The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-31

AN ARMY WIFE.
sY CAPTAIN cHA1xss xxvs. Z. 1 4


s~rstce Ia RaSersy'a mind. and - mani
Properly VAS sacred whea Miss Fer
sace'E life vas involved Buxson vzs ID
ASA ahscs when shs courier cana. ana In
ssa minutes bad reached the ONCE and
ssse 70 G-afsrnL What be wished 70 knew
WzA Rad she any reason whatever for
turning AMY from the beaten track ard
taxing 70 the unkacwn regions OF he road
ana SAr 70 the northwest u the settle
nene1f Grafton knew OF rome There
sas indeed grave reason Why she should
not.
For 1sty msiss norshward TIE Santa
Cara twtned and sw1ssed through q sasrsy
fertile valley. once the herasng ground Of
TIE NavafoA now Wild and almost unses-
tied. Americans and Nexfcans both had
tried Il ~ stock range. but Amerscan cat
Tie and American horses demanded bet
ter quality Of grass and mora Of II than
would serve the stomach 81 the Indian
pony Treaty onaieations sent the Navatcs
FARTHER Into the mountains 70 thu north
wesf-seycad the Meseaierc-tut there
were restless manners who were constant
~ OF The reservation, sometimes on pass
but eftenes On mischief. and on the pre-
text Of trading they came rsck.ess,y a.
far a. the settlement. and then somebody's
horses were sure 10 be missing. spsrited
away into the foothills, whittier II was al
EscSt useless 10 follow. The Navasos sad
the Asxicans were the thieves. the Next
cans declared them to BE- the Savajcs, and
wAsn beth parties we're caught and ac-
cnaed. with prompt unantmisy both an
nounced that Apaches must again Be raid
Ing. ana the name Of Apache covered .
multitude Of sins. Time was when vic-
torio and Mana led tie cavalry some gior-
ious chases into the Mescaiero, but both
those redouetabies had met thsir fate and
agency omcsals ACROSS the Arizona line
were ready to swear that none Of their
once iafractahle followers ever thought Of
quitting coyn and melon planting for the
forbidden joys Of the raid and the war
path All the same the foothills and the
valley Tar to tbs northwest Of the settle
meats were full OF mystery and danger
the roaming ground OF the horse thief and
the renegade, and Merrfam's men, Just In
from their long chase. pointed out how the
Mexican rofiians. though starting originally
toward the southwest. had IN LONG vide
circuit gradually worked their way north
ward. As though making for this very re-
Eion. The leader OF the gang that shot
Brady ard Corcorsn was a fe,,ow tv fhs
name OF Ramon Valdez ard there was no
oevitFy too steep for him. The news,
therefore. that Florence Merriam had not
reached Joze's. but that her tran was lost
somew there among the battes and bowldern
four miles to the eastward OF that frontier
rseuge. struck dismay to the hearts OF her
Inehos Al Sedgwick. The tidinxs went
ION up 70 Up, from house to house, like
WAdhre, and by midnight an entire troop
had ridden forth with their ever-reatv
three Gays rations. and with Capt. George
1Faltoa N command, and their orders wera
not TO return without Mrs Merriam or
definite news OF her.
Mrs. Grafton let her husband 20 only
with deep reluctance. He was very rases-
sary to her now. She felt the need Of his
support in the maaageasens of her fr,,c,,-
lent patient She had to leave the ia.,ar
while assisting him in his busy nrenara-
TORS, and she was surprsed and reioiced
20 BEE that On her return to her Fanny had
become Tar more calm and resigned. The
ladies IN many households were atm mn
and fitting about the post. tsarfully. fore
poainsiy discussing the situation, ana sew
eral OF them had dropped in to sneak a
word with Mrs. Graffon-wh,ttaker and
Ainturn being ever on the alert to escort
sacn parfies-and so Il was long after
indeed, II was nearly o'clock-Ehen ST
LAST. after final peep at her row placdlv
sleeping guest and leaving Annette c.iried
up on the sofa by her mistress, bedside.
airs Grafton finally sought her own pillow
and slept long into the sunshine OF the
following day.
Awakening With q start at the sound Of
Stirring music On the parade. she found
that II waA after 9 and guard mounting
WAS IN fuil blast summoning a servant.
ner frst question was for news Of Mrs.
merriam. Tor servants always know the
garrison news before their masters. Net a
word had been received. Presently she I'm
toed to Fanny's room. softly turned the
Knob. ana noiselessly entered There lay
nef gsiest stiu plunged In deep slumber.
put Annette had disappeared gone, prob
ABLY, to the Kitchen for coffee. Far over
It the east, where the railway crossed tbs
barren mesa. locomotive whistle broke
the silence OF the desert with long. exult-
ant blast. The blockade then was broken
fne nrst train was coming IN from cimar-
ron Dressing with greater haste than
usual, she ordered breakfast served ana
fhen went ont On the piazza and looked
up the row toward the Merriams'. The
coctor was Just coming ont OF the gate.
e No Whitaker, who had spent the night |
mere On watcb-ali thought Of rivalry
forFotsen-was standing on The top step.
apparently OBTAINING the physician with |
eo-ae question Eager for news Of Randy.
MIS- Grafton threw her husbands cavalry
cape over her shoulders ana srspped nr:ssx- |
~ uo the gravel walk 'Stfu Steering"
Fald the doctor, and how is your pa.fent,' !
also sleeping" sa.d Mrs. Grafton. ssr
ton't see how peop,e can sl><p 20 eor,r6,v |
1t such times" wh~reat the doctor look. |
60 conscious but said nothing
All that morning people strained their |
eyes and rnbh~f their binoculars ard 1
searched the distant foothills % sAs |
northwest. hopins for tire coming cour.ers /
With news: but not until afternoon werS |
hey rewarded. Then. covered with ewea< I
ard dust, corporal OF Graffon,s troop 1
rode IN Dr.. Gould and Mrs. Hayne wers !
stN al yoSe's, tbcugh they feared thew 1
eouid be Of no use there. for not a sim l
rf Florence had been found Grafton rad /
sens couriers on to the Cafamount with /
The tdtngs OF her peri. and his fnen. in /
foothills iorr days marches away. Full 4
half an hour ths iafies grouped at Bux-
Ions. listening 20 the soldiers 6escrip- 4
bon OF their search. and then were stroll /
Ing homeward when. over toward the !
west end OF the cavalry lone. arose the 1
sound OF cosnnosion and distress.
An instant later. AZ the doctor. hlanch- i
Ing. turned 20 hasten thifher. woman /
dressed IN deepest black came reeisng forth I
from the Merrsans' doorway ard plunged
wildly down tie steps. Every ore knew /
hsE a. a Eisnce-ft was Fanny AcT-zne
who stood tsers now sway!rg a: the
gate as though gasping FOR breath. while
calling tnartsculasely for ali. II was but
4 few seconds before tire doctor reached /
her Trey saw him aecosE her briefly.
e1sEs 60 sp-fng.ng PAST her ID the steps
3 n<a into the house. A moment more and
Mrs Grafton, with other women. reached
her
whats the matter. VIA: has happen
81 Fanny. Why are you heref"
Ard covering. sobbing. shsver.ng, she
made snswer:
'.oh. stop him. SAVE himi He'll Kin /
himself I-fo,6 him liz vile was gone-"
Too late Out 10 ths stable the doctor |
chased fer bed and room were dsserfed. /
There. wildly gestscuia:ing and pointing
TO the oler mesa. was Hop Leg He