Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-12-09

God knows how she may take It,"
Some few minutes after the little cav
alcade rode up, laughing and joking.
to the villa, all unconscious of the two
people who awaited It's arrival in sor-
rowful silence, dreading the moment
when their sad intelligence must be
made known. Maud Jocelyn sprang
from her horse and ran lightly up the
steps toward them with n laugh on her
lips. Then something in the strange
expression on the two faces that CON
fronted her froze the words of merry
greeting on her tongue.
"O my dear! my dearl' Mrs. Tailyour
said pitlfully, taking her by the hand
and drawing her away.
80, what is 1t, Mrs. Tallyour? What
has happened? Gerald!-ls he ill2-tell
me quickly; you have heard bad news"
Maud stammered In terrific accents.
"Yes, dear child, there is bad news;
be brayew and the elder woman led the
girl quickly away to her own room.
There. later, n voice walled forth in
anguish, Gerald, my love! Gerald
| o, cannot bear tit is not true. Deadl
my dear love. Dead! Gerald, husband.
Lying dead while rode laughing and
| jesting across the desert?"
Then the thought of their last words
together flashed across her mind; she
seemed to see again the proud, hand
some face. and hear again that plead
ing, earnest voice, Can l trust you,
Maudie? Promise me-
And she had spurned his warning;
had refused his last request and set her
whims in defiance of his feelings and
wishes. As she rode by the side of
Lord Perceval that day on the banks
of the canal, she had listened with
pleased vanity to his whispered words
of admiration; words which conveyed
to her mind the roue's worship of her
beauty, and Mt the same time insisted
that such beauty was wasted on the
grave and serious-mlnded soldier who
was engrossed, heart and SOUL in his
profession. She had listened without
protest to Lord Perceval's thinly yelled
sneers at her absent husband; she had
been dlsloyal, n traitress in her passiv-
| ity false In word, If not In deed, to the
brave and tender heart which beat with
such true and passionate love for her.
That evening, outside the railway sta
ton, a detachment of soldiers awaited,
in melancholy silence, the coming of
the train which was conveying to them
the body of their dead officer and com
rade, whom they had all respected and
admired. Close by, the gun carriage
was standing on which Gerald Jocelyn
was to make his last journey to the
cemetery ON the hillside mile away; i;
and alta few yards distance n closed car
rlage was drawn up in which sat Mrs.
Tailyour holding in mute sympathy the
hand of the girl widow, who, white and
fearless, leaned back beside her, i'm
movable In calm despair. She had
scarcely spoken since she recovered
from the deep swoon into which she
had fallen after hearing of her hus-
bands death, had only announced her
determination to bid him last fare
well beside his grave.
Capt. Ferguson was standing near
the carriage and whispered to Mrs
Tailyour that the train was signaled; !;
then he withdrew from her sight inside
the station. Putting and painting, the
train swept in; there was a strange
silence for few seconds, followed by
muffled murmur of voices, the sol
diers bent forward eagerly, and a mes
sage was passed down their line from
one to another accompanied by looks
of amazed surprise Mrs. Tailyour
pressed her companions hand tighter
the terrible moment had arrived-how
would the girl face it? Was it possible
that she possessed sufficient strength of
mind and body for the horrible ordeal
which she had set herself?
Then Mrs. Tailyour saw Capt. Fer
guson emerge from the station with a
dazed look of CONSERVATION on his face,
the result evidently of great and over
powering emotion.
He came hurriedly toward them,
making signs to Mrs. Tailyour, which
she failed to understand.
HAS 1t not Gomez she whispered to
him as he approached.
There has been mistake" he muir
mured in reply; and Maud-though ap-
parently unaware of what was passing
around her-caught his words, her face
woke to animation, she leaned for
ward, saying:
"a mistake! He has not come! o, tell
me quickly, can bear it, he is not dead,
he is alive-I see it on your face; for
PHYS sake don't keep me in suspense
let me out-I must go to him."
She was struggling to open the door
when some one put Capt. Ferguson
quietly aside, and then with a loud cry
Maud sprang past Mrs. Tailyour and
fell sobbing on her husbands breast.
Yes. there had been mistake. Ger
aid was alive, though not uninjured
for he carried one arm in a sling. and
n bandage round his head accentuated
the startling pallor Of his face.
Two words omitted in the telegram
that day explained the mystery of his