The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-01-11

I III. Heyt's being too late to see him
personally gavs ne sufficient grounds on
which to excuse it. but he seems to IN
deTstand that something is impending
and is locking nervous and harassed.
{ He has not renewed his request for leave
I Of absence torun down to SabloR Told
him CURLY 1t was out of the question. 4"
The colonel took a few strides up and
down the room. It had come then. The
( good name of those he loved was already
besmirched by garrison gossip, and he
knew that nothing but heroic measures
could ever silence scandal Impulse and
the innate sense of fight urged him
TO go at once to the scene, leaving his
wife and her fair daughter here under
his sister roof, but Armitage and COM
mon sense said no. He had placed his
burden On those broad gray shoulders
and though i'll content To wait he felt
that he was bound. Slowing away the
letters. too nervous to sleep, too worried
to talk, he stole from the cottage, and,
with hands clasped behind his back,
with low bowed head, he srolled forth
into the broad vista of m0onlit road.
There were bright lights still burning
at the hotel, and gay voices came float
ing through the summer air. The piano,
too, was drumming a waltz in the par
Ion, and two or three couples were
throwing embracing, slowly twirling
shadows on the windows. Over in the
bar and billiard rooms the click of the
balls and the refreshing rattle Of crack
ed ice told suggestively Of the occupa-
ton Of the inmates. Keeping on beyond
these disTacting sounds, he slowly
climbed a long, gradual ascent to the
bench, o. plateau above the wooded
point on which were grouped the glis-
teningwhite buildings OF the pretty sum
mer resort and having reached the
crest turned silently to gaze at the
beauty Of the scene-at the broad, flaw
less bosom Of a summer lake all sheen
and silver from the unclouded moon.
Far to the southeast it wound among
the bold and rock ribbed bluffs rising
from the forest growth at their base to
shoTn and rounded SUBMITS.
Miles away to the southwark twin
kled the lights of one busy little town.
Others cleaned and sparkled over to-
ward the northern shore, close under
the pole star, while directly opposite
frowned a massive wall of palsaded
rock that threw, deep and heavy and far
from shore, its long reflection in the
mirror of water. There was not
breath Of air stirring in the heavens,
not a ripple GA the face of the waters
beneath, save where, close under the
bold headlaud down on the other side
the signal lights, white and crimson
and green, creeping slowly along in the
shadows, revealed one of the packets
blowing her steady way to the great
marts below, Nearer at hand Just
shaving the long strip Of sandy, wooded
point that jutted far out into the lake,
a broad raft of timber, pushed by hard
working, slack funneled stern wheeler,
was slowly forging its way to the out
let of the lake, its shadOwy edge sprin-
killed. here and there with little sparks of
lUrid Ted-the pilot lights that gave
warning Of its slow and silent coming.
Far down along the southern shore,
under that black bluff line, close to the
silver water edge, a glowing meteor
seemed whirliDg through the night and
the low, distant rumble told of the At
lantic express laundering on its jour
ney. Here, along with him on the level
plateau, We're other roomy cottages,
some dark, some still sending forth a
guiding ray, while long lines Of white
washed fence cleaned ghostly in the
moonlight and were finally lost in the
shadow Of the great bluff that abruptly
shut in the entire point and plateau and
shut out all further sight of lake or
land in that direction. Far beneath he
could hear the soft plash upon the sandy
shore Of the little wayelets that came
sweeping in the wake of the raftboat
and spending their tiny strength upon
the strand; far down on the hotel point
he could still hear the soft melody Of
the waltz. He remembered how the
band used to play that same air and
/ wondered why it was he used to like it.
1t Jared him now.
Presently the distant crack of a whip
and the low rumble of wheels were
heard, the omnibus coming back from
the station with passengers from the
night train, He was in no mood to see
any one, He turned away and walked
nOrthward along the edge Of the bench,
toward the deep shadow Of the great
shoulder Of the bluff, and presently he
came to a long flight Of wooden stairs,
leading from the plateau down to the
hotel, and here he stopped and seated
himself awhile. He did not want to 90
home yet lie wanted to be by himself
to think and brood over his trouble
He saw the omnibus go round the bend
and roll up to the hotel doorway with
its load Of pleasure seekers aud heard
the joyous welcome with which some of
their number were received by waiting
friends, bat life had little of JOY to him
this night He lOnged to go away, any
where, anywhere, could he only leave
this haunting misery behind. Hewas so
proud of his regiment He had been so
happy in bringing home to it his accom-
plished and gracious wife. He had been
so joyous in planning for the lovely
times Alice was to have, the social sue
ceSses the pirlish triUmDbs. the parri-