The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-04
AN ARMY COQUETTE.
BY GWENDOLEN OVERTON.

BY CIV
I'm civil life, the good old days were
at time not nearer than 50 years
apast; but III the service, a sun that
rose ten years ago shone on good
old day. There are railroads now, and
big garrisons near towns, and there are
no Indians (as good old soldiers, I'M
derstood Indians), and gambling is in
discredit, and colonels whose orders
are obscured by liquor fumes have de-
creased 9S per cent, and there are
houses with every improvement in
stead of Wall-tents and adobe hutS,
and the men have as many rights as
have fresh oysters and don't pay dol
lar q bottle for beer, and their wives
have more interesting subjects to con-
cider than each others most sacredly
private business-wherefore there is
no longer war in time of peace. Never
theless, 10, IS, 90 years ago-when all
these things We're not-was the good
old time before the service had begun
to 60 to the particular bow-wows.
This that am going to tell happened
In the good old days. 1t could not very
well happen now, because, as l say,
things have changed. At the time Bet
ty Mandeville's father was in command
at Apache and Betty was engaged to
he married TO an unusually fine fellow,
whose name is not part of the story.
He was a second lieutenant and he was
In love, with all the beautiful disregard
of the facts of life that is characteristic
OF the enamored state.
Of course the post knew of the en-
gagement before either Of the two
most interested parties did. This was
because this happened in the good old
days. For the same reason-though 1t
can occur sometimes even now-opin-
ions on the match few thick and fast
and obscured the sky of charity. They
said that the second lieutenant was
making fool of himself, which was
S. the only unkind remark he fell heir to.
But Betty Jared worse. She came of
bad strain. There were things in the
histories of both her parents that every
one knew and no one was supposed TO
know. Her father was English and had
been a jockey. He was the son OF a
concert-hall singer ard man whose
only nobility was his birth.
Miss Vaudeville, who was more
Mexican than Spanish-bore good
Castilian name which covered a multi
tude of sins.
n
vile children younger than Betty, and
all Enthusiastically favoring their
swarthy mother. They were so dirty
that they were a disgrace to the post
But Betty was tidy-as to dress-and
was blonde; fluffy, curliIy blonde
with a fine skin and innocent blue eyes
and rosebud mouth. 1t was said she
looked like an English professional
beauty; but there was no one to recog
nize the startling likeness to the CON
cert-hall grandmother. She had taste
for laces, and hosiery, and high-heeled
slippers, that may have been either Z
Spanish or theatrical inheritance. Ano
she was beautiful beyond question
with u beauty that was only skin
deep.
After she had promised to marry the
second lieutenant, Betty went down tt
Lowell to visit her aunt, who was he1
mothers sister and was the wife o
Capt. Locke. Betty knew that sh'
would en- JOY herself more if the engage
ment were kept a secret. She coult
keep it quiet, because it was in th'
good old days and news travelled slowl.
and distances were great.
Mrs. Locke was nothing to be prou'
of; but Betty, who detested her moth
er and all her mothers family, liked he
uncle we'll enough, and got along ia
mously with him despite his temper
She could herself understand how liz
with one of the FranqueIos nigh
change naturally placid disposition.
On the second day of her stay he
aunt took her to stay over night wit
Senior Franquelo in Tucson. Whic
was the beginning.
The Franquelo family was large, an
most Of it dweIt in the one house-a
atobe with the external whltewas
broken off in oddlyshaped pieces, an
built as all adobes were built in th
good old days-one story around
courtyard. There was nothing in tt
courtyard but chickens and ollas-
broken and otherwise-for the soil I
Tucson is not fertile. Outside, whe1
the narrow doorway faced upon Il
street, hardly less white under ii
burning sun than the whitened wal
that lined it, moeking-bird cage