The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-02-20

you. mother, but l must hold up my
end OF the row. am a Channipg.'
And she loved him all the better.
While he was with her In the SUM
mer OF SO. through sheer lack OF ex-
element he became enamored OF q
certain Anna Trafford He asked her
to marry hlm-quiie the last thing he
would have expected himself TO do
and she. being completely fascinated
consented without even decent
amount OF heailalion. II was arranged
that In the late fall she should Join
Charming at the town nearest his post,
and there be married.
la September ths unhappy Mrs. Nor
ton. having gone hopelessly away TO
another garrison. the lieutenant re-
Joined his regiment
In November. giving way ungracious-
~ enough 70 Anna Traffords plead
lngs. Claiming granted her permission
TO Join him at IN railroad town. sho
was very poor Generally she was con-
siderate and seli-sscrlhclng. Now sho
elamorod. and would not be quieted
until mortgage was raised on tho
wretehed 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-
eeipi OF Channlng's letter she was at
the meeting place-alons.
She spent a day and two nights in
the mean little depot hotel. very near
" out Of her mind with loneliness.
fright and at last an acknowledged
dlstrust Then Channing's mother ar
rived. and an officer met them with
an ambulance.
a fever. the mother told her. The doc
tor had ielographed for her. withou,
her soa's knowledge. the day after the
girl had left the village. Then Anna
reproaehed herself for her suspicious
With unreasonlng bitterness.
Tho drive TO the post took two days
u was a horrible experience for the
officer The read stretched on. on and
on. across desert and bad lands. whera
even the CROSSWORD aud mesquite
we're burned by the terrible sun. The
The beautiful daughter Of Col. Ross
Vas Standing by Channing's bed. alone.
when the doctor led the mother and
her young companion In. The l.euten-
ant had been dead twenty minutes.
Tho dagk-,yel woman dld not turn:
she had forgotten everything On all
the world save only ChannlnE's face.
When The southern girl dropped down
A. 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 Sas TO have been mar.
risd At Santa Maria two or three days
ago; ] forge, ghen. He sent Tor her"
THAT can't BE- true. because am
bis wife
Mrs. Claiming caught At the bcdpost
With her shriyeled old hand. Non.
sense" she said.
Indeed. Il Is true. Aren't you hla
mother She put her arm tsndsrly
about the bent shouldsrA Il thouEht
you were. You look like him. lie ana
! were married last night At midnight.
whsn thcy told u, he was going TO dIe."
Anna Cone away. Anna! You've
no right there Get up. This girls bis
wife. lie didn't love you. lie married
her. He married her-last night"
Il was cruel. but Mrs. Claiming had
gone mad
For i've years af,erwcrd Col Raas
cared for the insane mother OF h.s
daughters husbani-eyon when his
daughter was dead.
hut rntl Claiming was buried In
the graveyard on the hin. where the
coyotes dug up the mounds a. night
and the prair.e-dogs barked shrlliy.
and the snakes glided along the dry.
baked earth .nto their holes-until be
vas buried there. the two women staid
by her Their trust In the dead man
never ALTERED The girl believed he
had been ensaarcd on his death-bed:
the wife that he had never loved the
childish. pretty Nirginian. YET neither
Gu; Of n.iy-spoke her convictions.
Watching over his mother. they sat
In the room where he had died and /
listened TO the ihud OF the soldiers |
feet ss they marched by outside. fol- /
lowing the young officers aag-covered /
COIN. Then there was long. long
silence. They were wide apart--the /
vie. with her beautiful head In her
hands the glrl. looking straight al
The wall. the old woman. mutiering
and scratching az her gown with her
crooked fingers
Al last came the sound Of a far-oR |
volley OF musketry. The girl Jumped /
NJ. whats that"
The hiring over hia grave"
In moment u came again. The /
girl stood swaying. the wife sat with |
her head s,ii bowed Il was no new
sound TO her
A pause-,hen the last volley. The
sin fell. and the woman. lifting her
head. s,ared stupidity at the pretty. /
dead face. a. the ayed. childish eyes.
that still looked hurt. while the moth. |
er muttercd In the corner and taps
shrillsd from the huEle over the grave
Of the man they had loved San Fran.
cisco Argonaut