The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-24
channing." And sho loved him all tho

CltcHeHt III UeCCll0 C0nmOr6G Oh GER
tain Anna Trafford. He asked her to
marry him, quite the last thing no would
have expected himself to do-and she,
being completely fascinated, consented
without even "a decent amount of hest
tation. 1t was arranged that in the late
fall sho should join Charming at tho
town nearest his post and there be mar
ried.
LII September, the unhappy Mrs. Nor
ton having gone hopelessly away to an.
other garrison, the lieutenant rejoined
his regiment. He mentioned tho fact of
his engagement to no one, but proceeded
promptly to lure on another woman, n
girl OF gorgeous beauty, hot blooded
brunette. with the eyes of Jael, the
brow OF Madonna, and sensitive,
we'll mado mouth. She was tho only
daughter of Colonel Ross, motherlcss
and betrothed to one Lieutenant Haw-
thorne, who had loved her since they
had been babies making mud pies to.
gether OH the sun blasted parade ground
OF Camp Thomas. She broke her ell
gagement, and she broke young Haw-
thorno's heart. But her own turn was to
come.
In November giving way ungracious.
~ enough to Anna Trafford S pleadings,
Claiming granted hec permission to
join him ut the railrom9 town. She was
very poor. Generally she was consider
ate and self sacrificing. Now she clam
ored and wCuld rot 30 quoted until u
mortgage WAS raised on tho wretched
little house that WIS all in the world
her mother and crippled sister owned.
Sho bought her ticket with tho money.
and ten days after tho receipt Of Chan
ning's lotter she was ut the meeting
placc-alOnc.
She spent day and two nights III
tho moan little depot hotel, very nearly
out of her mind with loneliness, fright
and mt last IN acknowledged distrust
Then 'Channings mother arrived, anu
an officer met them with an am bulance
Channing was dying of fever, tho
mother told her. The doctor had tele-
igraphed for her without her sons knowi-
edge the day after the girl had left the
village. Then Anna reproached herself
for her suspicious with unlpnsoninu hit
terness.
The drive to the post took two DAYS
twas horrible experience for the Off
Ger. Tho road stretched on, OIL, on,
across desert and bad lands, where oven
the greasewood and mesquite was burn
ed by the terrible sun. The old woman
sank from the dust and the hoat into All
almost sensclcss state. The girl, being
Young and strong and alive, fought with
the struggling dust, gnsped. twisted her
small hands and bit into her lips i'll a
perfectly silent struggle. Sometimes, as
tho lieutenant sat opposite them he
wished TINT they woul9 CRY or make
some sound.
The beautiful daughrer of Colonel
Rosswas standing by Uhnnning's bed
alone when the doctor led the mother
and her young companion i'll. The lieu-
tenant had been dead 90 minutes. The
dark eyed woman did moi turn. She had
forgotten everything i'll all the word
save only Channing's face. When the
southern girl dropped down at the bed
side'and screamed for he, husband, size
started.
is the poor thing crazy" she asked
duly of Mrs. Charming.
mo. But she WAS not married to
him. Only She was to have been mar
red at Santa Marin two OF three, DAYS
age-l forget when. He sent for her.
That can't be true, because am his
Wife
Mrs. Charming caught ut the bedpost
with her Slrivclcd old 1and. Non
scnsc!' she said
Indeed it is true Aren't you his
40
about the bent shoulders. II thought
you We're. You look like him. He and
were married last night at midnight
when they told us lie 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 ha.l
gone mad.
For five years afterwnri Colonel Ross;
cared for the insane mother Of his.
daughters husband-sTen when his
daughter was dead.
But until Charming was buried i'll the
graveyard OH the hill, where tho coyotes
dug up the mounds at night, and tho
prairie dogs barkcd shrilly, and the
snakes Guided along the dry, baked earth
INTO their holes-until he was buried
there the two women staid .,y her
Their trnat i'll the dead man never fall
tered. The girl believed he had been
'ensnared 'on his deathbad, the wife
that he had never loved the childish.
pretty Virginian. Yet neither, out of
iPlty, spoke her convictions.
Watching ornr I,;, ,.,n+i,o,. 4l,.. 49,
III the room Where he had died almi lis
tened to the thud of the soldiers feet
as they marched by outside, following