The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-02-09

, arrival at nine o'clock by the chic.
clerk, or by the sergeant major, If he
happens to be there, though he's gen
orally at guard mount. On this coca
sion he was out at review. Leary
chief clerk, tells Col. Braxton he opened
and distributed the mail, putting the
coloners on his desk; Root was with
him and helped. The third clerk came
in later; had been ont all night, drink
ing. His name is Dawson. Dawson
goes out again and gets fuller, and
when next brought home is put in hos
pital under sentry. Then he hears
of the murder, bolts, and isn't heard
from since, except as the man who
helped Mrs. Doyle to get her husband
home. He is the fellow who brought
that note. He knew something of its
contents, for the murder terrified him,
and he ran away. Find his trail, and
you strike that of the woman who
wrote these"
by the Lord, lieutenant, if you'll
quit the army and take my place you'll
make a name and fortune"
and if you'll quit your place and
take mine you'll get your coup de
grace in some picayune Indian fight
and be forgotten. So stay where you
are; but find Dawson, find her, find
what they know, and you'll be famous. ="
TX.
That night, or very early next morn
ing, there was pandemonium at the
barracks. 1t was clear, still, beauti-
full. A soft April wind was drifting
up from the lower coast, laden with
the perfume of sweet olive and orange
blossoms. Mrs. Cram, with one or two
lady friends and a party of officers,
had been chatting in low tone upon
their gallery until after eleven, but
elsewhere about the moonlit quad
ranglc all was silence when the sec
ond relief was posted. Far at the rear
of the walled Enclosure, where, in def
ererce to the manners and customs OF
war as observed in the good old days
whereof our seniors tell, the suffers
establishment was planted within
easy hailing distance of the guard
house, there was still the sound of
modified revclry by night, end poker
and whisky punch had gathered their
devotees in the griry parlors of Mr..
Finkbcin, and here the belated ones
tarried until long after midnight, as
most of them were bachelors and had
no better halves, as had Doyle, to fetch
them home ''out of the wet" Cram
and his lieutenants, with the excep-
ton of Doyle. were never known to
patronize this establishment, what
soever they might do outside. They
had separated before midnight, and
little Pierce, after his customary peep
into Warnings preserves, had closed
the door, gone to his own room to bed
and to sleep. Ferry, as battery officer
of the day, had made the rounds of the
stables and gun shed about one o'clock,
and had encountered Capt. Kinsey, of
the infantry, coming in from his long
tramp through the dew-wet field, re-
turning from the inspection of the SEN
try-post at the big magazine.
No news of poor Sam yet, | sup
posc?" said Kinsey. sadly, as the two
came strolling in together through the
rear gate.
Nothing whatever" was Ferry's
answer. 'We cannot even form a con-
lecture, unless he, too, has been muir
dered. Think of there being a war
rant out for his arrest-for him, Sam
Waringr'
We'll" said Kinscy, mo other con-
clusion could be well arrived at, I'M
less that poor brute Doyle did it in a
drunken row. Pills says he never saw a
man SO terror-strickcn as he seems to
be. He's afraid to leave him, really,
and Doyle's afraid to be alone-thinks
the old woman may get in
''She has no excuse for coming, cap
tain" said Ferry. when she told
Cram she must see her husband to-day,
that she was out of money and starv-
ing, the captain surprised her by hand
ing her fifty dollars, which is much
more than she'd have got from Doyle.
She took it, OF course, but that isn't
what she wanted. She wants 20 get at
him. She has money enough"
''Ies, that woman's n terror, Ferry.
Old Mrs. Murtagh, wife of my quarter
master sergeant, has been in the army
twenty years, and says she knew her
weil-i.aew all her people. She comes
from q Tough lot. and they had bad
reputation in Texas in the old days.
Doyle's totally different man since
she turned up. Cram tells me. Hello,
here's Pills the Less" he suddenly
exclaimed. as they came opposite the
west gate leading to the hospital.
Flows your patient, Doc?"
well, he's sleeping at last. He
sceEs worn out. It's the FIRST time I've
Left him; but I'm used up and want fsyy
hours sleep. There isn't anything TO
drink in the room, even if he should
wake. and Jim is sleeping or lying there
by him"
''Oh. he'll do all right now, reckon"
said the officer of the day, cheerfully.
go and get your sleep. The old wom-
my sertrics or rides the air on
broomstick, like some other old witch
es I've read of. Ferry sleeps in the
room. anyhow, SO he can look
out for her. Good night, Doc" And
so. on they went, glancing upward at
the dim light just showing through
the window-blinds in the gable end of
Doyle's quarters, and halting at the
foot of the stairs.
Come over and have pipe with me,
Ferry, said the captain. Its too beau
tiful night to turn in. / want to talk
to you about Waring, anyhow. This
thing weighs on my mind"
Done with you, for an hour any
howl" said Ferry. Just wait min
ute till ! run up and get my baccy."
Presently down came the young fell
low again, meerschaum in hand, the |