Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1896-08-15


nasty job"
Briggs resumed his seat, his saber
clanked and he knocked down an Army
Register for 20. While he was picking
il up Rowland came in. He was the
most promising officer in the regiment,
ana was tall, and strong, and homely.
He had square jaw and n straight
mouth, and the jaw looked squarer and
the mouth straighter just now. He fore
saw something unpleasant when he
caught sight of Briggs and the major.
Briggs was small and thin, the major
was short and fat, and both were UNI
usually impressed with Howland's stat
ure.
"E-e-eh," commenced the command
ing officer, and dog-eared the legal-cap
document and Strengthened it out again.
EN-, Howland?
"Well, sir?"
"Why-eh, I've got TO ask you a
deuccd unpleasant thing, Rowland"
81 will try to answer it, major"
mot Il question, not question. It's
something I've got TO ask you to do,
and, by Jove, I'd rather be shot"
Anything can do for you l shall be
most happy TO do"
"See here. Everybody is sick or
away, and I'm so old and fat, and Briggs
is just out of fever and hardly able
to stand, you know, and some one has
got to GO up TO the agency and quiet a
fuss among the bucks about the beef
issue. Whoever goes has got to go now
and get there in a hurry. | suppose |
might attempt it, l suppose l might;
but I'd make n mess of the business. l
can't manage those bucks. l lose my
temper too fast and then I'm so fat"
said the major. sadly. Briggs insists
upon going, but you see he shouldn't;
l won't allow him to. Don't you see how
it is? There's only you available"
Certainly, sir"
I've got to ask you to do it to pre-
vent a lot of trouble. l know you are
going to be married tomorrow, and it's
the most disqgreeable thing I ever had
to do, to send you away to-day. But
you see how il is?" he reiterated.
"Of course, I see sir; and I'll go-aot
exactly with plcasure-but still, I'll go.
l can get back by noon to-morrow-and
that'l give me time to shave and Dress"
he added, with n grim smile
They discussed the matter at some
length, and Rowland went to get on his
scouting clothes for the long, hot ride
through dust as drying and choking as
flour, ard to say good-by to Capt. Trow-
bridges youngest daughter.
Like the princess of fairy lore, she
was as good as she was beautiful, and
had light hair and brown eyes, and
dimples, AMI clinging, feminine ways.
Rowland was badly in love; had been
for several years, but many things had
happened TO prevent his marriage. At
first he had had a mother and sister to
support on a second l:eutenant's pay;
then his sister had married and his
mother had died. so his fortune was all
his own: but at that time Doris Trow-
bridge was engaged to marry another
man.
When she found that she cared more
for Rowland than for her fiance she
broke the engagement, and was meek,
and fearful, and ashamed of herself for
a month, until she and Rowland ar
ranged things satisfactorily between
them. They were to have been married
six months before, but Rowland was
ordered off on scout; ard three months
after that she had been at the point of
death; so now, though the season was
they had determined to
take time by the forelock, make the
most of the chance visit of a clergyman
and be married IN the middle of July.
At this juncture Rowland was being
sent away, and he grew desperate.
Nevertheless, he said good-by to lit
tie Miss Trowbridge with exemplary
she not to show depression.
You'll come back, surely,won't you?"
she begged.
"Of course ] will, goosey. Don't go
to the agency on an average of twice a
month nearly all the time?"
Il know. But some way this seems
Howland agreed with her, but he
laughed at her for all that.
It's like the legend of Sir Olof, isn't
it? He went away the night before he
was to be married, and an erl maiden
made him die"
There's nothing so fascinating as an
erl maiden at the agency, more's the
pity" he told her.
Then ne went and rode off under the
scorching sun in a cloud of dust two
behind him and all well mount
ed.
The girl watched him until she could
see him no longer, and went back into
the tent to sit with white face and
closed lips and dry eyes, looking at the
sands of the battle-ground.
Rowland held long council with the
chiefs, and very nearly succeeded in
settling the difficulties before nightfall.
Tney talked, sitting under a shelter of
willow sticks and branches. There was