The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10
AN ARMY WIFE
By caps. char1e- king. u. =. A..
CHAPTER XXI.

1ng, weeping woman who was clinging to
his arm. 1t is useless TO talk of It, Had
you let me know why you wished to see
me all the pain Of this meeting could
have been avoided. Every paper had
was given TO Mr.. Parry. your lawyer.
months ago. I know less about the mat
ter, probably. than you do; and now for
give me. but i must go at once"
Almost forcIbly he drew her clasping
hands from his arm. and turning sharply
and without another word TO the cring-
ing woman FASTENED on through the mar
row pathway that led between Graftons
presently emerged again into the moon
Night at the back Of the house, going
straight to the Captains stable. For a
moment his late companion stood there at
the trellis. staring after him in mingled
misery and incredulity. She had planned
1t well. She had marked his coming just
as Grafton had said, had hurried down
to the shadowy aisle between the quar-
tiers and halted him there-astonished
at her daring. He would have walked
a dozen miles that night rather than see
her at all, but TO meet her this way, to
feel that he was trapped, made Mer-
RAMS blood boil with wrath. His voice.
though. was stern and cold as he babe
her say why she wished to see him. But
her aim was to detain. to soften, to
charm and then to plead, and she had a
dreadful, dreadful story to tell and none
TO tell 1t to but him. Even then she was
baked, for Merriam bluntly babe her
omit the story, as he knew all he needed
TO knew, and come to the point at once
What could she want Of him? Advice
sympathy, she cried; and for advice he
referred her to her lawyer-for sympa-
thy she must not come to him She must
have some purpose in calling on him
what was IL? And then ii proved to be
the packet with certain papers, given
him by the younger miner in the Mes
caiero. 1T was turned over to your law
yer long ago." said Randy, and then she
/. burst into tears and said she was I'M
done. and walled, "Oh, Randy, Randy!
What can I-what am to do?' And he
suggested gravely, courteously but posi-
lively, that she should at once go indoors
while he went on his way.
His heart was bitter against her as he
strobe out beyond the fence line. and aft
er carefully inspecting the doors of Graf
tons stable he closed and locked the
gate. He wished now more than ever
to hurry on westward and enter his own
little home and surprise Florence With
grateful eyes he had noted the parlor
lights and interpreted them as indicat-
Ing that she must be well over the un-
reasoning stage or this her first, and,
he prayed God, her last, jealous trouble.
He turned toward his own gate. intend
Ing only to glance at the other stables
on the way and give the sentry addi-
tional orders. but when he got so far to-
ward the western end of the row as to
enable him to distinguish any object as
big as a man he found to his vexation
that there was no sentry there at all,
and that he must retrace his steps and
look for him toward the other end. 1t
was a backward tramp of over three
hundred yards, and he was irritated
enough to feel like scoring the sentry
when he finally came upon him.
You shouldn't be here, SIR he be-
gan after the customary challenge and
reply. Where you are most needed
is along toward the other end. where
there are private horses in fiimsy sta
bles."
ly, but there's something amiss out
there On the road toward town. heard
scuffie and cries for help, and then a
running down into the creek bottom. The
corporal's gone out TO see. I'm afraid
there's been blood split, SIR
Anu even dS tney SlOOO anu ISlcueu
the still night air was split by TIE loud
report of a carbine. echoed back from
the opposite wall of the shallow, mar
row canyon. 1t was followed almost in
stantly by cry for aid.
Come right along" shouted Merriam
to the sentry, and he sprang away in
the direction Of the alarm Never mind
your posti'
A run OF nearly four hundred yards,
crossing diagonally the Junction road as
they ran. brought the lieutenant TO the
edge OF the chasm, at point where one
could see some distance down the stream,
the sentry painting several rods behind.
The moonlight was faint, but still suffi-
Gent TO enable him TO make cut the
form Of a man apparently crawling on
hands and knees up the bank, while an
other lay motionless close to the water s
edge. Over this latter Corporal Mahcney
was bending, impioring In grief-stricken
tones. Randy went bounding down the
abrupt slope, sure-foated as a goat
What's the matter, Corporal? What
is it?"
BRADY, sir = stabbed 10 death, I'm
afraid There was three Of EN- on him,
and more at poor Corcoran yonder-Mex-
leans. all of 'em, and they lit ont straight
for that monte shack across the mesa.
Their horses are there. l reckon. LOOK
UP. Brady. man. for Gods sake! Here's
the Lieutenant, come 10 help
Merriam knelt, threw open the blue
blouse and placed his hand over the
heart, waited a moment and shook his
head. His hand was dripping with blood
as he drew IL out. 'All over with poor
Brady, fear" said he. Run quick. No.
2 followed me out. Tell him tc hurry the
surgeon and send the litter from the hes
pita1 Who fired?''
II did, sir. / hoped to bring down one
Of the gang. but they we're too far eli.
answered the Corporal. IS be was pull
ing himself up the bank.
Turning away from the stricken SOL
der and dabbling for moment his hand
in the stream. Randy called To Corcoran.
the other victim, who was grooming and
cursing alternately, and VINO presently
burst into maudlin tears, demanding to
be given a chance TO stand uD against
the damned greasers again, that he
might annihilate the entire party. III
was evident that a subtler enemy had
downed him even before the Mexican
took hold. He was only slightly injured
physically, but his money was gone. All
Randy could extract from him was that
there had been a game and he wouldn't
pay up because the greasers we're cheat
ing. and they chased him and Ersdy,
and overlook them and used their knives.
Buxton was still up ana full of his pro-
ject of sending the patrol for absentees
and the band just as soon as the Rifiers'
train should have started He heard the
out in person. The sleepy horses OF the
patrol were standing meekly and won
deringly at the guardhouse when the dis
n A.. -,