The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-17

AN ARMY WIFE
M CAPTAIN cEAsLss xzys. o.

-
- - ios any many And ~ xn> xr,gs. xse
y 70 open the dress sne Rad besss wear
as s1F Hancy's benefit The f.Sssx az IA
sytsAa skirt. che OF Mrs. HAVE. rt.n
a4ax sheE in Chicago. were tossss In r~rk-
disorder upos TIE Snowy coysrssr a.
1s PED. ana her preclo9s iockes--E ansay' |.
-. a. sacfsniy ancsasree frcu,
,,s....,. n1, waite throat sn1 in al tho
snmast In her soul sfs heard no so.,ss4 -
.hs sudden stir and aorue a. the wuart
sac nsser knew that there sas no
faithful 10 his watch along the rear
- onlcrrs' row. 20 take % and pas. On
the SURFING. rszssursEg cry that no army
sis eAn hear wsinoss rejoicing or rnsss
we'll" AS
The dawn was breaking ever the far
tornado. and turning the distant s,uzas-
s"ees sH-o gold when the Hil9ers rolled away
cnscsrs and men. barring shs band ara
company Ike. ~ Sedxxlck." a. lAs cav
ny war department order q few years
years ago Companies I and X Of zach
regiment OF Infantry were s-sksIetonlxsds'
% transfer OF their men to other conn
yAhass. isasins tsose two merely paper
commands just Al Company O. has
1e~o for years The asFsssse lille Of Inc
guard mouse prfsonsrx. 50 does Company
iks eexin 20 appear - . name for The
o<feAssd and fsseudiesa commands re-
ferred TO-
airy trampeter remarked to the gunner
when they were going out to stir the
echoes with their rsveiile. only shese 81
seoswsek. and one ssAlSarf old captain
with lis devoted hAIf-nundTed. Tr~ma.le,
SUI doing duty At the eansonmeat--fond
lonely old father. whose heart Was wrap
ped up IN that one child. yet could Rot
deny asr 10 the man abe loved so we'll
oeoxwiek was beginning 10 yawn aaa
sfir. The night owls In the canyons were
GootlnR back to their nests. dismayed by
the howhnxs Of the human niSht
owls lacking norne 10 duty. already half
Tegrsffui OF the whisky wasted. while be-
fore them was that remorseless wrath 10
como the cooks were axtir In the bar
racks. and nimy smoks-yeils were sailing
straight aioft from the cnimneys of half
q dozen company kitchens. Already. TOO,
the household servants along the row of
cavalry officers quarters. that whlea
backed to the south, were lighting their
little morning blaxes, for Sedgwick lay
beyond range and anthracite. Ia the good
old days Of twenty years before. the cock
taii. not coffee. was the necessary prelude
to reyeiils and morning xtables. Now.
with the wisdom that comes long after thu
war. only ease-nardened, red-nosed fur
rowed-cheeked. bandy-lexged old dragons
ever dreamed OF drink at that hour OF
leap from sleep 10 NE; the Inner cavalry
man Graves the juice OF Mocha and mocks
at rye. From every set of cavalry quar-
tiers then the kitchen chimney sent aioft
Its feathery plume. with one exception
q subaltern's house well over toward the
western end of the row: and toward the
gate thereof. edging away from the ribald
AFOREMENTIONED OF the main road and
stunning stoildly across the Mesa. Hop Ling
was making his rapid way. Fan-tan had
gone against him. and but for his hands
his pockets were empty. Hop bore with
him an air of depression. and was followed
by a faint fragrance a. Of msndragora-
His bieary little eyes we're searching fur
lively along that line Of fence aad stables
for the CLEAN Of the sentry's carbine and
cap ornaments. He must place that
Waterman Of the night and know his
ground before he entered post 'Spose thu
officer of the guard had happened TO meet
him during the night 'Spose somebody sick.
''Spose Misse Meiiium she wantse chow
chowg" Bang the morning gun roared
Its lusty summons to be up and doing
and skulking coyotes squatted lower as
they sneaked away from the outlying
quarters, no chicken the richer, and the
guard turned out with twenty additions
to Company . and more siill a-comlng;
and the telegraph Instrument in the
tttt N . tAhNt 0ckAp ~
Lalurrup-Ialurrap." and the soldier
operator. washing his face In tin basin
outside glanced up and said. You Be-
damnedl You always call when I'm
washing. Whatn helis up nowT" and
had 10 drop abiutions ard. wringing his
hands as he ran. to answer the sharp.
inssstent summons. and as he listened
his face grew keed and excited. and.
checking the rapid clicking OF the key
"a rei n aynxxzv
clerk in the adjoining office. "Biily-auick;
Tumble up and see II Lieut.. Merrlams
back I've a message for him" and then
clicked and listened and noted again.
but tho reveiila was ehirruplng its merry
music, and the sweet, cool. morning air
rang with the melody. and the troopers
were tumblins out from the barracks.
and ever across the parade officers cams
stalking forth from their doorways, for
the --ih were sticklers about morning
stables and roll call: and. most proml-
nent figure of all. ssrcaEng across the
mesa with pigtaiis and paiamas a-fyinx.
with his feit-bottoned boots fairly fash
irg. with fisrinS eyes. dlstended for once
at least with mad appeal and dread in
every feature and shriii distress in his
ehattering tones. came Hop Ling. straight
for the guard house and shrteking for
Medium"
A new officer OF the guard. a seowlirg
and unresronsive man. turned from his
survey OF tho array Of grinning prisoners.
forgetting their own troubles in the con-
temptation of Hops srotesque misery. and
this new official. Whitaker by name.
sterniy shouted stop your Internal noise.
you clapPer-tawed heather. What the
devils the matterT'
''Melliumi Mellium!" was all poor Hop
could pant.
sMr. Merriam isn't here" said Whitaker
maieSticaily.
''oh-wha he goner-Allsse MelIiun gone.
She gone Msn,on--sIlce gouer'
"whewl" said Whitaker. Sergeant.
take charge OF the guard. I've got TO so
up 10 Capt Grsfiou's and report this.
Coma on with ras. you heather" asd for
retf,li Of the officer Of the day and only
too ready 10 visit Grafton's and eask IN
der that window. the lieutenant FASTENED
away. Hop obediently and hopefully fos-
lowing Matters weren't 50 bad perhaps.
then. after all. thought he Odd thouga
the freak might be, his master and mis-
tress might possibly have trotted away
together for a very early morning ride
and would seon Se hack demanding break
fast.
Rut Grafton was out tn an instant. ami
together ala the three hasten 20 the pretty
nest which Randy had 50 proudly fur
nlshea fer his bride. Hop ushered them TO
the dark. empty rarfor. thea TO the empty
rooms ahovN
There on tho ruEnpied bel. tas, where
Ssa had thrown them. were the garments
x>sov had hastily discarded There on the
dressing taels were toilet articles In Wild
ai-arrsy. shes heard in some way CO
hts orders to chase those damned sreas-
eYs i" saia Whitaker salieniy- lie. who
hated the name Of Fanny Hayward a
wear gene by for having mtet MS fenesst
s~sana row weil-nsrh hated him eecsuss
-. women soagh, hiri again. and Whit
.aker knew 10.