Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-03-09

una llTuSt III III MS, pocket, AateSle
watching him with furtive eyes, yet
never trusting herself to n question.
1t was Esther who eagerly demanded
news of their absent friend. ooh, yes,
he's getting better" Floyd admitted,
but then faltered. When was he COM
ing? Oh, Lambert didn't say. The
doctors probably wouldn't let him
travel just yet, The letter was main
ly about-othcr matters-about Col.
Sweet, who didn't seem to be doing
MS well as they could wish. His wife
was OF the way to join him. Didn't
Lambert send any word or message?
No. lie probably wrote in a hurry.
And that night Miss Katesie sat with
her dimpled chin buried in her pref
ty round arms, gazing long out upon
the flashing waters, n sad, silent and
deeply troubled girl. There was some
thing in that letter that concerned her;
and how disagreeablc she had been to
Lambert! and she just knew it! and
Floyd was mean and wouldn't tell her!
AT least this was the burden of her
song when at two o'clock in the morn
ing she threw herself sobbing into
Esther's loving arms, and Esther,
soothing and smiling softly to her
sell, thought she could soon find means
to comfort her.
That week brought other letters, and
q telegram to Floyd, and he had bust
ness in New Orleans and must go over
for a day. Lambert was coming on
from Texas, md he'd fetch him back
with him. Everybody could see he was
feverishly impatient to get away, and
q sad smile flickcred about the moth
er's pale lips as she laid her hand in
blessing on his hend. He went by the
morning boat and fastened to the
leyee where the steamers of the Crom-
well line came in from New York. Hc
was there hours before the Crescent
came blowing her way up the swollen
and turbid river; and before she was
sighted at English Turn, who should
appear but Lieut.. Waring and the gen.
erals aide-de-camp who had come ia
see him during his brief confinement
under guard! Floyd, though in civil
ian dress, had promptly sprung to his
feet to salute them, but they recognized
him instantly and heartily shook his
hand and congratulated him on his re-
covery and on the honors he had won.
And then it transpired that he. too,
had come to see if he could be of serv-
ice to Mrs. Sweet, and Maring suddenly
bethought him of a story he had heard
about the Quitman days. A fellow of
infinite tact was Warning when he chose
to be, and, after q few words of cordial
greeting to the fair passengers, he
winked at his comrade, the aide
de-camp, rs he said he must hasten
back to battery duty. And SO. even
when the sergeant would have defer
entially fallen to the rear, it was that
distinguished non.commissioned Off
Ger who gave his arm to the younger
of the two ladies in response to War
ing's calm "Mr. Walton will take charge
of Miss Sweet" and while the mother
was led away to the waiting carriage
by the staff officer, well knowing that
the mothcr-made engagement was at
an end, the daughters little hand
slipped trembling upon his arm. What
happened in the elysium of that two
minutes threading of a dusty, crowded,
freight-heaped wharf was not con-
fesscd by either until two long years
after. The ladies went on to Calves
ton that night, and Walton's face was
radiant when, two days later, he came
back home; and then he could have
hated himself for his selfishness when
he saw Esther.
"Why, where's Mr.. Lambert?" was
her startled query, as she met him ut
the gate. Only the moment before us
they saw the boat spiashing away from
the pier had Katesie, with madly beat
ing heart, run from her side to battle
her flushed cheeks and hide in her room
until she heard his voice on the veranda
and the first greetings were over, and
then she would summon up all her
snucy spirit and go tripping down to
meet him with due no%nchnlance and
levity. She had planned it all, poor
child, rehcarscd the little comedy time
and again. and was steeling herself TO
act her coquettish role, when her Sis
ter's words and Floyd's reply fell upon
her astounded ears:
"He had to go straight on home. His
mother is ILL.,"
And not until her did Katesie Wal.
ton know that she, too, "had surreu-
dered."
All things come to him-or her-whc
knows how to wait; even an absent
lover, even the era of peace and good
will between estrangcd and warning
sections, even the end of q long story
Another year rolled by on clogging
wheels and wrought many changes
throughout the sunny south. A daunt.
less spirit had drifted from this to o
better world. Reverent hands laid tho
wasted form of the lady mother under
the grand old live oaks close to thf
"shining shore" and the Walton house
hold, grieving, yet glad that the long
years of suffering were ended, gave up
against his vehement protest, the ref
nge which the beneficence of a strange,
had afforded their beloved in her de
Ginning days The sisters went with
Scroggs to his new home in Texas
where n pioneer railway company had
rendered him employment. Here Floyd
sergeant who gratefully declined tho
offer of influential men to procure his
discharge, saying that he meant Il
serve every hour of his enlistment
Here, within hail of the cavalry trum,
pets and sight of the national flag
there often came 10 spend the day d
fair-faced girl. a northern blonde, the
very antitype to Katesie's southern