The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-09

how and why it was the colonel left the
command and spent that night at Allison s
ranch, and then, as the story was unfolded
by Will, her sympathy and Indignation
knew no bounds. Even at such a time,
when wounded and maligned, when robbed
of his command at the very moment when
1T was dearest to him and when he must
have been burning with eagerness to face
and confound his accusers, Fenton had
turned back to learn the truth about the
fight at Elk Canyon and wire to her-to
her-the glad news of her boys safety,
the proud news Of his spirited and
soldlerly behavior. If Fenton could have
seen her emotion when from Wayne
and Will she learned the whole story, he
would have found his trials easier to
bear. He had gone, however, to depart
ment headquarters, and there his accusers
were missing; not one remained to face
him, and when called upon to substantiate
clared their readiness to do, one and all,
they had business elsewhere. The chief
conspirators had achieved in part at least
the ends for which they were striving-a
row with Big Roads band that would en-
able them to get square with White Wolf,
Pretty Bear and other reputed assailants
Of Pete Bolan, replenish their stock of
ponies and other spoils of Indian war and
double the price of forage, and though
the alleged murderers escaped them
and the village in great part fell into the
hands of the Twelfth, and Fenton came
back from headquarters vindicated man,
still they had given him and his regiment
far more trouble than the regiment had
ever caused them, so honors were more
than easy. "We've larned the old man
not to monkey with the cowboys again"
There was a sweet, womanly, grateful
note awaiting the colonel when, after an
absence of fortnight, he returned to
Frayne, but the Farrars were gone. The
doctor had said they could not too soon
move Ellis, once she could be moved at all,
to Southern California, and with months
leave in his pocket thither had Will es-
corted them, Kitty going too, as matter
of course. Jack 0rmsby came West once
more to meet Malcolm Leale and to ten
DERBY conduct him, sightless and suffering,
to New York, and Fenton felt that venge-
ance indeed had been wrought by Thorpe
and that the Lord had been with the Phil
istines across the stream, for the light had
gone out of his life, and smiles and sun
shine seemed to have vanished from Fort
Frayne. Will came back in February and
threw himself enthusiastically into his
duties with his troop, and Wayne went
incoming night after night to the coIonePs
Preside, and Terry Rorke, crippled with
rheumatic twinge about an old bullet hole,
was limping and growing about the post,
and Fenton prayed for the coming of spring
had had still another freak-she would be
married only from under the shadow of the
flag and Uncle Fenton's roof. With Ellis
better, but still not well, the Farrars and
Kitty had taken the "Sunset Route" from
Monterey to New Orleans the end of March
and reached Gotham just as the buds were
opening in the park and Wayne, East on
leave on some mysterious mission, called to
welcome them home and to say that Orms-
by was to sail at once with Malcolm Leale,
who was to go to Germany to consult an
eminent oculist, and Ellis lost the color
which was futtering in her cheeks when
they hove in sight of the familiar land
marks of the beautiful harbor and Helen
Daunton strove to conquer her own disap-
pointment that she might comfort the poor
girl, who, since the tragic night OF her
brother death, had neither seen nor heard
from the lover she had rebuffed and
wronged, even though here and now she
had written, admitting her sin against him
and humbly vet confidently asking his for
giveness. That was Thursday night, and
there was ample time, but he sailed on
Saturday with never word.
Copyright, 1895.
To be continued.