The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1895-01-18


flight. There was news from the
agency. We go back this AFTERNOON
with orders to catch them tomorrow al
Painted Lodge"
Hurridly opening the packet, Nor
gan glanced over the contents-two Of
Aciai letters iof himself; and q smaller
note. "Why, Con, this Is for yeu-from
Thornton" he said, in surprise. Then,
never noting the eager, almost incred-
ulous light that flashed into her eyes,
or the instant rush of color to her
checks and brow, he tore open the first
letter, an order from Tintop to send on
certain arms for the use of scouts. He
glanced quickly up to send Schram for
the ordinance sergent, but Schramm
had disappeared. There stood Con-
stance, her eyes dancing, her red lips
parted, her bosom heaving, 1ahguor
and pallor utterly banished from her
face, grasping in both hands the letter
he had given her, devouring its pages
with all her soul in her eyes, utterly
lost to him and to the world at large in
the rapture of young girls first dream
of love. For the first time in his life
Morgan saw that his child was beau
tiful. For the first time 1t dawned
upon him she was no longer a child.
For the first time in his life the father
called her to his side and she did not
hear.
Connie" he said. Then at last,
almost sternly, "Constance!"
'.Oh! what, papa dear? Forgive me,
was SOL was"
nYes,a said he, vaguely, feeling all
helpless and bewildered yet. Yes.
What does he say? What does he write
yous'
Another rush Of color, new flash in
the great brown eyes, yet more hest
tAricy; more embarrassment:
"Why, there's letter for you, papa
The says SO; but-this is about souie-
thing else" -,
Slowly Morgan turned, unwilling to
think, reluctant to believe, unable to
wound. 1t. was all so sudden, so utter
II tinloelted for. What On eatth cctld
Thornton have to say to her? Where
was the letter to him? Oh, here, in
side Gray's dispatch. He tore it open:
''Dear Old Man: In the mail sent for
Ward to catch Dis Tiers comics . vel
come letter from father. He says that
Wall, of the Ninth, and Clinton, of the
Sixth, have applied for retirement
You are sure of your double bars then
before September, and we all are re-
joicing. Icouldn't help writing, as l
wanted to be the first to tell you.
f1ease give the enclosed to Connie
Love to the kids, all three. Yours, P.
T." Give what to Connie? He turned
the envelope inside out, and there was
no enclosure other than the letter.
Mechanically he stretched forth his
hand:
said, and to his dismay she for an
instant shrank back. Then, seeing
the pain in his eyes, she sprang
towards him.
""eh, DIS, papa; fead every word" she
said. Indeed, I'd rather-only he
only they didn't want you to know it
just yet" But he did not seem to hear
her
81 only asked to see ii it could GO In
side here" he said; slowly. Thornton
speaks OF an Enclosure, and probably
that was it. Here Schramm," he cried,
fastening to the door, will you tell
the ordnance sergeant want him right
off? I'll meet him at the ante-roon.
Wait a minute; just give me your arm
down the steps" And, leaning on the
blue-shirted, muscular shoulder, Nor
gan stumped away out through the
little gate, out across the grassy pa.
fade where the infantry companies
were busy at drill; and there was a
cloud on both faces now, as, saluting at
the gate, Schramm fell respectfully to
the rear.
And yet, an hour later, when Morgan
returned to his quarters and Lot and
Billy came tumbling unanimously to
greet him, and he, moody and troubled,
sent them off in supreme contempt to
buy q nickel's worth of gum-drops at
the store, then came slowly to his door,
a vague sense of new trouble was tug.
ging at his heart, a doubt as to what
he ought to do or say numbing his fac.
ulties. Pausing at the threshold, he
heard Comics voice, low, rich, tremu
lous with happiness, singing one of her
mothers old dear songs, a thing she
had not done since the bitter day they
followed the mother 20 her grave, and