Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-02-08


should join Claiming at the town near
est his post, and there be married.
In September, the unhappy Mrs. Nor
ton having gone hopelessly away to an
other garrison, the lieutenant rejoined
his regiment. He mentioned the fact
of his engagement to no one, but pro-
ceeded promptly to lure on another
woman, girl of gorgeous beauty, hot
blooded brunette, with the eyes of
Jael the brow of Madonna, and a
sensitive, well-made mouth. She was
the only daughter of Col. Ross, mother
less, and betrothed to one Lieut.. Haw-
thorne, who had loved her since they
had been babies making mud-pies to-
gether on the sun-blasted parade-ground
of Camp Thomas. She broke her en-
| gagement, and she broke young Haw-
thorne's heart; but her own turn was
TO come.
In November, giving way ungracious-
ly enough to Anna Trafford's pleadings,
Charming granted her permission to
Join him at the railroad town. She was
very poor. Generally she was consid-
crate and self-sacrificing. Now she
2lamored, and would not be quieted un-
til 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
receipt of Channing's letter she was at
the neutrality-suspicious..
She spent day and two nights in
the mean little depot hotel, very nearly
put of her mind with loneliness, fright,
and at last an acknowledged distrust.
Then Channing's mother arrived, and
an officer met them with an ambulance.
Charming was dying of fever, the
mother told her. The doctor had tele-
graphed for her, without her sons
knowledge, the day after the girl had
left the village. Then Anna re-
preached herself for her suspicious
with unreasoning bitterness.
The drive TO the post took two days
1t was a horrible experience for the Of
fcer. The road stretched on, on, on,
across desert and bad lands, where
even the greasewood and mesquite was
burned by the terrible sun. The old
woman sank from the dust and the
heat into an almost senseless state.
The girl, being young and strong and
alive, fought with the strangling dust,
gasped, twisted her small hands, and
bit her lips in a perfectly silent strug-
gle. Sometimes, as the lieutenant sat
opposite them, he wished that they
could cry or make a sound.
The beautiful daughter of Col. Ross
was standing by Channing's bed alone,
when the doctor led the mother and her
young companion in. The elieutenanth had
been dead 90 minutes. The dark-eyed
woman did not turn, she had forgotten
everything in all the world, save only
Channing's face. When the southern
girl dropped down at the bedside and
screamed for her husband, she started.
"Is the poor thing crazy?" she asked,
DULY, of Mrs. Claiming.
"No. But she was not married to
! him. Only she was to have been mar
| red at Santa Maria, two or three days
ago; l forget when, He sent for her."
THAT can't be true, because am his
wife"
Mrs. Charming caught at the bedpost
With her shriveled old hand "Non
fense!" she said.
"Indeed, it is true. Aren't you his
mother" She put her arm tenderly
about the bent shoulders. 81 thought
YOU were. You look like him. He and
I were married last night at midnight,
when they told us he was going to die"
"Anna! Come away, Anna You've
no right there, Get up. This girls his
wife. He didn't love you. He married
her. He married her-last night"
1t was cruel, but Mrs. Charming had
gone mad.
For five years afterward CO.. Ross
cared for the insane mother of his
daughters husbnnd-even when his
daughter was dead.
But until Claiming was buried in tha
graveyard on the hill, where the coyotes
dug up the mounds at night, and the
prairie dogs baTked shrilly, and the
snakes glided along the dry, baked
earth into their holes-until he was
buried there the two women stayed by
her Their trust in the dead man never
faltered. The girl Believed he had been
Hnsnared on his death-bed; the wife.
hat he had never loved the childish
pretty Virginian Yet neither--out of
nity-spolte her convictions.
Watching over his mother they sat in
the room where he had died, and lis
tened to the thud of the soldiers feet
MS they marched by outside, following
he young officers fag-covered coffin.
Then there was long, long silence
They were wide apart-the wife with
her beautiful head in her hands; the
Firl, looking stra ,ght at the wall; the
old woman muttering and scratching at
her gown with her crooked fingers.
At last came the sound of a far-or
tolley of musketry The girl jumped
up. "What's that?"
"The firing over his grave"
In a moment it came again. The girl
stood swaying. The wife sat with her
nead still bowed. It was no new sound
10 her.
A pause-then the last volIey. The
tirl fell, and the woman, lifting her