The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-27
CHAPTER VIII

C-itl p'lsocuSS4S NeIC ilihlIlS lifalr way
from the railway station to the hotel at
Lake Sablon. Two of them were wom-
en- Of mature years, whose dress and
bearing betokened lives of case and COM
fort. Another was lovely brunette Of
less than 20, the daughter evidently
ofone Of these ladies, and an object of
loving pride to both These three
seemed at home in their surroundings
AID were absorbed in the packet of let
ters and papers they had just received
at the station. 1t was evident that they
were not now arrivals as were the 9TH
CT passengers, who studied them with
the half envious feelings with which
newcomers at u summer resort are apt
to regard those who seem to have been
long established there, and who gather
ed from the scraps Of conversation that
they had merely been over to say good
by to friends leaving ON the very train
which brought in tho rest of what we
good Americans term "the busload." "
There were women among the newly
arrived who inspected the dark girl
with that calm, unfinching imperti-
nent scrutiny and half audibly whispered
comment which, had they been of tho
opposite sex, would have warranted
their being kicked out of the conveyance,
but which was ignored by the fair object
and her friends as completely as were
the commentators themselves. There
were one or two men in the omnibus
who might readily havo been forgiven
All admiring glance or two at 50 bright
a vision Of girlish beauty as was Miss
Renwick this August afternoon, and
they had looked, but the one who most
attracted the notice Of Mrs. Maynard and
Aunt Crace-a tall, stalwart, distin-
guished looking party in gray travelling
dress-had taken his seat close to the
door and was deep in the mornings pa
per before they were fairly away from
tho station.
Laying down tho letter she had just
finished reading, Mrs Maynard glanced
at her daughter, who was still engaged
in one Of her own, and evidently with
deep interest.
From Fort Sibley, Alice?''
"Yes, mamma, all three-Miss Cra-
ven, Mrs. Hoyt and - Mr.. Jerrold.
Would you like to see it?'' And, with
rising color, she held forth the one in
her hand.
Not now," was the answer, with a
emilia tbot tpl1 ~ opF,GIn,,nn o,,1
fcation both. ''It is about the german,
l supposed"
''Yes. He thinks it outrageous that
we should not be there-says it is to be
the prettiest ever given at the fort, and
that Mrs. Hoyt and Mrs Craven, who
are the managers for the ladies, had
asked him to lead. He wants to know
if we cannot possibly come" "
Are you not very eager to go, Alice?
l should be-" said Aunt Grace, with
sympathetic interest.
"Yes, lam, answered Miss Renwick
refectively. ut had been arranged that
it should come off next week, when, as
was supposed, we would be home after
this visit. 1t cannot be postponed, of
course because it is given in honor Of
all the officers who are gathered there
for the rife competition, and that will
be all over and dono with today, and
they cannot stay beyond Tuesday next
We must give it up auntie," and she
looked up smilingly, "and you have
made it so lovely for me here that can
do it without sigh. Think of that
an army german-and Fanny Craven
says the fayo2s are to be simply lovely.
Yes, l did want to 60, but papa said he
felt unequal to it the moment he got
back from Chicago, day before yester-
day, and he certainly does not look at
MI well. So that ended it, and wrote
1t once to Mrs. Hoyt This is her an
lwer now"
"What does she say?"
'Oh, it is very kind Of her. She
wants mo to come and be her guest if
the colonel is too i'll to come and
mamma will not leave him. She says
Mr.. Hoyt will come down and escort
me. But Iwould not like to 60 without
Mamma" and the big dark eyes looked
up wistfully, "and / know she does not
care to urge papa when he seems so in
disposed to going"
Mrs. Maynard's eyes were anxious
and troubled now. She turned to her
sister-in-law:
"Do you think he seems any BETTER
Grace? I do not. ="
''It is hard to say. He was so nerv-
ously anxious to get away to see the
general tho very day you arrived here
that there was not moment in which
Icould ask him about himself, and since
his return he has avoided all mention
Of it beyond saying it is nothing but
indigestion and he would be all right in
q few days. never knew him to suffer
In that way in my life. Is there any
tegimental matter that can be troubling
him?" she asked in lower tone.
Nothing of any consequence what.
ever. OF coarse the officers feel cha
grined over their defeat in the rife
match. They had expected to stand
very high, but Mr.. Jerold's shooting
was unexpectedly below the average,
and it threw their team behind. But
tho colonel didn't make the faintest al
lpsion to it. That hasn't worried him
anywhere near as much as it has the
others, I should judge"
'I do not think it was all Mr.. Jer-
rold's fault, mamma" said Miss Rem
wick, with gontle reproach and very
becoming flash. "I'm going to stand
up for him, because l think they all
blame him for other mems poor work.
He was not the only one on our team
whose shooting was below former
scores"
''rhey claim that none fell so far be-
low. their expectations as he, Alice.
You know ! am no judge Of such mat
ters, but Mr.. Hoyt and Captain Gray