The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-01-18
present again.

present again
II need not tell YOU, my dear old
friend, how ] rejoice with You in your
hum and huw aud this is all about
something else, goes Oil the colonel in
malignant disregard Of the longing
looks in the eyes of throo women, all of
whom arc eager 20 hear tho rest Of it,
and ono OF whom wouldn't say SO for
worlds "Writo 20 me often. Remem-
Der me warmly to the ladies of your
household / fear Miss Alico would de-
spise this wild. open prairie country.
There is no goldcnrod here, and so Of
ten see her as--hun and hum, and all
that sort of tail. Of no interest to any.
body" says he, with quizzical look
over his blows az the lovely face and
form bending forward with forgetful
ocgerness to hear how she so often secs
her, And there is a great bunch Of
| goldenrod in her lap now and vivid
blush on her check The colonel is wax
ing as frivolous as Fred and quite a.
great tease.
And then October comes, and Fred
has gone, ant the colonel and his house
hold are back at Siblcy, where the gar.
rison is enraptured at seeing them, and
where the women precipitate themselves
| upon them In tumultuous welcome. II
Alice cannot quite make up her mind
to return the kisses and shrinks slightly
from the rapturous embrace Of some Of
the younger and moro impulsive Of the
cd &c txia 40
more distant and stately than was the
oaso before they went away, the garri.
son does not resent it. The ladies don't
wonder they feel indignant at the way
people behaved and talked, and each
lady is sure that the behavior and the
talk were all somebody else's-not by
any possible chance could it be laid &C
the door Of the speaker.
And Alice is the reigning belle be.
yond dispute, though there is only sub.
dued gayety at the fort, for the memory
of their losses at the Spirit Wolf is still
fresh in the minds of the regiment.
But no man alludes TO the events of the
black August night; no woman is per.
mitted to address either Mrs. Maynard
or her daughter on the subject. There
are some who seek to be confidential
and who cautiously feel their way for
an opening, but tho mental sparring is
vain. There is an indefinable some.
thing that tells the intruder, THUS far
and no farther. Mrs. Maynard is
courteous, cordial and hospitable; Alice
sweet and gracious and sympathetic
even, but confidential never.
And then Captain Armitage, late in
tho month, comes home on crutches,
and his men give him welcome that
makes the rafters ring, and he rejoices
in it and thanks them from his heart,
but there is welcome his eyes plead
for that would mean to him far more
than any other. How wistfully he stud
les her facet How unmistakablo are the
love and worship in every tone! How
quickly tho garrison sees it all, and
how mad the garrison is to see whether
or not it's welcome to herl But Alice
Renwick is no maiden to be lightly
won. The very thought that the garri
son had so easily given her over to Jer-
rold is enough to mantle her check with
indignant protest. She accepts his at
tentions as she does those of the young
er officers with consummate grace. She
shows no preference; will grant no IA
vors. She makes fair distribution Of her
dances ct the hops at the fort and the
parties in town. There arc young civil
ians who begin to be devoted in society
and to come out to tho fort on every
possible opportunity. and these, too, she
welcomes with laughing grace and cor
diality. She is glowing, radiant, gor-
geous beauty this cool autumn, and she
rides and drives and dances, and, the
women say, flirts and looks handsomer
every day, and poor Armitage is begin
ming to look very grave and depressed.
she wooes and wins not" is the cry.
His wound has almost healed so far as
the thigh is concerned, and his crutches
are discarded. but his heart is bleeding,
and it tells OH his general condition.
The doctors say he ought to be getting
well faster, and so they tell Miss Rem.
wick-at least somebody does-but still
she relents not, and it is something be-
yond the garrison's power Of conjecture
to decide what the result will be. Into
her pretty white and yellow room no
one pene,rates except at her invitation.
even when the garrison ladies are spend.
ing the day at the colonel's, and even if
they did there would be no visible sign
by which they could judge whether his
flowers were treasured or his picture
honored above others Into her brave
and beautiful nature none can gaze and
say with any confidence either "she
loves or 'sln loves not. - Winter
comes, with biting cold and binding
snow, and still there is no sign. The
joyous holi6Llys. tho glad New Year,
are almost at hand, and still there is no
symptom Of Surrender. No one dreams
Of the deptl, and reverence and graft.
tude and loyalty end strength of the
love that is burning in her heart until
all of sudden, in the most unexpected
and astounding way, it bursts forth in
sight Of all.
They had been down skating on the
slough, q number Of tho youngsters and
the daughters Of tie garrison Rollins
was there doing the devoted to Mamie
Gray, and already there were gossips