The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-02-19

SohC Sdpt. AyLLOA . COuASC1. OAS was
already in the hop-room talking to the
latter when Claiming appeared, and
the moment she saw him, standing tall
and graceful and Indifferent in the
doorway, she grew so white that the
whole room noticed it, and she
trembled visibly. She realized her
paleness and knew that Capt. Lytton's
quick movement to. put himself be-
tween her and the watching eyes had
been unavailing.
Her own soft eyes filled as she raised
them %piteously. you see what a spec
tacle l am making of myself. / can't
help it. I've tried hard. There's
nothing for it but to go away or break
down."
Poor little girl! Come away, then"
eff you will just take me home, and
tell Dan L" she stopped, losing the
thread of her words, for Charming was
approaching.
Capt. Lytton offered her his arm.
Come quickly" he said.
Just wait a minute, please-just
till l tell Mr.. Claiming l can't stay
for our Dance"
She had flushed up and her eyes
were brilliant. She put out her hand
to Charming, drew it back, and again
stretched it forth, confusedly.
He took it and pressed it-yes, she
was SURE he pressed it, almost. "The
third you promised me, wasn't it,"
Eyes, | think So" she answered.
Capt. Lytton turned on his heel
and walked away.
At the end of the third dance, while
they strolled together up and down
the line, Claiming experimental to
see how far she would go. To his con
s%ternation he found that she would
stop at nothing short of ,%blazoning her
%infatuation from the house tops. A
scandal was not what Charming want
ed. He was very gentle with her, but
she wept and said all manner of fool
ish things, until Capt. Lytton came
upon them and tool her home.
Very soon after this the lieutenant
went on to visit his mother. She was
a Virginian, of the conventional poor
but proud order; and she lived on
what had once been the kitchen gar
den of the family estate. Quite as
often as not she was on the point of
hunger, when there was no demand for
the needlework Of her quivering old
fingers. Her son did not contribute to
her support. All Of my beggarly pay,
and more, too, goes to keep up appear
ances. My regiment is great on esprit
de corps. I'd like awfully we'll to help
you, mother. but / must hold up my
end of the row. I am a Charming"
And she. loved him all the better.
While: he was with her in the sum-
mer of 'S5, through sheer lack of ex-
element he became enamored of a
certain Anna Trafford: He asked her
to marry him--quite the last thing he
would have. expected. himself to DO
and she, being completely fascinated,
consented without even a decent
amount of hesitation. 1t was arranged
that in: the late fall she should join
Claiming at the town nearest his post,
and there be married.
In September. the unhappy Mrs. Nor
ton; having gone .hopelessly away to
another garrison, the lieutenant re-
Joined his regiment
In November, giving way ungracious-
ly enough to Anna Trafford's plead
ings, Claiming granted her permission
to join him at. tn railroad town. She
was very poor. Generally she was con-
siderate and self-sacrifcing. Now she
clamored, and would. not be quoted
until a mortgage was raised on the
wretched little house that was all in
the world her mother and crippled sis
ter owned. She bought her ticket with
the money, and ten days after the re-
ceipt of Channing's letter she was al
the maatjnp "a i