The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-25
A WIFE'S SISTER.

Army wives generally have unmarried
sisters. These sisters always come out to
visit them, and the rest goes by itself.
Mrs. Lorrilard had an unmarried sister
She was very attractive. She was far more
attractive than Mrs. Lorrilard could have
been. The girls name was Spencer-M May
Spencer. She was IS years old, If you took
her word for it, and she was blond and
pink and white and plump. She came
from some place In Ohio, and she visited
the Lorrilards at Stanton, which Is in New
Mexico, 100 miles from the railroad, across
Dead Mans valley-there is always Dead
Mans yalley-and some steep hills and q
lava bed mile wide. II you have never
seen lava bed, you cannot appreciate
that You might try 10 imagine the ocean
dashed into fury by simoom, then fancy
Its great waves and pillows and swells
changed suddenly to dark gray brown
stone at the height of the storm, and you
may form vague idea Of what the lava
bed between Fort Stanton and the railroad
Is like
1t frightened Miss Spencer badly. The
ambulance went slipping, and sliding, and
coastlng, and humping, and bounding
over the one passable part in way that
only an ambulance conducted by driver
who has spent his life on Arizona and New
Mexico roads could possibly stand. 1t put
all the laws of centripetal force and of
equilibrium at naught. 1t and the four
mules were laws unto themselves
Miss Spencer was not accustomed to
that sort Of thing. She stood 1t as long as
she could, and then she told Major Roche
1 IN yuh Obj CHI
she meant to get out and walk She had
bothered the major good deal already,
and he was getting tired, SO he did not say
anything, but simply told the driver to
"slow up and let Miss Spencer get out
by herself.
She fell behind after moment, and the
ambulance went relentlessly on, cracking,
Tapping Its canvas, clanking its chains,
Its brake soreeching shrilly. And as 1t dis.
appeared, sometimes lost to sight In great
hollow, sometimes toiling up smooth
face Of lava Miss Spencer felt herself
abandoned indeed in New Mexico desert
under that terrible midsummer sun. The
heat was fiery, searching, parching. The
sky was like hot blue glass. She wondered
why, when the lava was hot enough to
burn her feet through the soles of her
shoes 1t did not melt or grow soft. She
kept on walking because she was afraid to
stop. Twice she slipped and fell and cut
her hands Under the porous, piled up
rock, rabbits and owls and quail were hid |
den; there were snakes, too, and lizards.
At first she was frightened when they !
scurried to her, but soon, with her head
ringing and her eyes dazed with congested
blood and her mouth open and as dry as
flour, she did not even notice them.
She reached the end of the huge rock
river at last and found the ambulance
waiting. The driver was asleep, and the
major was drinking beer. He offered her
some, and when she had drunk 1t she held
out her broad little foot
My shoes are all cut to pieces, and they
were new and awfully heavy"
You should have kept STILL" he an
swered
Now Miss Spencer wanted sympathy,
and when she didn't get it she took dis
like to the major, and because she disliked
him she eventually made him sorry
For the first fortnight of her visit she
was not pretty. She was sunburned from
her passage Of the lava sea. Her face was
red and swollen, then blotchy and lastly
peely After that she returned to the nor.
NAL pink and white She was the only girl
at the post, and there were bachelor, a
hrevet bachelor, young contract surgeon
and Major Roche's son. The bachelor off
Ger was studious-a kind that has much
faith and thinks that the great fathers in
washington will reward lieutenants who |
pass high exams and have ideas on Indi-
ans. He had no time for young women.
lie paid his one call and retired. The bre- !
vet bachelor Is peculiar to the service. His
VIE Is back east, visiting her family. He !
differs from the real article only in that
he Is ineligible. He was devoted to Miss
spencer, but he did not count. There was
also the contract surgeon. OF course he
was only contract surgeon. Still he was
tall and blond and had beguiling south
arn drawl. He fell in love with Miss Spen- |
,er.
But tho exciting part Of the story hinges
IN Major ROche's son. He was co. and he
was no use on earth. Ho was Just q boy
md never would. be anything more. He
lad tailed in everything he had ever I'M
lertaken. He couldn't even dance, and he
vas afraid of a three foot acequia when he
ode He depended on his papa for every
hing, and he thought he knew women ,,
trough and through. Probably Proyi-
lence sent Miss Spencer to show him that
10 didn't. But the ways of Providence are
and l can't be sure.
We'll, the contract surgeon fell in love .
With Miss Spencer; but, like Viola he .
lever told his love. Now, as the bachelor :
vas hidden, Miss Spencer couldn't fall in y
ove with him, and no one could have fall. J.
In love with Teddy Roche so she re-
iprocated the contract surgeon passion.
His name was andolph-Custis Ran v
olph, to match his nice blue eyes and his I
drawl. His courtship was of the II
bernally on hand sort. The life of gar. Y
son offers even greater advantages for :,
lis than that of southern town. Hewas II
18th Miss Spencer from guard mounting .
ntil long after taps. But Miss Spencer y
ined to see more of him. p
Mr. Randolph, believe you re lazy" y
"Oh, now-Miss May-why? That isn't &C
md" He gazed at the flag ON the flag. lt
aft tenderly and dwet musically on each g
ord. o.
Because" u
ut is the privilege Of a lady to give that Vi
ason," His eyes sought the tennis court al
tender, blue abstractedness. n'
WELL know you are ue
Won't you have pity on me and tell ~
Q why2' sn
" Because you never are up until almost w
lard mount"
'Oh, deah, yes, am. go over to the
spital at sick CALL you know" =
why don't ever see you them" ha
= Perhaps you have not risen yourself" GU
I'm always up at reveille"
mol Goodness Why on earth do you do m;
atp' trx
i believe you go over to the hospital cal