The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-11-12
CHAPTER VI.

cIlAIl IJC W.
That night Ellis Farrar was as wake
ful as the scntrics OH their SNOW bound
posts. 1t W;is after midnight when shc
retuWcd from progressive whist at the
doct0r's and though luck had bcfricnd-
Ell her and kept Ormsby from her side
She had been able ut times to watch him
when chance brought him near Helen
Daunton. ShO noted with jealous mis-
cry the appealing look in iIclcn's cyca
when once thoy were for All instant left
to themselves. Sho could have sworn
sho saw littlo scrap of paper handed
Ormsby at that moment and quickly
slowed in his wnistcoat pocket But the
rest Of tho evening it was Lcale who
devoted himself to Helen and Lcalc
who escorted her homo, and this fact
ELLIS saw was something That seemed to
give Ormsby no concern whatever. Had
She not been blinded by her suspicious
sho would have seen that poor Jack had
only one real source of trouble that
night. and that was her own determined
avoidance Of him.
Wheels within wheels wCro whirring
III the garrison, and Ellis Farrar WAS
pcrp!cNcd and worried moro than Eho
could say. Even placid, garrulous Aunt
Lucrotia was involved in tho recent
complications, for within the past three
days Major Wayne had been on 10 less
than thrco occasions in close and con.
1idcntal talk with Mrs. Iurrar, Il talk
that on one occasion had left the GcE;lu
invalid in tears and from which she had
gono to her room and WAS found there
OH her knees by Ellis half an hour lat
cr Explanation was denied her at tic
time.
"Not now, Ellis, dcar," was tho
pleading answer. II cannot talk to-
night. L"tcr--after Christinus-I will
tell you all about it," And with this
the girl had pcrforcc been content. Yet
here again sho mourncd because whilo
refusing to tell her own daughter tho
reason Of her tears and agitation Mrs.
Farrar had welcomed Helen to her room
and found solaco and comfort III her
society.
This lovely, placid, moonlit night,
rs they came away from DR.. Gray's,
old Fcnton was plainly disappointed
and Lucrctia as plainly disturbed when
Mrs. Farrar quietly and poSscSsivcly
took the ma jor'S arm and led him. rHih-
CT than leaned upon his strength, ON the
homcWard way. Ellis, escorted j. Mr.
Nartin-;ylything 10 get away from
Ormsby this nii;lt-Ead hUlricu home
ward and then to hcr room and out Of
sight, yet noted how long her mother
detained the dreamy mujor az tic gate,
whilo Lcalc and Ifolcn Daunton con-
vorscd in tho little parlor. There had
been Il gathering at tho Amorys that
samo evening. q little dinner party, as
Mrs. AmOry expressed it, Gin honor Of
those who are engaged and those who
ought to be, - and pretty Nell Willotts,
captains daughter. and young Alton
of * troop were the first named, and
bcwitching Kitty and Willy Farrar, ono
couple, at least, included III the second.
Mrs. Alnory was Il charming hostess.
She was Of an Cl,; Kentucky family, had
wealth and beauty to add to her charms
and had boon wOucd and WOu by her
dashing husband long years before,
when ho WAS q boy lieutenant doing
KukluX duty in tho distant south. Sho
declared Will WAS Il dark eyed edition
of just what hcr Prank was in he early
seventies ard that Kitty Ormsby was
'too like ! was 20 yuhs ago fo' any
thing" And Mrs Amory was so loyal
n Kcntuckinn as never to forget even
the sweet, soft dialect Of tho blue grass
country sho SO fondly loved. Ellis, to
Mrs. Amory's relief, had begged Off tho
dinner, saying sho felt sho ought not to
be away from her mothers side just
now, and frankly explaining to Mrs.
Amory tho apprchensions they all felt
on that mothers account, especially at
this trying time, SO near tho anniver-
sary of tho colonol's death.
With all tho worldly goods with which
she had endowed her husband 30 years
gono by, pretty Mrs. Amory couldn' It
add to tho government allowance OF
quarters and her dining room would on
ly hold ton; so, as Ellis wasn' especial
ly interested in any man at the post
despite the attentions paid her by Mar
tin, Jessup and other available follows,
Mrs. Amory wisely decided her to be
deeply interested in somebody far away
and knew tho man tho moment Ormsby
oamo. So Orrnsby and Ellis, as has been
said, went to whist and came away dis
satisfied and unhappy, and viii and
Kitty went to dinner and u dance mt
Amory's and had a thrilling tiff, rs a
result Of which sho refused to ask him
in when he took her homc even though
Aunt I,ucrctia, hoping it was Wayne,
beamed upon them, though it was aftor
midnight, from the doorway, and the
colonel and Brother Jack, looming ul
through cloud Of cigar smoke, shouted
to tho suffering subaltorn to como In.
Wrathful and stung to the quick by Kit
tvs coquctry, Farrar turned indignant.
ly away and sought his own quarters.
The lights wcro still burning in tho par.
lor, and he folt sure Lcalo and Mrs.
Daunton wcro thoro and no was toe
'miffed" to caro- to SEQ them. a dim
light was burning In his mothers room,
and ho believed hor to have retired car.
lior and so mado it an excuse not to &C
for her good night kiss and blessing.
Ihe door opened just as he was hurry.
Ing by and Wayne camc forth into the
clear moonlight, and the boy wondered
that he should be there, instead, of al
Fenton's, as usual, but he didn't wish
to sec or speak with him. He slammed
tho door Of his chum S bachelor den as
ho boltcd in, never noticing tho bright
light III Ellis window on dreaming that