The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-01-16

He spoke with angry emphasis, and
afterward there was an ominous silence
between them for some moments. 1t
was at last broken by the girl saying
with passionate reproach:
"Oh, it is cruel of you, Gerald, to
speak to me like this, to want to quarrel
with me in these our last moments to-
gether; to leave me with angry words
upon your lips, making me so unhappy"
hands went up to cover the tear-laden
eyes. In a moment he was at her side,
all the severity had vanished from his
face, and with his arms around her he
was murmuring in pleading accents
the words of penitence and love which
made his peace for him before he left
her.
A week had ;sed since Gerald Joce-
Ign had babe /. : well to his young wife
and started OF is journey through the
desert to join the troops in advance.
The still, blue heat of an Egyptian day
brooded over the quiet villa, which from
its lack of sign or sound of life seemed
to be prolonging its mid day siesta into
the evening hours. The clatter of hoofs
outside aroused the attention of the
solitary inhabitant of the veranda, a
middle-aged woman, whose strongly
marked features and keen dark eyes
proclaimed her a person of intelligence
| and decided character. She threw aside
the book she was reading, and advanced
toward the flight of steps where the
rider, an artillery officer, was already
dismounting from his horse. AS he
caught sight of her, the dark cloud of
sorrowful anxiety which hung over his
countenance was visibly lightened.
"Ah, Mrs. Tailyour, / am indeed
thankful to see you! You are the very
person who can help me-" he cried.
Anything wrong, Capt. FergusonT'
she asked, eagerly, as he joined her in the
shade. Then taking in the details of his
horses heaving sides and his own heated
and worn appearance, she added, with
increased apprehension: You have
ridden fast-no bad news I trust?"
"Yes, very bad news; the worst, as
| far as / am concerned! Poor Jocelyn-
my greatest friend, as you l<now-such
q good sort he was. 1 never was SO
cut up about anything in my whole
life."
He sank beside her on seat with the
air of detected melancholy, and passed
his hand YEARLY across his brow.
| HAS there been a skirmish already?"
Mrs. Tailyour asked, breathlessly. II
did not know any fighting was expect
ed yet; the colonel reported all quiet
in his last; is poor Maj. Jocelyn wound
ed?"
HE is dead, poor fellow! There has
been no fighting; but it was an acct
dent-with one of the guns, imagine,
but the telegram only said: Accident.
Jocelyn killed; meet train tonight.
That is all 1 know"
*Good God!" Mrs. Tailyour ex-
claimed. Gerald Jocelyn killed. How
shocking! 1 am terribly grieved. His
poor young wife! only married six
months!" The tears rose in her eyes
as she spoke.
Eyes, his wife!" Capt. Ferguson an
swered, anxiously. II rode out at once
hoping to find you here and that you
would kindly break the news to Mrs
Jocelyn and relieve me of the painful
responsibility. / have not the courage
to do it, though don't suppose she
will feel it much"
He spoke with some bitterness, and
Mrs. Tailyour answered him quickly.
."You misunderstood her-indeed you
do, Capt. Ferguson. Poor child! poor
pretty child! she is but child, after
all. The shock will be enough to kill
her; a thoughtless, frivolous creature
size may be, but believe her love fol
Gerald is genuine and far deeper thar
anyone suspected, deeper even than she
herself is aware"
"She has curious way of showing it
then, / must confess" Capt. Ferguson
replied, with acerbity. II never liked
her, you know that, Mrs. Tailyour. A
brainless, selfish coquette without {
spark of real feeling for anyone bu
herself. / am sure pitied poor Jocelyr
for the life she led him last winter il
Cairo, flirting with every man she met
And then that poor fellow Cumming
shooting himself, that was a horrit
business. However, this will sober hel
II anything will. Where is she now?"
"She is out riding with Lord Perez
val; they started soon after breakfas
and may return at any moment"
"That fellow Perceval! Brute!
wonder Jocelyn did not put his foo
down there" Capt. Ferguson frownet
and relapsed into gloomy silence.
"See that little cloud of dust. That i
their party, no doubt"
Mrs. Tailyour pointed to the distan
undulating line in the desert. II drea'
this business! Poor little soul, she j
not of the stuff for bearing troubl
we'll. God knows how she may take it.
Some few minutes later the littl
cavalcade rode up, laughing, and joking
40 tho villa oil rpcopcciouc If tho wv