The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-20

quite informal, society could not gossip
about the fact of Raymond being such a
frequent guest at government house. The
general was no less amiable to Mrs. Joliffe
He had long ago given up all attempts
to pay her the most yelled attempt of n
compliment, but he sent her newspapers,
and new novels, and flowers and grapes
from his greenhouses, insisted on her driv-
ing up in his brougham when she dined
with him, showing her more kindness and
thoughtful consideration, and giving her
more glimpses of luxury, than she had
ever known in all her short life before.
For she had always been poor-from the
early days when she had worn shabby
frocks that had done duty for three elder
sisters, and had been accustomed to hear
her father, the half-pay colonel wrang-
ling about the consumption of butter ana
beef with her patient sad mother up to
the present happier hours. The general
did not know how extreme was the sim
plicity with which she and Raymond
lived of her pathetic little endeavors to
think of possible new dishes within the
capacity of her impossible cook; of her
economies in dress, and her always fire
less bedroom; or how she strained her
eyes as she trimmed her own hats by an
inadequate light. Yet, if only Raymond
had looked stronger, she would have been
very happy, and while he talked of ambi-
tion and foreign service, and opportunities
for getting on, and the terrible chances of
being "shelved," her heart ached to see
how tired he always looked when the
evenings drew in, and how he often sent
away his dinner almost untasted.
Ill
Weeks and months glided by. The gem
era toiled hard for the Improvement of
his garrison, and gave his subordinates
no peace concerning any lack of smart
ness or discipline that came before his
notice. He insisted that every officer and
man should do his full share of work, ana
shirk no duty, however unpleasant, kept
a keen eye upon the surgeons and the
condition of the men in the hospital, SUBJ
scribed largely to funds for the families
OF soldiers, and played the part, in fact,
of an ideal mmander-in-chief. And yet
during his office work, his kindly visits
to the sick beds of his men, his inspec-
lions. his rides to distant forts and bar
racks, thoughts that had little or no con-
nection with his duties had gradually be-
gun to take absorbing possession of his
mind He felt himself growing very old,
terribly lonely, restless and unsatisfed.
Visions of a certain sweet face, framed
in yellowy hair, were constant and dis
duieting. Sometimes the sense of the
ueelessness of his endeavors came upon
linn with cynical force. "A few improve
ments here and there" he thought. True
enough And all probably to be undone,
OF rendered valueless, by my successor,
who is certain to have other ideas. An
other command when l leave this, posi-
bly,. The same drudgery over again-In
the future, as far as one knows, to BE-
probably rendered nil No prospect now
of active service or any opportunity of
really Utilizing experience. A desolate old
age-Iong hours at clubs and dull dinner
parties. and the worst corner in the co
81 hanaxnlonf
enough to ask me TO shoot. Failing sight
and hearing, and the consciousness of be-
ing now and then talked to out of pure
philanthrophy." This was morbid, but
n 1t quite untrue.
Sir Paul pulled up his horse for mo-
ment at the foot of one of the chalk hills.
He saw a wagonette coming slowly down
the steep white road, and cheerful party
of people returning probably from some
entertainment at a neighboring country
house He saw Beatrix Joliffe-her sailor
hat little awry, her lovely eyes shining,
her red lips parted in laughter. Raymond,
in tearing spirits, was teaching the cho-
rus of new music hall song to an
other very pretty girl sitting beside him.
Two other young soldiers-what children
they all seemed were trying to inter-
rupt the singing lesson. They all stopped
short and blushed, half-guiltily, as their
eyes fell upon the general. He tried to
make Il joke, which fell fiat, for they all
seemed too shy and embarrassed to re-
spond. With a dreary sense stealing over
him of being very old and dull, and not
wanted he rode slowly up the white hill,
turning just once to catch glimpse of
Mrs. Jol!ffe's gold head, and the outlines
of the wagonette against a wild purple
sky.
1t was only a few days after this meet
ing on the hill that the officers of the
garrison began, old and young alike, to
talk about the coming row" in West
Africa This little war was the one and
only topic of conversation at mess, and
had completely superseded horses and an
ecdotes concerning ladies Of doubtful
character, and even golf shop" Sur
climate to be simply Internal" and told
prosy anecdotes of relations and old
friends Of his own who had left their
feyer-stricken bodies buried I'm those dis
tricts But dozens nay hundreds Of men
in the garrison. IN spite Of Surgeon Per-
rott, were longing to take their chance,
and to have a brush with the niggers."
Raymond Joliffe among the rest, al
though he knew that he had no interest,
and not the renotest chance OF being Sc
iected to go. He would not have dared
to tell Trixie Of his passionate wish. his
mad desire to distinguish himself and to
escape from the monotony Of the routine
of soldering at home.
At the present moment the general was
away in London. During his stay there he
saw q great many friends, and among 9TH