The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-01-21
CHAPTER llIs

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more of the lady Of his love. Late that
dreadful night, rousing for few mo-
ments from the stupor into which she
had been thrown by the announcement
that it was her own brother who lay
there downstricken in the midst Of his
career of crime and shame, Ellis Far
rar, little by little, realized the whole
miserable truth, that he, her brother,
was the man who had wrecked Helen
Daunton's life-Helen, who, to spare
that invalid mother an added sorrow,
had hidden from her the name of the
man whose brutal blows and curses had
rewarded her love.
More than all did Ellis realize that
the lover, whose loyalty and devotion
she herself had repaid with scorn and
contempt, had suffered her words in
silence rather than betray another wo-
mans confidence and thereby divulge
truth that would overwhelm with shame
all who bore the name of Farrar. Then
it was that, Historically weeping, she
broke down utterly, and before the set
ting of another sun the mother and all
the household learned from her lips that
it was all that was left of Royle Farrar
that now lay there, cold and stiff and
still in that bare, echoing ward Of the
old hospital, awaiting the last volleys
and the solemn trumpet salutation to
the soldier dead.
Only corporal's guard formed the
firing party when, just before shutdown,
the remains Of Private Graice were laid
in the bleak, snow covered cemetery out
on the rolling prairie, but more than
dozen men in the crowded garrison
knew by that time that the folds Of the
flag were draped over the mortal re-
mains of a colonel's son.
It was an awestricken group that
gathered about the hospital when the
bearers came forth with their burden
and placed it in the waiting ambulance
and the firing squad presented arms.
The idea of the recreant, the would b..
murderer, Tom Graice, being buried
with military honors had not occurred
to the garrison as a possibility. Yet
here was the little escort; here were the
trumpeters-the band had been merci-
fully excused; here were pallbearers
from his troop instead of from among
the garrison prisoners, as might have
been ruled when one of their number
died; here were old Terry Rorke and
some of the senior sergeants Of the regi-
| ment here indeed, with pallid face, was
young Lieutenant Farrar with him Mr..
| Ormsby, the adjutant, quartermaster,
| the surgeon and one or two veteran cap
tains, Major Wayne and even Colonel
Fenton himself! Whoever heard of such
an array as that attending the obesequies
of criminal? Fort Frayne was mysti-
fed and talked of it for hours, but the
story told itself before tattoo, and the
mystery was done.
| They had buried the firstborn of the
colonel whom all men loved and honored
and mourned, and old Fenton himself
decided that, as Graice had never yet
been tried and convicted and could new
er appear before an earthly tribunal,
he must be considered as innocent and
SO issued the order that 40 military
honor should be denied except the band.
It was too bitterly cold for them to at
tempt to play, for the valves of the in
struments would freeze at once, and it
was deemed best that no sound of the
dirge music should reach the ears of
Marjorie Farrar. Neither she nor Ellis
knew when the funeral took place,
Mrs. Farrar learning only Oh the fol-
lowing day, Ellis not until weeks there
after, for. as a result of all the long,
gradual strain, eliminating in the shock
of that tragic night and the realization
of the wrong she had done the honest
man who had 50 loved her, her strength
gave way, and brain fever and delirium
supervened. In the week that followed
that hapless holiday Ellis lowered on
the borderland 'twixt life and death.
and no man could say that the fatal
Christmastide might not claim still an
other Of the Farrars
And that week was one of woe to poor
Jack Ormsby. He haunted the neighbor-
hood of the Farrars; he hung about the
gateway, impOrtuning the doctor, the
colonel, Kitty, Will, anybody, for It'd
ings of the girl he loved. His fine,.alert,
intelligent face was clouded with the
dread and sorrow that overcame him.
He could not see Mrs. Farrar-she rare
~ moved from her stricken daughter S
side-but twice he saw and talked with
Helen, and once, with her, walked out
to visit the new made grave. All that
week the shadows cast by the glare of
the guardhouse flames seemed to wrap
Fort Frayne in gloom. and people gazed
upon the black ruins only with shud-
der.
The Indians, ever superstitious, had
professed to see the hand Of the Great
Spirit in the clouds, pointing remorse-
lessly at the spot and warning them of
further wrath to come as consequence
of the unavenged murder of a chief
tain's son. Cowboys and hustlers, an
gered against the garrison because it
had interposed between them and their
purposed punishment Of Big Road s
band, saw here capital opportunity of
embroiling the red men with their
white defenders. By dozens, in SILVER
ing silence, wrapped in their blankets
and seated on their scraggy ponies, the
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