The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-12-12
I'uAITI'R MY

.u,'N.
Toward! the end "f the six months low
ever. ne became his usual ~ill>Uu"lanl SELF.
Say what one will "f consi"ncl. absence"
is ,uorc lik"ly To r%ngoudcr ",:'t'rln">S
than deepen love.
All he Minla hc w,S avay from Nlii"r"
he had never heard aay n"W> Of III"
Quartcrmastor's daughter. hi~ corr >pon-
dents thinking it an uuploasant topic 10
introduce: consequently h" had no idea
when he returned /" Alipor" whether she
had married The S"rgcau, ar not.
As he ncarrl the station his rhoughts.
which had wandered and had been half
diSloyal to the love which So iat"ly he
had profcs>cd and felt. rr"onc"nirated
: themselves: the la~i few miles h" saw
and heard nothing that did not remind
him Of Jane.
In the distance he saw III" winding
road he hal. trav"rs"d with her the day
that she had broken her arm. and sup
ported by him she had lain half f~aintins
with The pain. yet scarcely utt"Tlng a
cry. All. and there WIS the Quarter
masters l~ungalow-he wondered II sh"
lived there still. and there the church.
All his bitterness revived AT sight of
The sacred ciiiicc where he had waited
in vain for his bride. He thought that
were he to remain in Aliporc II hundred
years he would never enter lis doors
again. TN the platform of the station
was Valentine Graemc. p"ering into each
carriage as il passed him. and be uttered
a delighted exclamation when he recog
nizcd the Colonel.
He had brought the Coloncl'S OWL
horse and dog-cart. of which he had been
left in charge. and as they droy" back Ia
his bungalow together. he cav" him Sov-
cral items of noWs About Colonel Grey
having proposed to and been refused BY
Diana Knollys. Colonel PrluScp had al
ready heard.
Il cannot imagine L"nuoN Grey g"in:
c"uriing. he said. Il only wish ! hal
been here tu see.
You will find Miss IIpox much
changed. | fancy" said the AdJnIant
presently.
"IIow|" asked the Colonel. quietly;
and Mr.. GracIne hcsitaied, not knowing
exactly how to explain.
Il think she is rrown.' he blur,ci ont
at length. and feeling that he had made 4,
ridiculous remark. WAS lhr first TO laugh.
The Colonel laughed. too.
"Scarc'ly thai. ! should think" IL, said.
carolc:>ly. seeing that she was eighteen
when | left Aliporr."
On the following mornin". At IN" timc
appointed, the Colonel called for Nalom-
tin" Graomc. and together they repaired
I" the Quaricrmastrr's house.
How strang" il seemed. the Colonel
Thought. that he should be- going NJ the
W"ll-knoWn dfiv" again. Formerly il had
beer as james lover he bad gone. and
Jane. herself radiant with delight. had
"ornc halfway To meet him. Now he was
going as an ordinary visitor to make a
morning call.
Coming in from out of The sunlight. the
room seemed Il little dark. but clearly
"n"lrh across III" Intervening s;ac" zane
ana Stephen prin>cp recognized each
other.
Ii" had thought She might blush 81.
had hlu>hcl - easily when he knew her
last perhaps even look confused. render
Ing II III" more iml"rativ" for him 10 re
tam his self possession. But as far rs he
could So" in til" diinly lighted room, Shr
did neither.
81" was standing 10y the window in an
attitude of easy grace be though. he had
never seen her adopt before. y" conlI
interpret nos Val t;racmc's clumsy IL
tempt AT explanation of the chang that
six months had worked III her. The
change was TIE great one from sirl 10
Woman.
i'"Sid" her was Elount of the Rifles.
talking Ia her with his most dandiiicd air
The a. -. &. ~swaggcr." Nalentin"
''rarine c"nt"mptuously named il in nj,
own mind.
Mrs. Knox was also in the room. talkin.
To Barry I%.arron. and Sl" rose instantly.
murmuring SON" uniuielligihle wards Of
greeting. ~" knew he had returned. and
that he might shoN his displ"asIrc 10y
avoidance Of them. or that he might. in
Sin}" "i what occurred. still love and
wish t" win her daughter, bu, Tor this
TREND! visit she WAS not prepared.
1T is th" Colonel. Jane" She said. after
n short, uncomfortable pause. Jan,
moved onward with ouiStrrtched hand.
I'VE heard you had come" she ob,nrv-
ed, smiling. but had MOI expected to
hay" seen You 50 soon"
lie looked down at her g~ravrl>. re-.
proachfully almost. Had she indeed be-
come SO heartlrss that she could utterly
ignore what had been between them. and
meet and speak Ia him thus without On.
harrassment: On the third fug,r If her
left hand was Il massive silver ring she
had never worn before. 1t was The SORT
of It ring a man in Sergeant Ivun'S rank
of life might give as Il ;"hcn Of h,tro,hnl
Could il hC thai she WAS hound Ia him
still?
ut WIS natural" he aueurron. roldIy.
At last. that ny first visit, w.. I'D IL,
paid 10 those in the regiment"
Then we are not to suppose that il was
a wish To see us. personally. ,ha, hr,u,-ht
YOU" she asked imprr,incutiy her
mother thought.
However badly ! expressed myself. |
hop" YOU will believe il was Il pleasure as
well as a duty" he returned. bovine.
with what Val Grarmc. who had n name
for everything, called his grand scirncur