The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-15
AN ARMY WIFE
Copyright. 1896. by F. Tennyson Neely.)

quite dashing horsewomen. and excited
the envy and admiration of their class
mates by the Ease with which they o
the conventional leaps at the hurdles
ana bars; and when one of them, flushed
with triumph after receiving the compli-
ments or the master, refined up beside
our silent Florence, on a rainy afternoon
when their ride had to be within doors,
and rather patronizingly queried, "Ah.
don't you do something of this sort out
on the plains. Miss Treanaine?" Florence
REDEEMED a bit and said, THE children
sometimes" which led to prompt in
quiry as to her meaning, and the ex-
PLANTATION that the cavalry horses and
even the Indian ponies would a such
obstacles in their stride and hardly rise
to the leap at all. Asked to illustrate,
she put her bay at the hurdles, clearing
them Xix a bird; then, turning to Miss
De Ruyter, she said You noticed even
this horse hardly had to spring. Now,
III Mr.. Dickel will let me have the bar a
foot higher L can show you where he has
to exert himself a bit;' and she did, and
no other one of the girls dared attempt
1t Then she asked to have her saddle
removed, and rode her horse over the
hurdles bareback, and when he was go
ing at an easy canter about the ring
amazed the class by leaping lightly off
and ON again, her slim, strong young
hands grasping the mane, yet never
dragging upon the rein. This made her
envied, but hardly enviable, for the
erstwhile champions of the school gave
1t out that had been a child wonder"
In some far Western circus. 1t wasn't
until F1oiS second year at st. Anne's
that n began to find either friends or
appreciation there. When she left at the.
close of that second year there was one
set at least among whose members she
wa well NIGH Ucrehinod Gho hod not
finished the curse. She needed at least
one more year, said the teachers, but it
couldn't be. Tremaine had listened to
the tempter, invested his scant savings
in a Colorado mine that for one year
gave dividends galore, and then-gave
out There could be no separate estab-
lishment maintained on the pay of a
captain Of infantry. who was keeping up
a heavy life insurance. Florence and
her mother were recalled to the Riflers,
and, to still further promote the
economy demanded by their mis-
fortune, Captain Tremaine begged
to be allowed to go to the
lieving with his company a like force
that had been there in exile over a year.
People at regimental headquarters
thought 1t absolutely heartless in him to
take Mrs. Tremaine and dear Florence
TO such a desert, 81 e the NavajoS to
the HOTl0, d0u SO exposed 10 QdnSer
from predatory bands of ApacheS from
across the Arizona line. But neither
Mrs. Tremaine nor Florence shared their
views. Floy was to have her books, her
birds, her horse; her mother could direct
her reading. and, as for companionship.
there was Mrs. Lee, the wife of their
first lieutenant; she was barely twenty
five and a charming young matron; and
Jimmy Crofton, their junior sub, was
engaged and would soon bring his bride
out to join. She didn't doubt that they
would have a perfectly lovely time,
hunting, fishing, exploring in the noun
tainS and riding races down the Cata-
mount. Florence's face would glow with
enthusiasm; il would become trans
figured. radiant-yes. almost pretty, sal
some OF the ladies-so proud did she seem
to feel at sharing her fathers lot. So,
though few agreed that Florence was a
beauty, all decreed that she was a trump,
a fond and. dutiful daughter, a sweet,
sunny-natured child, who would make a
"Only," said Mrs. Hayne, with a world
of tenderness in her tone-'only 1 hope
it may be the right man. Girls with
those big brown eyes love SO deeply"
The cantonment turned out to be
something of an Eden as an army post.
Four companies had once been stationed
there, so there was lots of room, but
after the last lot of Apache marauders
had been translated to the shores of the
Atlantic matters aboriginal quoted down
in Arizona and western New Mexico.
The cavalry were needed elsewhere, and
could not easily be supplied at SO iso-
lated a post, so the two troops We're
marched back to the valley of the Bravo,
and then. soon after Tremaine moved
thither, it was decided to recall one of
the two infantry commands maintained
there; hat sent Captain Thompson back
to headquarters and left only the Ire
maineS, the Lees and DIR. Wells, for
Jimmy Crofton's fiancee's father had got
him away on detached service; and this
was the commissioned society left at
Catamount when Randy Merriam, borne
in a litter, delirious, and wearing the
willow for Fanny McLane, was brought
in to be nursed and coddled back to
health again, and Tremaine made ready
for him a big, airy room under his own
roof.
Not for six weeks was Randy able to
ride again, and states have been lost and
won in less. There is little need Of dwell
ing on the progressive stages of the I'M
p~remeditated siege. Billy Whitaker got
there comparatively early in the game,
when convalescence had just begun to be
a-ssured-when Florence, shy and soft of
voice, was just beginning the daily read
ingS aloud 10 her patient-readings
which, as such, began soon to shorten.
though reader n audience remained
long and longer in each others presence.
By and by the book was but a super
fluffy. 1t lay unopened in her lap as she
sat, with downcast eyes and flushing
cheeks, beside the hammock wherein her
hero patient lay. and the anxious mother
noted how, little by little, the girls soft,
silvery tones would become hushed-how
his voice, deep and strong again, yet
tender and subdued, would take up the
thread Of some old. old story; and one
day in alarm she fed to her ban
study, for Florence was weeping in her
room.
do not interfere by look or word"
said that wise man.. He will be well
enough to rejoin his fellows in the field
next week, an they'll soon get over it.
III they don't-they a get married.
That VIII put an end to it"
but think" persisted his better half;
"it's Florence I'm troubled about. It's
she who may not soon get over it. Hers
Is a deep"
But here the captain arose and amazed
his wife by taking her in his arms and
speaking with a choking sob in his
voice.
.nop,f talk of If Dot" he said. I'm