The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-03

: AN ARMY WIFE. {
{ "r CAPTAIN ox1.zzs xns. u.A Z
WIFE.
. w cAS1AH CHAkLEs KxyO, q. s. a.

aer. he presently sad. a. .e tsa-4 s~,,v,,
.a~ssonaseiy over s<r. Il An orte~~s o.
s s. Al once. and must 70 70 reisev.
10y. Even though c2nn0t ten Won
80 ST sseissia" wishes TO see me about,
ssAs VIII tell you. dear. IL mss 80
nrr' you snail know u frx;-sr3-n r.. ara
| sip" si'-s sSs-
HS vas wondering a. he walked away
D could have told his wife ne had called
:. orafton's and asked for Mrs NrIAn@
is vas TOO proud 10 inquire He had kissed
-, ksn.iy. 'ofsisirsiy. as he said 20 him
ssA. before coming away and croniss,s
mat ne would be with her again n oniv
lev minutes before the signal sor
nshts ont- He found Henry syearsng
rl.n imoAuersce. A. the yogrgs.<r had \
t OF preparations 90 make. ard il Va.
10y iate. nearly IL O'clock. before he had
se-estacisaei the sentry posts as ordered
| ny the new officer Of me tsv TIE ty,,,r-
- BOUNDED taps" TO needless ears ard
tne Nights burned brightly in Ali the har-
rsekss AMI the troopers who were not IA g,,
-ese cnAHins the "Gough-eoysr who were
n 70 mixing up not little in the work
OF preparation. He had seen Havne .
moment and had been iosa tha- NJ.
Hayne would run back to Florence axat,
= son as she had seen 70 the hacking "a
nis mes@-chsst and neid-kit. The ch.Jar.r
rere 70 De allowed 70 sit up and see the
"ehi ON Merfam supposed when
~ came that BY this time Mrs Hayne
vas with Florence. but all the same he
Ieft the guard In charge Of the sergeant .
rev MINUTES and hurried away over IN.
parade and up 70 her room. ard there he
found her lying ainoet as be had lerf h~~
face downward upon the sofa and All
alone ~
Throwing aside his belt and .af,ar
Randy knelt b. her side and ssroye gently
10 turn her toward him.
rave you no welcome for ne evA-
now, my little giriF' he murmtsresi. "Do
You realize this Is the first trouble that hsz
ever come between Us. and that I'm being
very. very much abused for sorusshInr
that is no fault OF mine~' His tone ana
manner we're almost playful DESPITE a
crftain soreness az heart he could not oufte
ignore, but Fioy resisted and was silent
Il nave only moment or two, my wife,
ne presently continued. grsveIy and sadly
You are soldier enough 20 know I should
not be away from my guard even now.
but my heart yearnet over You Florence
IN your Illness and distress. and 7 had 10
steal moment Won't you come into my
arms little while. and let me kiss away
the traces OF those foolish tears7-
An. who knows how much her heart
TOO may have been pleading with his
pleading voice at the moment yet the devil
OF her Jealous love kept rigid guard be-
tween them
II shall do very WELL she answered
coidly. Mrs. Hayue was here and told
her not TO stay -pause-shen. "neithe-
need you"
Al FIRST he could not believe his senses
The wild outhurst Of few hours before
was something easily accounted for in one
80 Young and passionate. but this cold re-
peilant. renorsefess refusal this practical
dismissal Of his prefer OF love, comfort
and cares@es. this was something utterly
Mt .&sxfx.
stung him. and rising slowly 10 his feet he
stood one moment booking down AT her in
deep b"wiidertuenf. and with no little ef-
Tort curbing his tongue and temper The
pretty wrapper she wore had become dis
arranged. AMI the one slender, slIprerr.s
foot that projected from beneath its shell
ter was tspplns nervously the foot OF the
sofa suning sigh. he looked about him
took from a neigbboring chair a heavy
shawl she had been using earlier In the
day. and. carefully spreading Il over her so
as 20 cover even the rebelious foot. he
quietly picked up his sabre and "a quietly
walked TO the door. There. turning about.
he looked back at her. Without changing
her position. she had calmly stripped OF
the shawl with her right hand and dropped
II 10 the ftoor. The slippcre,t foot was stnI
beating its nervous. trrcconciiahle tattoo
as he slowly descended the stairs.
She heard HIM let himself out into the
night and the cisnk OF the scabbari agalnS,
the gatepcst and the tramp Of his cavalry
boot as he crossed the road. He walked
slowly. heavily now. not eagerly ~ he
came Florence heard and noted ard then
her pride and resolution gave way, and
again she wept bitter bitter, yet not
wholly penltent tears.
The waning moon was shining over the
dim, far-stretchinx desert to the cast and
n little torchlight procession was forming
at the hand barracks. as Merriam rrcrossed
49,
10 his headsear bright little lamp. it, rc-
fiector so arranged a. TO throw the light full
upon the sheet OF music In the rack OF his
Instrument IL was nearly time to form,
the regiment. and though the band was not
To so, I, meant TO play the boys on
to the cars" as the sergeant SAID Whit
taker, longing for excitement Of some
kirsf. had gone 10 Buxton and begged per
mission 10 turn out his troop, mounted
aad escort the Riners to tn. railwav.
ard nux said no" with cheerful ard Gus
tonAary Alacrlty. All the same an the
post was up and mostly out q doors.
througing about the edge Of thu parade,
when aitasant's call sounded and the two
haftRnufas came swinging cut IN fuf
marching orier-'csrnpas n hats blankets
rolled. grea,-coats folded. havcrsacks
eanteens ard crsmmed cartridge belts
There was but brief ceremony. The coso-
mel whipped cut his sword and gave Col
umn % TOURS" the rifles Of the FRS, COM
pany leaned to the right shoulder tho
band burst forth into iIs iivefieSt strain.
ard. taking the lead. the bsson- bcarsr.,
Arum-riafor at its head away thev
traulTsed 70 the SAthcast gate. and all
Fort Sss.swtck s<0r1esi TO follow. Tho
coioael spurrei bis way AMI folte-i out IN
fronf OF the hard. hls aitutaat st hs
heels The cadencsi step ard spirited
u,vsic were kept up untii the hospital
corps at the r~ar ~ Inc coiufua vas clear
20 The gate. then route step ordered.
anf then BY twcs AMI thr.es and ltttie
squads AMI parties the thr,rrs 81 escor's
came drifting hack by far the larger por-
tsaf Seerfag of to she right AMI taking
the pathway toward the barracks while
a long string Of women and children.
VITA q few attendant officials. kept the
eirs-st road. n~sriy westward. that ran
in frnDt OF the main hEe q officers guar
ters over a, the guard hosHse the little
HANDFUL % armed soAalers hal Stood
watching fr,Sn afar the formation and A.
rarsarn OF the regiment. aaa nssw. spread
irx their blankets. were settling taers-
selves for brief nap before relieving the
srntrfes row sfosiy trampinss their posts,
ami Merriam after ore hong hook at the
tfsrare TOW vsinly seeking sor the arga,
i.rht that u~ot 10 bura in her parleT win
oow On previous nights when ne MAS on
quart turned into the efftce 81 the quart
h<usa wttA a heavy heart srss weary
SIGH. anal "a; hiussif dSSa 70 leek over
me list o. prisoners AMI the half-an4Shei
report.
rse midnight call q ire seatriss hsa
started a. TIRE Rif@rs marched SNay. eD..
betwee. tA~ music ard TIE cheers. seemed
20 SET ne further thsa the s~nsf 90 No. :
Ara CNrrsral Mshouey had Eoae % see = J
snsf were AL rsEht SiSace w2S gradually