Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-12-20
FROM THE RANKS.
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
Copyright, 1894, by the ]. B. Lippincott &C
CHAPTER XIV.

jected german had come, and if ever a
lot of garrison people were wishing
themselves we'll 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 favors 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 confning their dona-
tions to the wines. 1t 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 indulged 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 in town since her de-
'parture.
Nor was he accessible when visitors
inquired at 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 a
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 cne at Sibley
now knew something Of the night ad-
venture at the colonel's, and as no one
could give the true statement of the
case the stories in circulation were
gorgeous embellishments Of the actual
facts. 1t would be useless, even if ad
visable, to attempt to reproduce these
wild theories, but never was army gar
rison SO tumultuously stirred by the
whirlwind of rumor. 1t 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's inexpressible
relief, there came aprettily worded note
from Alice on Monday evening inform
ing her that neither the colonel nor her
mother felt we'll enough to return to
Silbey for the german, and that she her
self preferred not to leave her mother
at a time when she needed her care,
Mrs. Hoyt and her intimates, with
whom she instantly conferred, decided
that there could be no doubt whatever
that the colonel knew Of the affair, had
forbidden their return and 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-
tion, of Chester's moody silence and
preoccupation, Of Jerrold's ostracism
and of Frank Armitage's sudden return.
On Monday morning the captain had
quietly appeared in uniform at the Of
fee, and it was known that he had re-
inquished the remainder Of his leave Of
absence and resumed command of his
company. There were men in the garri-
son who we'll knew that it was because
of the mystery overhanging the colonel's
household that Armitage had so sudden
ly returned They asked no questions
and sought no explanation. All men
marked, however, that Jerrold was not
at the Office on Monday, and many curl
ously looked at the morning report in
the adjutant's Office. No, he was not in
arrest. Neither was he on sick report.
He was marked present for duty, and
1a ,ofo ~
bly, Of all the commissioned officers at
headquarters. More mystery, and most
exasperating, too, it was known that
Armitage and Jerrold had held brief
talk in the latter's quarters soon after
Sundays evening parade and that the
former had been REINFORCED for a time
by Captain Chester, with whom he was
afterward closeted. Officers who heard
that he had suddenly returned and was
at Chester went speedily to the latter's
quarters-at least two or three did-and
were met by o servant at the door, who
said that the gentlemen had just gone
out the 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 oolonel's and
Miss Alice's room and twas foolin
around the house till near 10 o'clock. "
Another thing that added to the flame
Of speculation and curiosity was this.
Two Of the ladies, returning from a
moonit stroll on the terrace just after
tattoo, came through the narrow pas
sageway on the west side Of the colonel's
quarters, and there, at the foot Of the
little fight 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 1t all faint light
CLEANED on the opposite wall, and the
reflection of the curtains In Alice Rem
wick's window was distinctly visible.
Then sturdy masculine shadow ap-
peared, and there was a rustling above,
and then, with e1asperating, mysterious
and epigrammatio terseness, deep voice
propounded the utterly senseless ques-
tion:
Flows that?'
To which, in great embarrassment,