Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-11-03
EFFECT OF 4 STORY.

Perhaps it was partly her fault, OF
maybe 1t was all his fault. Anyway
they had just had quarrel, one Of
those unpleasant little affairs in which
neither one or the other will give in or
acknowledge being in the wrong, but
thinks 1t the duty Of the other, equally
blameless participant, of course, to first
say, Il am sorry" And it RSs their
first quarrel, too.
Then he falls back on that old resort
and says, Il am going TO the club."
He gets his hat and coat and is about
to open the door to step out when she
half repents and asks him not to go,
but to stay at home with her, at least
one evening IN the week" But he is
either obstinate to her appeal or does
not hear her, for he closes the door with
bang and leaves her alone, to return,
perhaps at midnight, perhaps at dawn.
Then she takes the usual course, throws
herself on a lounge and cries.
He goes directly to the club. There
he meets q few Of his frineds and they
sit down for a smoke, preparatory to
the nights excitement at the poker Ia
bic. Thus they sit for perhaps half an
hour. when the entrance Of a rather fat
individual seems to create quite COM
motion among the smokers. He is be-
sieged on the right and left to come and
join them in their smoke and Robert
LangdOn wonders who this rather stout
individual who enjoys such popularity
can be. Major Hunt, one Of the most
capital story tellers we have had for
some time, answers one Of his friends,
in reply to a laughing query from
LangdOn. wait until you hear one Of
his stories; you will think so, too.
Major, this is my friend Langdon. "
The Major has hardly made himself
comfortable before he is asked to tell
one of his stories and after while
yields to the entreaties of the crowd
and begins:
There Is not an army post in the
country, or in the world, which has
not some little romance interviewer
IN its history. But one which especi-
ally remember Is one in which the
faithfUlness Of women, as l will call It,
played such an important part as TO TX
the story In my mind forever.
1T was about five years ago, at
Western fort. that this incident hap
pened. We had there q young private
who came, 1 believe from the some
whore l never did find out exactly
where he did come from, and l have
even forgotten his name now. He
seemed to be an Indifferent sort of q fell
low, rarely Joining the rest Of the men
In their larks, and keeping pretty much
to himself. He was handsome young
man, too, nearly SIX feet tall, if ! re-
momber correctly. It was his mys-
terious manners which made us wonder
what he did with himself during his
spare mOments-that is, when his time
was not required by Uncle Sam. We
tried in vain to find out All that we
could ever learn Of him was that he
was always IN his mess room during
these intervals, and his companion phi
Yates there said. lie reads and reads
all the time that's all. Army life did
not seem to agree with him very much
and we could not see why he ever en-
tered into 1t. Still there was no one In
the fort with nerve enough to ask him
the questions we were so anxious to
have answered. He was the one mys-
terry Of the fort Perhaps you viii
wonder why we officers should take any
interest In a common private, but be-
fore am through you will see why that
was.
what was also q mystery to us was
how he managed to become well enough
acquainted with the Quartermaster's
daughter to be seen occasionally out
walking with her Her name. YOU
must remember distinctly, is Geneyieve
Hutle She was the belle Of the fort.
I do not believe TO this day that there
was hardly a man In that fort at the
time who would not have stood even
Indian torture if she had so wished
but don't be alarmed. gentlemen. No
such thought would ever have entered
that girls mind. And then she was
very beautiful Perhaps this had some
thing to do with 1t. Those among us
who had been sick had especial rea-
sons for feeling grateful to her, for as
soon as she heard of case OF sickness
she seemed to be On pins and needles
until she received consent from her
father to nurse the sick one. whether
he was officer or private. In truth. her
kindness and charitableness TO oil made
ndorers out of half the men in the fort.
and the other half were dead In love
with her.
Now to get down to the story. One
day there came the announcement tina,
the Indians had gone on the warpath.
and that the men should be got IN r6ad4
mess TO leave at almost any moment 70
hunt down a band Of rowing bucks Wild
We're thought 10 be I'm our neighb0rho0d,
before they had much chance Of rob
binC and killing the settlers. One
morning the command came, and
troop Of cavalry Was detailed to go ont
and, If possible bring them II. The
matter had now taken quite q serious
turn. for the few bucks who had started
the deDredations on small scale had
been joined by others, until several
hundred of them had gone on the war
path IN dead earnest Il happened that
the mysterious privates troop was the
one detailed TO go ont first on sort of
accommodating trip, and II on invest.ga-
ton Il was thought necessary to send
out more men they We're to return for
reinforcements.
1T was q busy scene at the fort that
morning. Soon the bugie sounded, the
men leaped into their saddles and
moved up to the gate Of the fort. It was
a proud moment for the men who COM
posed that troop. for Il was Their first ac-
tual expedition after an enemy. Then
came the sound Of the bugal again and
the men were off with the cheers Of
their comrades ringing IN their ears.
Eve in the fort had many anxious
hours that day and night. wondering
how the expedition would turn out,
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