The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-24

CHATTER KIM.

CHAPTER KIN.
70 uerd e this sDazy snA WhattAksr.-
- ozAfsoo. - thy turned avzy. He vas
that two ladies' a ehs gaxr.sca wero calling
~ Azs aa<sers 5asS II that iucksess hour
aeAf retreat. whe1- ~ b bad urged. MAJ
ran vent shitner and asked for Ma Nc
Lana He kn4w that they had 1eff ard
eoHs n - the row While hi wffs was sx-
pnfnizting with Fanny aloff and Randy
va waiting below. He knew that one AZ
ieaa ct their number would Be sure TO tell
what vzs occurrsng. not - . matter Of
malsce ey any means bat Emp,y hecauee
she csuien's help telling anything and
everything that she saw and heard. He
knew that sympafntxf1g women were drop
ping n every fsw minutes % see dear
F7crrss' herself. n . possible Ting. or 70
Inquire how she vas. and he quickly con-
had let fan the fatal observassoo- what
Graetcn I'D not know was that such . vfs-
stAsfon had hefAIjen a<to1 Hcrence had v1r.
tuaily asked Randy 10 eell where be had
been, and after his hapiess failure TO ex-
plain Immediately the e. tire circumstances.
1t reused the demon Of her passionate
nature TO b told the truth by other lips
than htA But this In itself. reasoned
Grafton. vas not enough to dr;vs Florence
iato flight She must have watched for his
later canning. must have seen him go-oh.
fatal steps Tor which ha George Grafton,
and no one else. was reSpons.hies-Aw1y
from the path that led to his wife and
home. straight TO that which bore him TO
the kde Of the woman No haA ioeed before
ever he set eyes ON FIoy Tremaine. And
tnither she. perchaucA had followed: but
there-what had ahe seeu.-whas had she
hArdf Thsre were aching hearts In many
households NJ Sedxwick that eioudless
morning. but The man who suffered most
was Grafton. The whole truth flashed upon
him A. he followed the prints Of Mignon's
nimolo hoof. He would have to tel his
wife and MIRA Hsyne. But no ons else.
NO word Of this to any one whitta-
ker." therefore he cautioned. with . sign
We'll. Tn not all asiuine." was that
troubled subaltern's reply. though dare
say you've thought me so OF late"
God forbid that I should Judge any
man." thought Grafton to himself. after
what I've done this past night"
Harriet Grafton was greatly shocked
when told her husbands fears. and did
not altogether meekly accept his caution
to keep the secret from Fanny, who still
slept the sleep Of the innocent and vir-
tuoos and clear OF conscience. Hop Ling
had been told to go indoors. put all the
rooms TO rights. have the breakfast table
set. and breakfast prepared as usual, aud
he wondered but oheyed. Mrs. Hayne vas
speedily aroased by the announcement
that Mrs. Grafton was below. and vas
wei aware that something extraordinary
had occurred TO warrant = call at so early
an hour. Even the children. wearied after
last nights vigil. were stiil asleep. Dom
ming = wrapper. she FASTENED cut on the
landing and softly called over the bal1s-
ters. 4 know you have news for me, Mrs.
Grafton, please come up
And In the telling OF her tidings. vss
IL any wonder that the younger matsoz
burst into tearsf
We must try to make 1t seem that she
has ridden CT at dawn In hopes of meeting
Randy On his return with the prisoners"
was Mrs. Haynes decision. after she had
recovered from the shock and had heard
the whole story: ard this commended
itself to Grafton as wise when his wife
came back to him and he had returned
from the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. morning
sta5ies." And this too was what they
intended at first to say 10 Merriam when
he should come In ravenous for break
fast and astoniahed at not finding his
wife. But high noon came and oroughs
no Randy. In the words Of the acting
adjutant. high noon brought only high
links.
Crane. officer Of the day. and q dozen
other officers had seen Hop L,ngs frantic
charge across the parade at reveiiie and
numbers of men had heard his announce
nenf OF the general hegira at xerriam's.
Before guard mounting IL was known that
1lignon's tran led straight away to the
upper fords of the Santa Clara-far from
the direction In which Randy had gone AT
10 herdsmsn came in who said he "reck-
cned the lady must have dropped this."
He saw her riding Ike the wind the short
cut for Joss's ranch on the old NUato
trasl. and he handed over poor F1orrie's
little travelling bag, which she had evident
iy strapped to her saddle. never calcuiat-
never caring-vhat the strain
might be. never missing Il when Il was
gone. They sent It TO Mrs. Hayne. who
could no longer keep up her brave face but
soboed over It ~ would . mother over some
priced relic OF 3 lost and beloved child
Then Bux ordered out three OF his swift
wagon at the post. With the wagon went
the post surgeon and Mr4 Hayne. who left
her brood to neighbor's care. They took
with them such rugs and restcratives a.
seemed necessary. and at noon they we're
across the Santa Clara on the road to the
cantonment, expecting to reach Jose's BY
nishtfali and ind their runaway darling
there. exhausted by her long hours IN sad
die and compelled to stay under that
lfEN-fsa4y SGcttGSs rs teDmcNlff1CS win aCf
father anil twice II least with Randy she
had STAYED or hAr journeys TO and fro.
There shewo'Iii have TO remain over night
until Mtxnen should be AHA 20 60 on again
with tire rise OF the morning star.
Meantime the wires from Clmarron juno
ton had been hot with newz>And McGrath,
the operator. lived the day Of his life. for
hours the most important man at the post
The rioters had got wind OF tn, esu,iag OF
- a -
vrecking = freight cabcose In caiamss
Gorge. The rttiers swarmed cut and had
things in shape for an hour. and went
wh:ssfing on again. Every ore knew
trouble would end the moment they got
to the scene OF the strike, but what might
net happen meaLtirre7
Something had happened On enc Of re
Passenger trains hiocka:ee beyond Chm
arron was Chicago lawyer cs mos. active
rnird and being. q Chicasosn Of TO uttis
experience with scenes oe the kind. and
message to Lieut. Randolph Merriam at
Sedgxick. and finally demanded reason
for that officers silence
~whzt'n DO with this tere. ssr,- said
MeGrath. coming nnzlly into &c adiu.
tars's ofase- There's three messages
here fer Mr. Merriam. urgent ores 100.
su1 finally the sender asks why he eon't
reply"
Say that NJ Merriam - st1 away
after Mexican E-rcerers ard We expect
him any minute Ask II any other OF.
s-sr VIII ao7 Helioi What's that. order.
l-r'' he errka OF. a. the sound Of hoof-
beats ana excited voices without
A trooper entered. Sust-cover~d ard
weary. 20 make his brief report Csp<
G-arso1 caf.ed ie Just IN time for TIE
re~s.
ssraeu.. Ns--tar's wounded. sir. an his
horse killed, and can the doctor 20 h2ex
with me-
MY Goaf' though. Grafton ere b
spoke aio<sa as there 20 10 no end 20
the calarasssss o. chs dAyT~ Rerresxrs