The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-01-23

Morton returned to Silver City, bring
ing with him his mother and the little
Norwegian Apache" what change
of heart and surrender of hearts! In
stead of an angular, awkward young
person, possessed of points that might
make her, when developed, beauty
of the lilly" type, behold a petite young
woman, with wealth of pale-golden
hair, beautiful eyes and teeth, COM
plexion of roses and cream, decidedly
vigorous constitution which called for
lots of horseback riding and other out
door exercises.
OF course Horton was persona grata
at the post, having been stationed there
during the major portion of his brief
term of service as lieutenant; where
fore the wives and daughters of the gar
rison strove to outvie each other in their
attentions to his beautiful little pro-
tege, suffering themselves, on her ac-
count, to listen to his mothers long
dissertations on pedigrees, especially
that of the Horizons. Asa general thing,
the female contingent of garrison So
ciety does it's Scst to discourage ''out-
siders," as being likely to prevent the
capture, in due form, Of what it cor
siders it's own legitimate prey. But in
this instance it was different-for
wasn't it possible that this merry
young stranger might captivate and
marry some penniless subaltern, there
by leaving the field open for some
spinster sister to ensnare the very ELI
gible and decidedly wealthy Horton?
Decidedly so; and upon this basis the
campaign went on, much to the evil
dent amusement of Olga, who, with
womanly intuition and knowledge of
the ways of women far beyond her
years, put two and two together and
told Horton it was all very funny.
Fancy those army frumps, Jack, being
jealous of me-poor me! Jack" this
with mock solemnity), "are you in love
with me?"
"Olga, I wish you would not talk in
that frivolous manner. 1t isn't like
you-and you should have enough con-
side alton for me to believe those peo-
pie sincere in their attentions" And
Horton turned away with panied look,
but Olga's arms were around his neck
and her face was close to his, as, with
wet eyes, she whispered:
"Jack, dear. have hurt your
eyes, you have, dear. Please don't
speak of my friends again in that way"
he said, disengaging her arms.
Olga's mouth dropped, and there was
a piteous look in her eyes as she re-
piled:
II won't, John" Then, with a sudden
kiss, she walked away as though she
intended to go to her room for big,
feminine cry; but she didn't. A half
hour later found her at the piano try
ing to MARBLE a Mexican song while
she fondled the cat with one hand and
picked out the accompaniment with the
other.
Horton stood in the gallery for some
seconds, her parting kiss burning upon
his cheek, her pathetic face as she left
him still before his minds eye.
'I'm an old brute!" he told himself.
"a man of my age" Che was 2s) "talk-
ing to buoyant, irrepressible child in
that manner, merely because am sup
posed to be her guardianl Jack, you
old scoundrel, you ought to be ashamed
of yourself!"
If there was male person in south
western New Mexico who did not fall
down and worship that '1ittle Nor
wegian Apache" he failed, probably
through fear, to declare himself; but,
of all the love-stricken young idiots
that ever commanded first platoon
with credit in times of peace and in
times of war, and fell ignobly before the
initial onslaught of the little fellow
with the arrows of love, Mr.. Dandy, of
the Nth, was the bell mule.
With him Olga's affair was serious-to
the younglieutenant He had all but neg
lected his duties to be at her side when
she and Mrs. Horton were stopping at
the post; and, even in his infatuation,
almost compromised her by falling in
with one of her mad fancies one day
when he had obtained leave of absence
and riding with her unchaperoned to
Lordsburg and back, returning at dead
of night.
For this Horton took both of them
seriously. to task, as soon as he learned
Of the affair, as he did the evening fol-
lowing through his shocked and dis
tressed mother, who rode into town in
an army ambulance in order to tell
him.
To Dandy, whom he found in his
bachelors quarters, he said, in his low
est, quietest tones:
dan, il it were almost anyone but
you, if / didn't know you for gentle
man, I'd punch your head and call you
out beside. But for Olga's sake"
Perhaps you couldn't punch my head,
Jack, interrupted his friend, calmly,
mot if I were present. But let's say
| nothing more. and--it shan't happen