The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-28
CHAPTER VII.

from progressive whist at the doctors, and
though luck had befriended her and kept
Ormsby from her side, she had been able
at times to watch him when chance brought
him near Helen Daunton. She noted with
jealous misery the appealing look in
Helen's eyes when once they were for an
instant left to themselves. She could have
sworn she saw little scrap of paper handed
Ormsby at that moment and quickly slowed
in his waistcoat pocket. But the rest of
the evening it was Leale who devoted him
self to Helen, and Leale who escorted her
home, and this fact Ellis saw was some
thing that seem ed to give Ormsby no con-
Germ whatever. Had she not been blinded
by her suspicious, she would have seen
that poor Jack had only one real source of
trouble that night, and that was her own
determined avoidance of him.
Wheels within wheels were whirring in
the garrison and Ellis Farrar was per-
picked and worried more than she could
say. Even placid, garrulous aunt Lucretia
was involved in the recent complications,
for, within the past three days Major
Wayne had been on no less than three oc-
casions in close and confidential talk with
had left the gentle invalid in tears, and
from which she had gone to her room, and
was found there, on her knees, by Ellis,
half an hour later. Explanation was de-
MED her at the time. Not now, Ellis,
DEAR" was thet pleading answer.
cannot talk tonight. Later-after Christ
mas-I will tell you all about it, and with
this the girl had perforce bee content.
Yet here again she mourned, because,
while refusing to tell her own daughter the
reason of her tears and agitation, she had
welcomed Helen to her room and found
solace and comfort in her society.
This lovely, placid, moonIlt night, as
they came away from DR.. Gray's, old Fen
ton was plainly disappointed and Lucretia
as plainly disturbed, when Mrs. Farrar
quietly and pOsSessively took the majors
arm and led him, rather than leaned upon
his strength, on the homeward way. Ellis,
escorted by Mr.. Martin-anything TO get
away from Ormsby this night-had hur-
RED homeward and then to her room and
out of sight, yet noted how long her mother
detained the dreamy major at the gate
while Leale and Helen Daunton conYersed
in the little parlor. There had been
gathering at the Armorys' that same eve
ming, little dinner party, as Mrs. Armory
expressed 1t, I'm honor of those who are
engaged and those who ought to be, and
pretty Nell Willetts a captains daughter
and young Alton of K Troop, were the first
named, and bewitching Kittie and Willie
Farrar, one couple, at least, included in
the second. Mrs. Armory was a charming
hostess. She was of an old Kentucky
family, had wealth and beauty to add to
her charms, and had been wooed and won
by her dashing husband long years before,
when he was boy lieutenant doing Ku-
KIuy 6utu in tho dietoDt South Gbo
declared VIII was dark-eyed edition of Just
what her Frank was in the early seventies,
and that Kitty Ormsby was too like | was
twenty yuhs ago To- anything" and Mrs.
Amory was so loyal Kentuckian as never
TO forget even the sweet, soft dialect of the
bluegrass country she so fondly loved.
Ellis, to Mrs. Amory's relief, had begged
off the dinner, saying she felt she ought
not to be away from her mothers side Just
now, and frankly explaining to Mrs.
Amory the apprehensions they all felt ON
that mothers account, especially at this
trying time, so near the anniversary of the
colonels death. With all the worldly
goods with which she had endowed her
husband twenty years gone by, pretty Mrs.
AmOry couldn't add to the Government
allowance of quarters, and her dining
room would only hold ten, So as Ellis
wasn't especially interested in any man at
the post, despite the attentions paid her
by Martin, Jessup, and other available fell
lows, Mrs. Amory wisely decided her to
be deeply interested in somebody far away,
and knew the man the moment Ormsby
came. So 0rmsby and Ellis, as has been
said, went to whist and came away dis
satisfied and unhappy, and VIII and Kitty
went to dinner and dance at Amory's, and
had thrilling tiff, as result of which
she refused to ask him in when he took
her home, even though Aunt Lucretia, hop
ing Ii was Wayne, beamed upon them,
though it was after midnight, from the
doorway, and the colonel and Brother Jack,
looming up through a cloud of cigar smoke
shouted to the suffering subaltern to come
in. Wrathful and stung to the quick by
Kitty's coquetry Farrar turned Indignantly
away and sought his own quarters. The
lights were still burning in the parlor, and
he felt sure Leale and Mrs. Daunton were
there, and he was too miffed to care to see
them. A dim light was burning in his
mothers room, and he believed her to
have retired earlier, and so made it an ex-
cuse not to go for her goodnight kiss and
blessing. The door opened just as he was
hurrying by and Wayne came forth into
the clear moonlight, and the boy wondered
that he should be there, instead of at Fen
tons, as usual, but he didn't want to see
or speak with him. He slammed the door
of his chum's bachelor den as he bolted in ,
dow, or dreaming that his sister sat there
alone in his trouble, while he, with a
lovers selfshness, saw nothing beyond his
own. She heard his quick, impetuous step,
however, and peeping through the cur
tains saw the light pop UP in the window
opposite her own. There were four
bachelor subs crowded under that adioin-
ing roof, and readily she OWNED that
Kit had been tormenting him again.
Verify, the Ormsbys seemed to exer-
else baleful influence over the Farrars,
and, with all her admiration for Kitty s
better qualities and her remembrance of
all jack goodness in the past, her heart
was hardening against them, as it was, in
jealous disquiet, against Helen Daunton.
AT that moment she seemed to long for
the championship of her brother and
wished he had come in. She heard her
mothers gentle words mingling with
Leale's deep barytone and Helen Daun-
toms low, soft voice, and again the feeling
gained ground within her that she, to
whom the mother chung with such love
and dependence in the past, was herself in
need of advice and sympathy, while that
mother was finding other helpers now.
Wayne had gone, the servants had all re-
tired and still the pleasant, friendly chat
went on. 1t was all well enough so far as
Malcolm Leale was concerned, but why
should her mother SO utterly confide in
one of whom she knew so little and of