The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-24
DECEIVERS EVER.

first lieutenant, Ninth cavalry, died so
long ago that most Of his story is for.
gotten, although it was u very great
wonder at the time. Everybody connect
ed with it is dead also--his mother and
The other two women-and so many
hrst iieutenants have filled his place
since then that no ones heast is likely
to be wounded by repeating it.
he was II superb great fellow-as all
the men i'll his regiment wcap said to DO
IN those days.-of tho big, blond and
Dave typo, knowing neither fear nor
Failure, md his fascination was some
thing that hes become tradition in the
service. So many girls-aye, and mar
red women, too--had loved him thar,
the shores'upon which he had touched
vera strewn with wrecks.
Tho hearts of all those women had
been broken, actually broken, not inst
dontad ~ little, as is usually the cnsa il,
such affairs. THEN Dives were openly
ruined, yet Charming kept himself free
of blame. No ono could say "hc,should
hot have done thus or so;'' he never
committed himself; ho never acted in !.
compromising fashion in the presence
OF u third person. But the women who
nun Insanely on into the tessr. of disil-
ius'on, following the elusive pillars of
the smoke of his words and tho fire of
ms looks, noTsa' again passed beyond
Into the land OF content across the viii
dcrness. They 'despised themselves in
that pitiful fashion that women have.
but they loved him always for such is
'the way of their kind
1t had been his good fortune to have,
dealings only'with women who cither,
thought Of him alone, forgetting them
selves, OF wash those too gentle to de-
inounce him. Then, too, Siu had managed
well there was never anydefnite proof
But III tho early summer of 1855 the
pitcher that had been carried 30 times
to the we'll narrowly escaped being
broken.
The bride CT Captain Morton, having
seen fit, with duo encouragement, to
fall Ill lov1with him, threatened to he
come unmanageable She was Il most
wonderfully attractive, feminine little
thing, but she was neither of the self
lmmolating nor of the conccaling sort.
Having lost her heart, she lost her head
ana Charming was i'll much tunger, OF
having his methods exposed.
His captain advised him. "Channing.
you'd better take II leave and get ont
for % btu
"Why?'
well, it's II delicate subject, but
Morton g; an old friend of mine, and L
don want to see his wife disgrace him.
But what haveH done? | am ;ls, in
nocent asa baby, and besides, fhinI.
YOU arc .IuiStaken -
1--WE all eXonerate you It's nut,your
fault, but In not mistaken. lt's,evi-
dent to.thc whole post Take my advice
and go see your mother, like dutiful
son.
Charming was tiattcIcd, but he MAS
also frightened; nevertheless, he was
undecided.
There was Il hop thar sanlo night.
Mrs. Morton was there. and it waa her
actions that determined Claiming to
take Captain Lytton's counsel. She was
already i'll the hQproom talking ~ the
latter when Charming appeared, ami the
moment. she saw him, Standing taR and
graceful, and indifferent in the doorway.
she grew so white. that the whole room
noticed st, and she trembled visibIy.
She realized her paleness and knew that
Captain Mytton' 8 quick movement TO
put himself between her and the watch
ing eyes,had been unavailing.
Her own soft eyes filed as she raised
them piteously. "You see what spee
tacle Am making OF myself can't
help Ii. I've tried hard. There's moth
ing for it but to go away or break
down
"Poor little girl! Come away, them
IF you will just take mo home and
tell Dan u She stopped losing the
thread of her words, for Charming was
approaching.
Captain Lytton offered her his arm.
"Come quickly he said
"Justtyait Il minute, please-.just till
tell Mr.. Charming eau t stay for our
dance.
She had flushed up, and her eyes were
brilliant. She put out her hand to Chan
ming, drew it back and again stretched
it forth confusedly.
Ho took it and pressed it-yes, she
was sure he pressed it almost. 1.-The
third you promised me, wasn't it?''
Yes, [ think so,' She answered.
Captain Lytton turned gu his heoa
and walked away.
AT the end of tho third dance, while
they strolled together up and down the
line, Charming experimental to sec how
far she would 60 TO his CONSERVATION,
he found that sho would stop at nothing
short of blazoning her insatuatiDn from
the house tops. a scandal was not what
Charming wanted. He was very gentle
with her, but she wept and said ali man