Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-10-12
A WILL AND THE WAY

Existence under the guardianship Of
some one who is doing his duty by you
is not an unmixed pleasure. Miss Brad
ford's sister, Mrs. Gallatin, was doing
her duty by Miss Bradford The former
was not at all pretty. The latter was
very, very pretty, which is SO much
more charming than being very, very
beautiful. But Mrs. Gallatin was mar
ried and Miss Bradford was not This
came Of the fact that Mrs. Gallatin had
visited at Fort Preble and had captured
an unfedged lieutenant by maneuvering
and miracle, and that Miss Bradford
had spent her 81 years in small Maine
town
Boys in the village had been in love
with Bessie Bradford, but she had not
been in love with them, and she had,
moreover, decent appreciation Of her
own value and knew she was far too
good for such as they. There had been a
college youth, also, once, but he and
she had quarreled before the end of his
summer visit. And now Bessie was one
and-twenty, and the family worried. It
worried itself into a state where even
the raising of mortgage on the home
did not seem too great a thing, if it
would but insure her marriage. With
the money thus obtained she was sent
across the continent with instructions
to get herself welded before she came
back. Those things are treated as bust
ness in New England hamlets. She was
told to marry general if she could. If
not, anything, down to a second lieu
tenant
Lieutenant and Mrs Gallatin lived
in the building known as the Corral. If
the Corral were in the city, it would be
called tenement. But Uncle Sam does
not quarter his officers in tenements
The Gallatins were cramped for room
very cramped. They had three children
and second lieutenant's pay, so they
were poor. Therefore taking Miss Brad
ford in was not a pleasure 1t was du-
ty, and Mrs. Gallatin would not have
been New Highlander if she had not
done her duty.
But Bessie felt the unpleasantness of
the situation the very day Of her arrival.
Captain Soutter is going to take
you to the hop this evening, Bess, !" Mrs.
Gallatin said. Bessie was cutting paper
bird cages for her niece. Mrs. Gallatin
was mending pinafore.
Give promised to go with Mr.. Mil
ford" answered Miss Bradford, stop
ping and looking up from the scissors.
''Mr who?"
''Mr Milford Colonel Milford's son,
who lives in St. Louis -
"Where have you met him?" The
chin" warned Bessie that she was run
ming on rocks
"On the train. We got acquainted.
He's in business in st. Louis, and he's
coming to visit his people because he's
in bad health. He is a very nice man. y
"Man! He must be about 20. A per-
feet boy! And his business is being a
briefess barrister. Now, let me tell you
one thing, Bessie. You must learn from
the first that the civilian son of all off
Ger is nobody at all in garrison. You
will hurt your chances badly with the
officers by going with him. How did he
know there was to be hop?'
Bessie finished opening the cage, gave
it to her niece with kiss, gathered the
scraps Of paper in her hand and threw
them into the wastebasket, clasped her
fingers behind her curly brown head
and answered leisurely: "He didn't
know there was to be one tonight He
asked me to 60 to the first one there
should be after our arrival"
Mrs. Galiatin thought how very,
very pretty Bessie was and wondered il
her husband contrasted them
"He probably will never think of il
again. Captain Soutter is going to call
to ask you this afternoon, and you'd
better accept"
"Can one go with two men out here
-antenuptially?''
Don't DO vulgar. You needn't con-
slider the Milford boy
ooh, but I must, Genevieve, you
know. I promised" Miss Bradford's
big gray eyes were guilelessly earnest.
"I've no doubt that pose is taking
with the men, but you can't make YOU
devotion to promises succeed with me-
dear. I know you too we'll I can't re-
member that they worried you with the
boys at home. "
'This promise don't worry me; moi
little bit.
"Well,~I should suggest that you
take my advice and be less f1ippant.
Recollect that you were not sent way
out here to flirt with penniless civil.
ians and small boys"
IF I forget, remind me, will you
I'll make you a little red silk flag, il
you like. can make flags I made one
for fair at home once. You might
draw it from your bosom and wave il
when you see me about to run off the
track you have all SO kindly and labo
riously laid for me to run on. I'll teach
you the signals Mr.. Milford and
studied them from the back Of oul
sleeper l think there's some one at the
door, sister dearie. 4"
It was Captain Soutter, come to form
alize the hop arrangements He wal
obviously very glad that he had come
For Miss Bradford was pretty -extraor'
dinarily pretty.
II am happy in being near neigh.
Dor Of yours, Miss Bradford, +" he told
her. He forgot, as men will, how otter
4 4 = ~ - -.