The Somerset reporter., 1897-01-14

promptly to lure on another woman,
girl of gorgeous beauty. Ia hot blooded
brunette, with the eyes of Jael the
brow of Madonna. and sensitive.
we'll made mouth She was the only
daughter OF Colonel Ross, motherlcgs
and betrothed to one Lieutenant Haw
thorne, who had loved her since they
had been babies making mud pies 10.
gether on the sun blasted parade ground
of Camp Thomas. She broke Ter ell
gagen.out, and she broke young Haw-
thornp'o heart But her oNn turn " as TO
COME
In November giving way ungraeious-
~ enough to Anna Trafford s pIeadings,
Claiming granted her permission to
join him at the railroad town. She was
ve1y poor. Generally she was consider
ate and self sacrificing Now she clam
ored and would not be quieted until
mortgage was raised on the wretehed
little house that was all IN the world
her mother and crippled sister owned.
She bought her ticket with the money,
and ten days after the receipt Of Chan
ning's letter she was ut the meeting
place-alOne.
She spent day and two nights in
the mean little depot hotel, very nearly
out Of her mind with Loneliness, fright
and at last an acknowledged dislrust
Then Channing's mother arrived, and
an officer met them with an ambulance.
Claiming WAS dying Of a fever, tho
mother told her. The doctor had tele-
=.
edge the day alter the gil had left tie
village Then Anna repfoachcd hetseH
for her suspicious with unreasonlng bit
terness.
The drive to the post took tive days
1t was horrible experience for the oil
Ger. The road stretched ON, on, on,
across desert and bad lands, whore even
the greasewood and mesquite was burn
ed by the terrible sun. The old wGmaD
sank from The dust and the heat Tito an
almost sCnselesS state. The girl, Icing
young and strong and alive, fought with
the strangling dust, gasped, twisted hel
small hands and bit into her lips i'll
perfectly silent struggle Sometimes, as
the lieutenant sat opposite them, he
wished that they would cry or make
some sound
Tie beautiful daughter Of Colonel
Ross was standing by Channing's bed
alone when the doctor led the mother
and her young companion in The lieu.
tenant had been dead 20 minutes. The
dark eyed woman did not turn. She had
forgotten everything III all the world
save only Channlng's face When the
southern girl dropped down at the bed.
side and screamed for her husband, Sic
started.
Is the poor thing crazy" she asked
duly of Mrs. Charming.
mo, But she was not married tC
him Only she was to have been mar.
ried at Santa Maria two or three days
ago--I forget when. He sent for her.
THAT can't be true, because am his
wife. "
Mrs Charming caught at the bedpost
with her shriveled old hand. Non.
seDser' she said.
Indeed it is true. Aren't you his
mother?' She put her arm tenderly
about the bent shoulders. II thought
you were. You look like him. He and
| were married last night at midnight,
when they told us he was going to die. ?"
ANIMAL Come away, Anna! You We
no right there. Get up. This girls his
wife He didn't love you. He married
her. He married her-last night "
1t was cruel, but Mrs Claiming had
gone mad.
For five years afterward Colonel Ross
cared for the insane mother of his
daughters husband-even when his
daughter was dead.
But until Charming was buried in tbs
graveya ard on the hill, where the coyotes
dug up the mounds at night, and the
prairie dogs barked shiily, and the
snakes pllded along the dry, baked earth
into their holes-until he was buried
there the two women staid by her.
Their trust in the dead man never fal.
tered. The girl believed he had been
ensnared ON his deathbed, the wife
that he had never loved the childish,
pretty Nireinian. Yet neither, out OF
pity, spoke her convictions.
Watching over his mother, they sat
III the room where he had died and lis
tened to the thud of the soldiers feet
as they marched by outside, following
the young officers flag covered coffin.
Then there was long, long silence.
They were wide apalt-the wife with
her beautiful head IN her hands, the
girl looking straight at the wall, the
old woman muttcrlng and scratching at
her gown with her crooked fingers.
At last came the sound of farofi
volley of musketry. The girl jumped
up. What that
"The firing over his grave. ~
IN moment it came again. The girl
stood swaylug; the wife sat with her
head still bowed 1t Was no new sound
to her.
a pause-lhen the last yoloy. The
girl fen, and the woman, lifting her
head, stared stupidity al the pretty, dead
face, at the liked, cmldisheyCs that still
looked hurt, while the mother muttertd
in the corner and taps SMILED from the
bugle over the grave Of the man they
had loved. -GWendulm Oyerton IN san
Francisco Argonaut
The End OF Books.
What brings about the end Of bookst
Is It fire, water. worms As every ship
launched is bound to be wrecked, every
theater to be burned, the fms of the
book is its reduction to ashes What be