Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-20
THE WHITE FEATHER


was that "that woman'-with the proper
inilcCtiOn-was the worst flirt In the regi-
ment, if not in the department. But the
camp was divided thereupon, for the men
were disposed to be too charitable. They
went SO far even as to pity her and to de-
fend her covertly, which was the one proof
of the womans unworthiness needed. A
champion of the opposite sex in matter
of this sort does more harm than good.
There were no definite charges that
might be brought up against her, but the
court social does not ask for facts. 1t
judges at glance, and it's edicts are irrev-
ocable, more particularly in the service,
where that which would be winked at
elsewhere or pass unnoticod is not for an
instant tolerated The wives of these
Caesars must be above suspicion. And
suspicion can be founded on SO small a
thing.
Mrs. Bottoms offenses consisted of a
fashion of raising her appealing, tawny
eyes that was melting to the heart masou-
line, of a tendency to the wearing Of
gowns of an unusually frivolous and giddy
pattern and of making her front porch in
summer and her sitting room in winter
the most attractive in the post to the male
element Then there was the matter of
wainwright. wainwright was an accepted
fact and filled in tho intervals when Cap
tain Bolton was at the barracks at guard
mounting, doing officer of the day duty or
stable duty with unfaling regularity.
When Bolton was on scouts wainwright
played suitor in chief to this Penelope.
Bolton appeared to be the only one oblivi-
GUS to the state of affairs. Certain it was
that it seemed not to trouble him that
wainwright should be so very evidently in
love with his captains wife, yet the cap
tain was not fool.
1t was surmised that he drew some COM
fort from tho fact that the infatuation was
all on Wainright's side. Eleanor Bolton
accepted, but did not encourage the man.
Her manner with him was of part with
that which she assumed toward men and
things in gencral-one of sweet pathetic
Indifference, lightened with a smile. Her
very Indifference goaded her maligners on.
She so rarely rewarded their attacks by
wincing at the stings. Just at first, she
had grown q little nervous, had made one
or two attempts at Cancellation and had
raised her eyes, misty with tears-plead-
ing, yellowish eyes like those of brown
NdltI SlllhlCl- bllOSC VI oNlht uthAAltu
swain, thereby ensnaring him still further.
But of late, within the last few months,
she had taken no notice of such small
Sights as were put upon her and had
shown no disposition to tears or humility.
There is no nature so pure that, by de-
grees, it cannot accustom itself to falling
lower than at first it would have deemed
impossible. What with Mrs. Bolton had
begun in desire for amusement and pas
time was growing constantly more serious
and more necessary. Having learned the
power of her charms, she used it, and, as
it grew apace, it needed more food to sub
sist upon.
Having won the submission of the
many, she next required the alteration of
the one wainwright was of goodly micn,
with more mustache than morals, under
stood her perfectly and pretended that he
did not. He found favor in her eyes above
all others. She set herself to please him,
and in very little time he was at her feet.
Then she did not know what to do with
him. She knew that to have him forever
at her side was not wise, but she hesitated
to dismiss him. She was wont to think of
him in the light of an opium habit, hurt
full, but not to be dispensed with. When he
began to time his visits to the hours when
his captain would be from home, she saw
that she was on the edge of rthe precipice,
yet she continued to walk beside it and
wainwright with her. wainwright was use
full, moreover. He rarely let official duties
keep him from carrying out his part of cav
aliere servante, and he earned his $3.50
month easily and with as little trouble to
himself as possible.
Sometimes, in the rare moments when
she allowed herself to think, Eleanor would
wonder why she permitted this man. TO.
ward whom she was absolutely indiffer-
ent, to influence her life for evil, when she
had refused to be influenced for good by
the man to whom she had by no means
been indifferent in the past Yet had he
not influenced herr For two years his
memory-not that he was dead in the
flesh, but wOrse-dead to her-had been
her moving spirit for what of good she
had done and felt. Having known him,
she was better. Then the realization that
all this was but part of hazy past, q sort
of dear aside" in the drama of her life,
had caused Il reaction. Why should She
she who was so young-spend her best
years in regrettingP There was much
ahead, a great deal yet to be enjoyed, and
she began to live life that she told herself
was pleasant. When an importunate
"What would he think" rose before her, as
it often had just at first, she drove it back
with further bit of waywardness. 1t
was at such time that she had married
Captain Bolton and had given a gasp Of
dismay when it was all over and she was
torturing herself with vain "what might
have beens"-sweet punishment. She
had fancied that she had ceased to hope,
but when she saw how irrevocable was
the step she had taken she was frightened
and little desperate.
She was thinking of this now while
Bolton was at stables, and she awaited
without anxiety Wainrights certain COM
ing. She was looking over the last Army
and Navy, which the mail orderly had Just
brought. The outside sheets were still
wet from the snow that had fallen On
them She read over the personals:
Lieutenant John A. Strickland, til
cavalry, has been ordered to rejoin his
troop at Fort Keogh, Mon. Lieutenant
Strickland has been absent on sick leave
andrecruiting service for over three years"