The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-04-09
A SISTER.
BY GwENDOLEN ovERTON.

Army wives generally have unmar-
Tied sisters. These sisters always come
out TO visit them, and tine rest goes 10y it,
self.
Mrs. Lorrilard had an unmarried sis
ter. She WAS very attractive She was
lar more attractive than Mrs. Dorrilard
ever could have oeen. The girls name
was Spencer-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
come place in Ohio, and she visited the
Lorrilards at Stanton-whichi is in New
MEXICO, 100 miles from the railroad,
across Dead Mans valley CthePe is al
ways a Dead Mans Valley and some
steep hills and a lava bed a mile wide.
II you have never seen lava led, you
cannot-app-eciate that. You might try
to imagine the ocean lashed into fury
10y a simeon, then fancy its great waves
and pillows and swells changed sud
denly to dark gray-bTOwn stone at the
height of the storm. and you may form
n vague idea of what the lava bed be
tween Fort Stanton and the railroad is
like.
1t frightened Miss Spencer badly
ing, and coasting. and humping. and
bounding over the one paSsabic part.
in way that only an ambulance con
Quoted by driver who has sp5 Mt his life
on Arizona and New Mexico roads could
possibly stand. 1t put all the laws of
ccntripetal force and of equilibrium a
namght. 1t and the four mules were
laws unto themselves
MISS Spencer was not accustomed to
that sort of thing. She stood II as long
as she could. and then she told Mai
Hochc-in whose charge she was travel
inC-that she meant TO get out and walk
She had bothered the ma iur a good deal
already, and he was getting tired. so
he did not say anything, but simply
told the driver to ''sloyv up and let Miss
Spencer get out by herself
She fell behind after moment, and
the ambulance went relentlesslV on
Crealling. Tapping its canvas. clankinc
Its chains. its brake Screeching shrilly
And as IL disappeared. sometimes lost To
sight in a great hollow. sometimes toll
ing up a smooth face of lava. Miss Spen-
Ger felt herself abandoned. indeed. in
a New Mexico desert un,lnr that terrible
midsummer sun. The heat was fiery.
sccrching, parchIng. The sky was like
lot blue glass. She wondered why
when the lava was hot enough 10 burn
her feet through :he soleS Of her shoes.
I 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.
pil"d-up rock. rabbits and owls and
quail were hidden; there We're snakes.
TOO and lizards. Vt first sne was
frightened when they scurricd by her.
h1it Soon- with her head ringing and
her eyes dazed with congested blood
Hnd her mouth open and "a dry as flour.
Sfe 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 of
Tered her some. and when she had drunk
she heid out her broad little foot.
My shoes are all cut TO pieces. and
hey were new and awfulIy heavy"
lou shonld have kept still" he an
Swered.
Now, Miss Spencer wanted s,mnatby.
and when she didn't get il she took dis
ike 10 the major; aud because she dis
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 bIotchy.
and lastly peely. After that she r,,-
turned to the normal pink and white
She was the only girl at the post. and
there was bachelor. a brevet bachelor.
a young contract surgeon. and Mai.
Roche's SON The bachelor officer was
studious-the kind that have much faith
and think that the great fathers in
Washington Will reward lieutenants
who pass high exams. and have ideas on
Indians. He had no time for Young
women. He paid his one call and re-
tired The brevet bachelor is peculiar
To the service. His wife 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 a contract surgeon. Still. he was
tall and blond and had a beguilipg
southern drawl. He fell in love with
Miss Spencer.
But the exciting part of the story
hinges on Ma ]. Eoche's son. He was 90.
bat he was of no use on earth. He was
just boy. and never would be anything
more. He had failed in everything he
had ever undertaken. He couldn't even
dance. and he was afraid of n three-foOt
acequia when he rode. He depended
ON his papa for everything. and he
thought he knew women through and
through. Providence sent Miss Spen-
Ger to SHOW him that he didn't-but
the ways OF Providence are inScrutahle,
aud | can't be sure.
Well. the con tract surgeon fell in love
with Miss Spencer. but, like Viola, he
never told his love. Now. as the bach
el0r was hidden. Miss Spencer couldn't
fall in love with him. and no one could
have fallen in love with Teddy Roche,
so she reciprocated the contract sur
geon's passion
His name was Randolph -Custis
Randolph. to match his nice blue eyes
and his charming drawl. His courtship
was of the eetRrnaIly-on-hand sort. The
life of garrison offers even greater ad-
vantages for this than that of a south
ern town. He was with Miss Spencer
from guard mounting until long after
taps But Miss Spencer pined to see
more of him.
MIR. Randolph. believe you're lazyl''
''0h. now-Miss May-why? That
isn't kind" He gazed at the flag on the
ila@ staff tenderly, and dwelt musically
Oh each word
Because"
..It is the privilege of a lady To give