it
was becoming apparent to his sluggish
/ faculties that it was no mere matter Of
absence from quarters that was involv-
ing Jerrold. Chester was all afame
over that picture business, he remem-
bered, and the whole drift of his present
investigation was to prove that Jerrold
was not absent from his post, but alb
: sent only from his quarters. If so, where
had he spent his time until nearly 4?
! Sloat's heart was heavy with vague ap-
prehension. He knew that Jerrold had
borne Alice Renwiek away from the
party at an unusually early hour for
such things to break up. He knew that
he and others had protested against
such desertiOn, but she declared it could
not be helped. He remembered another
thing-a matter that he thought of at
the time, only from another point Of
view, It now seemed TO have signifi-
canoe bearing on this very matter, for
Chester sudGS2ly asked;
Wasn't it rather odd that Miss
Beaubien was not here at the dance?
She has never missed one, seems to me,
since JerTold began spooning with her
last year"
why, she was here.
''She was? Are you sure? Rollins
never spoke of it, and we had been talk
ing of her. I inferred from what he
said that she was not there at all. And
I saw her drive homeward with her
mother right after parade, so it didn't
occur to me that she could have come
cut again all that distance in time for
the dance. Singulari Why shouldn't
Rollins have told met"
Sloat griuned. A dreary sort Of smile
it was too you go into society so
seldom you don't see these things. I've
more than half suspected Rollins Of be-
ing quite ready to admire Miss Beau
bien himself, and since JeTold dropped
her be has had plenty Of opportunity. "
Great gunsl 1 never thought Of it,
If I'd Known she was 10 be there, I'd
have gone myself last night. How did
she behave TO Miss Renwick?"
"Why, sweet and smiling and chip,
| per as you please. If anything, I think
Miss Renwick was cold and distant t
her. couldn't make it out at all "
"And did JeTTold dance with her?'
"Once, think, and they had a tall
olt on the piazza-just a minute.
happened to be at the door and couldn'i
help seeing it, and what got me- wa
this: Mr.. Hall came out with Miss Rem
wick on his arm. They were chattin:
and laughing as they passed me, bu
the moment she caught sight Of Jerro L
and Miss BeaUbien she stopped an
said: I think I won't stay out here.
It's too chilly, or something like it.
and went right in, and then Jerrold
dropped Miss Beaubien and went after
her. He Just handed the young lady
over to me. saying he was engaged fol
the next dance, and skipped "
How did she like that? Wasn't sh'
furious?"
'No. That's another thing that go
me- She smiled alter him, all sweet
ness, and-well, she did say; I coun
upon You You'll be there, and he nod
ded Oh, she was bright as a button
after thatP'
What did she mean? Be 'wheT e, d
/ you suppose? Sloat, this all means NOR
! to me and TO US all than I can expl ain.
II don't know I can't imagin e .
| ''Was it TO see her again thatni ght?'
81 don't know at all Il it VI as, b
fooled her, for he never went nj ar he