The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-21

mother at Sibley and to enter upon the
life she so eagerly looked forward to-
"'way out in the west, you know, with
officers and soldiers and the band and
buffalo and Indians all around you''-
there was not an officer or an officers
wife who had not delightedly examined
that album. There was still another
picture, but that one had been shown to
only q chosen few just one week after
her daughters arrival, and rather an
absurd scene had occurred, i'll which
that most estimable officer, Lieutenant
Sloat, had figured as the hero A more
simple minded, well intentioned fellow
than Sloat there did not live. He was
80 full of kindness and good nature and
readiness to do anything for anybody
that it never seemed to occur to him
that everybody on earth was not just as
ready to be equally accommodating.
He was a perpetual source of delight to
the colonel and one Of the most loyal
and devoted Of subalterns, despite the
fact that his locks We're long silvered
with the frosts of years and that he had
fought through the war of the rebellion
and risen to the rank Of a field officer in
Maynard's old brigade. The most tenn
perate Of men ordinarily, the colonel
had one anniversary he loved to cele-
brate, and Sloat was his standby when
the Sd Of July came round, just as he
had been at his shoulder at that supreme
moment when, needless Of the fearful
sweep of shell and canister through
their shattered ranks, Pickett's heroic
Virginians breasted the slope Of Gene
terry Hill and surged over the low stone
wall into Cushing's guns. Hard, stub
born fighting had Maynard's men to do
that day, and for serene courage and
determination no man had beaten Sloat
Both officers had bullet hole mementos
to cayry from that field, both had won
theiy brevets for conspicuous gallantry,
and Sloat was happy and grateful man
when, years afterward, his old command
er secured him a leutenancy in the
regular service. He was the colonel's
henchman. although he never had brains
enough to win q place on the regimental
staff, and when Mrs. Maynard came he
overwhelmed her with cumbrous COM
pliments and incessant calls. He was,
to his confident belief, her chosen and
accepted Knight for full two days after
her arrival. Then Jerrold came back
from Il brief absence, and as i'll duty
bound went to pay his respects to his
,olonel's wife, and that night there had
been a singular scene. Mrs. Maynard
had stopped suddenly in her laughing
chat with two ladies, had started from
her seat, wildly staring at the tall,
slender subGltern who entered the gate
way, and then fell back in her chair,
fairly swooning as he made his bow.
Sloat had rushed into the house to call
the colonel and get somo water, while
Jerrold stood paralyzed at so strange q
reception of his first call. Mrs. Maynard
revived presently, explained that it was
her heart, or the heat, OF something, and
the ladies on their way home decided
that it was possibly the heart, it was
certainly not the heat, it was unques
tionably something, and that something
was Jerrold, for she never took her eyes
off him during the entire evening ant
seemed unable to shake off the fascina
/ ton. Next day Jcrrold dined there, ant
from that time on he was daily visitor
Every one noted Mrs. Maynard's strong
interest in him, but no one could &C
count for it. She was old enough to bC
his mother said the garrison, but not
until Alice Renwick came did another
consideration appear. He was singularly
like the daughter Both were tall, 1.-the
slender. Both had dark, lustrous eyes
dark, though almost perfect, skin, OK
quisitcly chiseled features and slender
shapely hands and feet. Alice was 9Th,
picture of her father" said Mrs. May
nard, and Mr.. Renwick had lived al
his life in New York, while Mr.. JerrolC
was of an old southern family and hi
mother a Cuban beauty who was TIN
toast of the New Orleans clubs not man,
years before the war.
Poor Sloat! He I'D not fancy Jerrolt
and was as jealous as so unseltish
mortal could be of the immediate as
cendancy the young fellow establishes
in the colonel's household. 1t was ba,
enough before Alice joined them. Afte
that it was well nigh unbearable The
came the Sd of July dinner and tn
colonel's one annual jollification. n
man ever heard Of Sloat's being intoyi
Gated. He rarely drank at all, but thi
evening the "reminiscences Of the day
the generous wine, the unaccustome
elegance of all his surroundings, due t
Mrs. Maynard taste and supervision
and the influence of Alice Renwick
exquisite beauty had fairly carried hir
away.
They were chatting in the parlol
while Miss Renwick was entertainin
some young lady friends from town an
listening to the band on the parade
Sloat was expatiating on her grace an
r beauty and going over the album fc
the twentieth time when the colone
with twinkling eye, remarked to Mrs
} Maynard:
| Il think you ought to show MajC
| by act Of congress officers may be at
dressed by the title of the highest ran
held by thehi in the volunteer serviC
| during the war. The colonel alway
| punctiliously so. addressed his frien
, and subordinate, although in the arm
his grade was simply that of first lier
, tenant Sloat the 'directoiro' picture
my dear"
"Alice would never forgive me" sal
: madam, laughing, "though l considt
| it the most beautiful we have of her. 1"
ooh, where is it?" "Oh, do let I
see it, Mrs. Maynardw was the chorr
Of exclamations from the few ladi,
, present. "Oh, / insist on seeing it, MAJ
am, was Sloat's characteristic contr
, button to the clamor
, 81 want YOU to understand it, " sal