The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-10-10

tary famlly, nor they with you.
"Am / then 10 be n prisoner In this
house-and under free pass of--your
president" she said. Indignantly.
by no means. You are free 10 come
and 30 and see whom you please. /
have no power Ia control your actions.
But have power 10 control theirs"
She swept furiously from the room
''That is quite enough to I'LL her with
a desire TO flirt with every man here,"
said Brant TO himself, with faint
smile. butt fancy they have had a taste
enough of her quality" Nevertheless,
he sat down and wrote few lines TO
the division commander, pointing out
that he had already placed the owners
private property under strict surveil-
lance, that IL was cared for and per-
fectly preserved by the household serv-
ants, and that the pass was evidently
obtained as a subterfuge. To this he
received formal reply regretting that
the authorities OF Washington still
found IL necessary TO put this kind of
risk and burden on the army in the
field. but that the order emanated from
the highest authority and must be
strictly obeyed. At the bottom of the
page, however, was characteristic
line in pencil in the generals own hand:
"Not the kind that is dangerous" A
flush mounted Brant's cheeks, as IL IL
contained not only hidden but per
sonal significance. He thought of his
own wife.
Singularly enough, a day or two later,
at dinner. the conversation turned
upon the intense sectional feeling of
southern women--probably induced by
their late experiences, and Brant, at the
head of the table,. in his habitual abb
straction, was scarcely following the
somewhat excited diction OF Col
Strangeways, one of his staff. "No, sir"
reiterated the indignant warrior, take
my word for III southern woman isn't
TO be trusted on this point, whether as
sister, sweetheart, or wife. And when
she is trusted she Is bound to get the
better of a man in any OF those rela-
tions!" The dead silence that followed,
the ominous joggle OF glass at the
speakers elbow, the quick, sympathet-
tic glance that Brant instinctiyely felt
was directed TO his own face. and the
abrupt change OF subject. could not but
arrest his attention--even If he had
overlooked the speech. His face, how
ever, betrayed nothing. 1t had never
occurred To him before that his family
affairs might be known-neither had
he ever thought of keeping them Sc
cret. IL seemed so purely personal
and private misfortune--that he had
~ - "a I.
interest. And even now he was q little
ashamed OF what hc believed was his
sensitiveness TO mere CO. ventional
criticism, which, with the instinct of
proud man, he had despised.
He was not far wrong in rs sardonic
intuition of the effect OF his prohibi-
tion upon Miss Faullxner's feelings.
Certainly that young lady. when not
engaged in her mysterious occupation
OF arranging her uncle's effects, occa-
sionally was seen in the garden, and
in the woods beyond. Although her
presence was the signal for the "ob-
lique" OF any lounging shoulder
strap" or the vacant "front" OF a posted
sentry, she seemed TO regard their oc-
casional proximity with less active dis.
favor. Once when she had mounted the
wall TO gather magnolia blossom, the
chair by which she had assembled rolled
over, leaving her on the wall. At
signal from the guard room two sap
pers and miners appeared, carrying a
scaling ladder, which they placed si-
lently against the wall and rs silently
withdrew On another occasion the
same spirited young lady, whom Brant
was satisfied would have probably inn
pcriled her life under fire, in devotion
to her cause, was brought ignominious-
ly 10 bay in the field by thatmostappall-
ing of domestic nnimals-the wander
ing and untrammeled COW. Brant
could not help smiling as he heard the
quick, harsh call to turn out guard"
saw the men marched solidly with
fixed bayonets 10 the vicinity OF the af
frighted animal, who fed, leaving the
fair stranger TO walk shame facedly To
the house. He was surprised, however,
that she should have halted before his
door, and with tremulous Indignation
said:
81 thank you, sir, for your chivalrous-
htno III AAi Aihk ANithoNA'9o NOlhhh
into ridicule."
III regret, Miss Faulkner" began
Brant, gravely, that you should believe
that l am able to control the advances
of farmyard cattle as easily as" but
he stopped as he saw that the angry
fash of her blue eyes, as she darted
from him, were set in tears. a little
remorseful on the following day, he !
added n word TO his ordinary cap lift |
ing when he passed her. but she re-
tanned n reproachful silence. Later in
the day he received from her servant n
respectful request for an interview, and
was relieved TO find that she entered his |
presence with no trace of her former |
nggression-but rather with the resig- |
nation of deeply injured, yet not en-
tirely unforgiving woman.