The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1895-06-14
Continued from our last issue.)

Truman went home pretty soon.
He was conscious that he was very
much No. 3, and also that he was
desperately tired. The girl put
out her long, Drowned hand, soft
and firm and cool. The invalid took
it and went on Hartley's arm back
to his quarters. He wondered what
he really thought about that girl,
whether he admired her or not. Phys
ically he certainly did, for she was
undoubtedly handsome, but of her
mental qualities he could form no
opinion. At any rate he was not dis
appointed. He had expected no
more.
Now, if all that had happened SO
far had only happened in the great
wide world, there might have been
40 mor of the story. Truman might
have been carried onward with the
tide of affairs and never have met
the stately Olga again or only rare
ly in public gatherings. Hartley
might have held his place alone, and
the girl have considered herself for
tunate to get a husband with an as
sured income and certain promo
ton. But here were two men and
but one girl as chief actors, a pair Of
stern parents in the background, and
a stage setting of desolate loneliness.
One of these two men had the ad-
vantage of higher pay and rank, the
other of physical beauty. Both were
good hearted, and the one found ia
vor with tho worldly wise parents,
the other with o hot natured girl,
for, despite her impressive, trained
exterior, q burning soul looked
through the tawny eyes and passion
ate blood ran under the smooth skin.
And it came to pass. as it was
bound to do, that these two young
people. who in form and face were
blessed Of tho gods, saw each other
day by day and loved each other
well, which is quite in the accepted
scheme of things; also. that Tru-
mans recovery was SO rapid that he
did not longer need a sick leave. and
that his loathing for the sky under
which his superior officers had been
pleased to call him to do his duty
vanished into air. So for awhile they
were happy, these two, and even
fancied they were to be happy for
ever. but it was merely the madness
with which the gods cursed them be-
fore they should stretch out their
hands and smite.
AS long as the major and his wife
were blind to the course things were
taking it was smooth sailing. but in
time they began to. notice the fire.
quent strolls in the twilight to the
springhouse, the walks across the
parade in the blazing sun, when sta
BILE call sounded, to the sally portland
the stables; the frequent trips
through the scorching sand to the
suffers on every and M pretext.
They noticed, and they watched, and
they drew their own conclusions,
which were in the main correct.
Olga spent a very bad quarter of
an hour between the major and his
wife. They taxed her with being in
love, and she. like a most conven-
tionally nodded maiden, resented
the suggestion and treated the whole
affair in so careless and light a man.
ner that the old people had their sus-
picions quite disarmed. Had they
seen their cool daughter in the dusk
by the springhouse sob out her trou-
bles on the shoulder straps of Second
Lieutenant Truman theymight have
felt less easy. Howbeit, she went
back to the quarters with quiet self
control and sat in the bosom of her
family, casting equal glances upon
the first and the second lieutenants.
The first lieutenant was SO encour-
aged by her manner, in fact, that he
took advantage of a moment when
Truman had gone home and the
commandment and his wife were