The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-12-07
ER0AA<
TAE RANKS.
eT CAaT CAARLES King
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eosv.,eHr. ses~. nv TVS ). Q. lirp,noorr co.
CHAPTER XIV

themselves well out of furry it was
the social circle at Sibley Invitations
had been sent to all the prominent peo-
pie in town who had shown any interest
in the garrison since the regiments ar
rival; beautiful fayors had been pro-
cured; an elaborate supper had been pre-
pared, the ladies contributing their
efforts to the salads and other solids,
the officers wisely continuing their dona-
tions to the wines. It was rumored
that new and original figures were to
be danced, and much had been said
about this feature in town, and much
speculation had been INDUCED IN, but
the Beaubien residence had been closed
until the previous day. Nina was away
with her mother and beyond reach of
question, and Mr.. Jerrold had not
shown his face i'll town since her de-
partnre.
Nor was he accessible when visitors
inquired ut the fort They had never
known such mysterious army people in
their lives. What on earth could induce
them to be so close mouthed about o
mere german? One might suppose they
had something worth concealing, and
presently it became noised abroad that
there was genuine cause for perplexity,
and possibly worse.
To begin with, every one at Sibloy
now knew something of the night adj
venture at the colonePs, and as 10 one
could give the true statement of the
case the stories III circulation were
gorgeous embellishments of the actual
| facts. 1t would be useless, even if adj
visable, to attempt TO reproduce these
wild theories but never was army gar
rison SO unanimously stirred by the
| whirlwind of rulnor. It was no longer
denied for an instant that the absence OF
| the colonel and his household was the
direct result OF that nights discoveries,
and when, to Mrs. Hoyt'5 inexpressible
relief there came q prottily worded note
from Alice on Monday evening info I'm
| ing her that neither the colonel nor her
mother felt well enough to return to
| Silbey for the german, and that she her.
self preferred not to leave her mother
at time when she needed her care,
Mrs. Hoyt and her intimatea, with
whom she instantly conferred, decided
Mat there could be no doubt whatever
that the colonel knew of the affair, had
forbidden their return aud was only
waiting for further evidence to decide
what was TO be done with his erring step.
daughter. Women talked with bated
breath of the latest stories in circula.
ton, of Chester's mColv silence and
preoccupation, of Jerrolds .ostracism
and Of Frank Armitage's sudden return.
On Monday morning the captain had
quietly appeared in uniform at the of.
flee, and it was known that he had re.
Enquished the remainder of his leave Of
absence and Resumed command Of his
company. There were men in the garri.
son who well knew that it was because
Of the mystery overhanging the colonel g
household that Armitage had so sudden.
~ returned They asked no questions
and sought no explanation. All men
marked, however, that Jerrold was not
at tho Office on Monday, and many curl
ously looked at tho morning report in
the adjutant's Office. No, no was not in
arrest. Neither was he on sick report.
He was marked present for duty, and
yet he was not at the customary assem-
bly, Of all the commissioned officers at
headquarters. Moro mystery, and most
exasperating, too, it was known that
Armitage and Jerrold had held q brief
talk in the latter's quarters soon after
Sundays evening parade and that the
former had been re-enforced for time
by Captain Chester, with whom he was
afterward closeted. Officers who heard
that he had suddenly returned and was
ut Chester S went speedily to the latter's
quarters-at least two or three did--and
were met by servant at the door, who
said that the gentlemen had just gone
out tho back way And, sure enough,
neither Chester nor Armitage came
home until long after taps, and then
the colonel's cook told several people
that the two gentlemen had spent over
an hour up stairs in the colonel's and
Miss Alices room and "was foolin
around the house till near 10 o'clock "
Another thing that added to the fame
Of speculation and curiosity was this.
Two of the ladies, returning from q
moonlit stroll on the terrace Just after
tsAtbOO, NtiiAiO NiilOuSh tllO hdlLOW Dbo-
sageway on the west side of the colonel's
quarters, and there, at the foot of tho
little flight Of steps leading UP to the
parade, they came suddenly upon Cap
tain Chester, who was evidently only
moderately pleased to see them and nerv-
ously anxious to expedite their onward
movement With the perversity of both
sexes however, they stopped to chat
and inquire what he was doing there,
and in the midst of it all q faint light
cleaned on the opposite wall, and the
reflection of the curtains in Alice Rem
wicb's window was distinctly visible.
Then sturdy masculine shadow ap-
peared, and there was rustling above,
and then, with exasperating, mysterious
and epigrammatic terscness deep voice
propounded the utterly senseless ques-
ton:
'How's that"
To which, in great embarrassment,
Chester replied:
Hold OH minute. I'm talking
with some interested spectators.
Al Il