Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-09-01

ing omcer, ana dog-eared the legal-cap
document and Strengthened 1t out again.
"Eh, Howland?"
"Well, sir?"
"Why-eh, I've got to ask you q
deuced unpleasant thing, Rowland"
II will try to answer it, major"
"Not u question, not question. It's
something I've got to ask you to do,
and, by Jove, I'd rather be shot"
Anything I can do for you 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 1t, l suppose might;
but I'd make mess of the business. ]
can't manage those bucks. / 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;
won't allow him to. Don't you see how
1t is? There's only you available"
Certainly, sir"
give got to ask you to do 1t to pre-
vent lot Of trouble. I know you are
going to be married tomorrow, and it's
the most disagreeable thing ever had
to do, to send you away to-day. But
you see how it 81" he reiterated.
"Of course, see sir; and I'll go-not
exactly with pleasure-but still, I'll go.
can get back by noon to-morrow-and
that'll give me time to shave and Dress -
he added, with 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, and 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 mother and sister to
support on second lieutenant's pay;
then bis 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 fance she
broke tho engagement and was meek,
and fearful, and ashamed of herself for
O month. until she and Rowland or
ranged things satisfactorily between
them. They were to have been married
six months before, but Rowland was
ordered off on scouti and three months
after that she had been at the point Of
death; so now, though the season was
unpropitious, they had determined to
take time by the forclock, 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
calmness, and was more careful than
she not to show depression.
you'll come back, surcly,won't you? q
she begged.
'Of course I will, goosey. Don't I &c
to the agency on an average of twice q
month nearly oil the time?"
II know. But some way this seems
different"
Rowland agreed with her, but he
laughed at her for all that.
Its like the legend of Sir Olof, isn't
It? lie 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 he went and rode off under the
scorching sun in cloud of dust, two
soldiers behind him and all we'll mount
ed.
Tho girl watched him until she could
see him no longer, and went back into
the tent to sit with n white face and
closed lips and dry eyes, looking at the
sands of the parate-ground.
Rowland held a long council with the
chiefs, and very nearly succeeded in
settling the difficulties before Eightfall
They talked, sitting under shelter OF
willow sticks and branches. There was
d half-curcd ox-hide on the ground
upon which they squatted.
Two of the Indians played monte with
q pack of grotesque rawhide cards, and
one whitfield stick for an arrow shaft
They liked Rowland, and they trusted
him. This was known, so missions OF
the sort usually fell to him. lie talked
now and waxed very eloquent, and the
chiefs grunted rs the interpreter trans
lated. They We're almost WON to him.
but they postponed their decision until
they should have time to talk matters
ever, SO they babe him return after
dark. Rowland went away, after hav-
ing given the daughter of one of the
bucks q brighthand!lerchief and having
said q few words to her out of his scanty
vocabulary. The girl looked at him in
tently. with her little. bird-lille eyes
twinkling. and said nothing In reply,
butsmoothed the handana on her lirecs
When he was gone, she rose and stood
III front of her t2pcr to watch him out OF
sight, as tie fair-haired white woman
had done Il few hours before.
After a time she put the handlScr-
chief on her head and went in the direc-
ton he had taken.
When she found him it was dusk and