Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-02-12
AN ARMY COQuETTE.
by owExDoLEs ovEnroS.


rose ten years ago sbone- on good
ald day. There are railroads now. and
big garrisons near towns, and there are
no Indians las good old solliers. uu-
derstood lndiansl, and gambling is in
and colonies whose orders
are obscured by liquor fumes have de-
cncsSsed 9s per cent, and there are
houses with every improvement in
stead OF wall-ients and nLobe hu;S,
aud the men have as many rights gs
women in Wyoming, and the od.cers.
have fresh oysters and don't pay dol
lar u bottle for beer. und their wives
bave more interesting Subjects TO con- |
eitler than each others most sacrcdiy ,
private business wherefore there is ,
no longer war in time OF peace. Never /
theless, 10, Is. 20 years ngo-whcn all
these things were not-was the good
old time before the service had begun
TO 90 10 the particular bow-wows,
Thisthat ann going toteiI happened
in the good old days. IT could not very
well happen now, because. as ! say.
things have changed. At the time Bet
ty Mandevillc's father WAS in command
at Apache and Betty was engaged To
be married 10 an unusually fine fcl.ow.
whose name is not part of the story
lie was q second lieutenant and he was
in love. with all the beautiful disregard
OF the facts OF life that is characteristic
OF the enamored state.
or course the post knew OF tho en-
gagemcnt before either Of the tw"
most interested parties did. This was
because this happened in the good old
days For the same renson-though II
can occur sometimes even now-opin-
| ions on the match few thick and fast
and obscured the sky OF charity. They
sald that the second lieutenant waS
making fool OF himself. wh oh was
the only unlind remark hc fell her tc
But Betty Jared worse. She came -
a bad strain. There were things in the
histories OF both her parents tha, every
one knew and no one WIS supposed To
know. Her father was English and had
been n jockey. lie was tho son Of n
Concert-hall singer and "A man whose
only nobility was his birth.
Miss Vaudeville. who was more
Mexican than Spanish-6ore good
Castilian name which covered n multi
tu,le of sins.
There were any number Of Mandc
vile children younger than Betty. ana
all Enthusiastically favoring their
swarthy mother. They were SO dirty
that they were disgrace to the roSt.
Rut Tlctty wns tidy-as To dress--an'i
VAS blonde; huiiily. curlily blnni"'
with fine skin and innocent blue eyes
and a rosebud mouth. II was said she
looked like an English prcfessioral
beauty; but there was no ore Ia rccoy'
t:ize the startling likeness to the con-
cert.hall grandmother. She had taste
for laces. and hosiery, and high-hceled
slippers. that may have been either q
Stanish or theatrical Inheritance. And
she wns beautiful beyond q question
with a beauty that was only skin
deep.
After she had promised To marry the
second lieutenant, Betty went down t'
Lowell TO visit her aunt. who was hei
mothers sister and was the wife O
Cant. Locke. Betty knew that sh'
would enjoy herself more il the engage
ment were kept secret. She coui'
keep il quiet. because IL was in th
good old days and news Travelled slowl
and distances were great.
On the second day OF her stay hc
aunt took her to stay over night wit
Senior Franquelo in Tucson Whic
was the beginning.
The Franquelo family was large. an
most of it dNelt in the one house II
adobe with the external whitewas
broken OF in oddly-shaped pieces. ap
built as all adobes were built In I'll
good old days--one story around
courtyard. There was nothing in Il
: courtyard but chickens and olias-
broken ard otheIvvise-for the soil
Tucson is not fertile. Outside. whe
the narrow doorway faced upon I'll
street, hardly less white under I!
burning sun than the wh:tened wal
that lined it. mockins-bird cage
willow hung against the house. with
red chile stuck between it's bars.
was the first time Betty had been und
the ancestral roof.
Besides her .grandmos sher. who v
more unpleasant than the aunis. the
were many cousins. male and fcpa
or these. fwo-second cousins-were
love. They were Carlos and Ines.
less than fen minutes Carlos had {
serted black-browed Ines and was l;'
gushing AT Betty with his two soft ey'
Ines was openly wretched. Carlos oPe
" infatuated. Betty openly hrtr
Eut Carlos did not know that.
Betty and her aunt went back
+, Lowell the next dsv. and the same ev'
~ ing Carlos rode over 10 The post I o
her.
t0t There were sis officers calling
~ Miss Vaudeville. so Carlos sat ais
and sulked; bat he outstayed taem
- When ahey had gone. alters supper
canned oyster stew and tatpaies.
dew his chair close beside the sofa
N,u which Betty was half refining.
wy do you !ike doze oofIeoeers
ter dan me-" he asked her.
. Il don't" said Betty; They're
- bore"
do you moot, truly?"
| "Ot course don't: ho,T could T.?
Il Carlos was not accustomed 10 l;eti
Ike. and. as even those Lo should h
known better. bad believed her. b+ca
of her round. blue eyes. lac was no
~ l. hio md fo,. i,iS faith .sNoiid