The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-01-25
present again,

malignant disregard of the longing
looks in the eyes OF three women, all of
whom are eager 20 hear the rest of it.
and one Of whom wouldn't say SO for
worlds write 10 me often. Romem-
Der me warmly 70 the ladies of your
household. l fear Miss Alice would de-
spise this wild, open prairie country
There is no goldenrod here, and l so Of
ton see her as---hum and hum, and all
that sort of talk Of no interest TO any.
body" says he, with quizzical look
over his blows" at the lovely face and
form bending forward with forgetful
ergerness to hear how 'he so often sees
her" And there is a great bunch of
goldenrod in her lap now and vivid
blush on her cheek The colonel is wax
ing as frivolous as Fred and quite as
great tease
And then October comes, and Fred
has gone, ant the colonel and his house.
hold are back at Sibley, where the gar
rison is enraptured at seeing them, and
where the women precipitate themselves
upon them in tumultuous welcome If
to return the kisses and shrinks slightly
from the rapturous embrace Of some of
the younger and more impulsive Of the
sistelhood, if Mrs. Maynard is q trife
more distant and stately than was the
case before they went away. the garri.
son does not resent it, The ladies don't
wonder they feel indignant at the way
people behaved and talked. and each
lady Is sure that the behavior and the
talk were all somebody else's-not by
any possible chance could it DO laid at
the door Of the speaker.
And Alice is the reigning belle &c.
You'd dispute. though there is only sub.
dued gayety at the fort, for the memory
of their losses at the Spirit Wolf IS still
fresh in the minds of the regiment
But no man alludes to the events of tie
black August night; no woman is per.
mitted to address either Mrs. Maynard
or her daughter on the subject There
are some who seek to be confidential
and who cautiously feel their way for
an opening, but the mental sparring is
vain. There is an indefnable some
thing that tells the intruder, Thus far
and no farther - Mrs. Maynard is
courteous, cordial and hospitable; Alice
sweet and gracious and sympathetic
even, but confidential never.
And then Captain Armitage, late in
the month, comes home on crutches,
and his men give him a welcome that
makes the rafters ring, and he rejoices
in it and thanks them from his heart,
but there is a welcome his eyes plead
for that would mean to him far more
than any other. How wistfully he stud
les her face! How unmistakable arc the
love and worship in every tone! How
quickly the garrison sees it all, and
how mad the garrison is to see whether
or not tbs welcome to her. But Alice
Renwick is no maiden to be lightly
won. The very thought that the gcrri-
son had so easily given her over to .Jer
rold is enough to mantle her cheek with
indignant protest. She accepts his at.
tentions as she does those of the young
er officers, with consummate grace. Sho
shows no preferences; will grant no ia
vors. Che makes fair distribution Of her
dances at the hops at the fort and the
parties in town. There are young civil
ians who begin to be devoted in society
and to come out to the fort on every
possible opportunity, and these, too, she
welcomes with laughing grace and cor.
diality. She is glowing, radiant, gor-
geous beauty this cool autumn, and she
rides and drives and dances, and, the
women say, firts and looks handsomer
every day, and poor Armitage is begin.
ming to lock very grave and depressed.
Ike woes ard wins not, is the cry
His wCu: d has almost healed so far as
the thigh is concerned, and his clutches
are discarded but his heart is bleeding,
and it tells on his general condition.
The doctors say he ought to be getting
we'll faster, and so they tell Miss Rem
wick-at least somebody does-but still
she relents not, and it is something be-
yond the garrison's power Of conjecture
to decide what the result will be. Into
her pretty white and yellow room no
one generates except at her invitation,
even when the garrison Ladies are spend
ing tie day at the colonel's, ard even If
they did there wo;:,d be no visible sign
by which they cot I iudSo wlCt,:cr bis
flowers were trea, 1ld or his picture
honorcd above others. Into ler brave
and beautiful nature none can gaze and
say with any confidence either she
loves or ''she loves not Winter
comes, with biting cold and binding
snow. and still there is 10 sign. The
joyous holidays. the glad New Year,
are ain ct at hard, and still there is no
symptom Of surrcrCer No che dreams
of tho depth ard revere. ce and graft
tude and loyalty aid &, 18th of tie
love that is burning in he1 heart until
all of q sudden, III TIE est unexpected
and astC..- hing way, it bursts fort-l in
sight Of ell
They had been down skating on the
slou~h. q number e the youngsters and
the dauCl., crs OF tie gGrl on Rollins
was thert Going - devoted to Mamie
Gray, and alres.iy there were gcssips
whispering that she would soon forget
she ever knew such beau as Jorrold in
the new found happiness Of another one.
Hall was there with the doctors pretty
daughter, and Mrs. Hoyt was matron-