The Worthington advance., 1897-01-21
expected himself 70 do-and she, being

It was arranged that in the late fall she
should join Charming 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 o
Jael, the brow of Madonna, and q
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 esun-blastedp 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-
" 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-sacri6cing. Now she
clamored. and would not be quieted un-
til a 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 eeting-place-alone.
She spent a day and two nights in
the mean little depot hotel, very nearly
out 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-
graphcd 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.
It was horrible experience for the Of
ficer. 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 q 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. Thelieutenanthad
been dead 20 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.
'sIs the poor thing crazy? 2" she asked,
duly, of Mrs Channing.
:. mo. But she was not married to
him. Only she was to nave been mor-
ried at Santa Maria, two or three days
ago; forget when. He sent for her."
"That can't be true, because I am his
wife,"
Mrs. Claiming caught at the bedpost
with her shriveled old hand. "Non.
sense!" she said.
"Indeed, it is true. Aren't you his
mother?" She put her arm tenderlv
about the bent shoulders. II thought
you were. You look like him. He and
I were married last night at midnight.
when they told us he was going to de-
"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
It was cruel. but Mrs. Claiming had
gone mad.
For five years afterward COL Rosa
cared for the insane mother of his
daughters husband even when his
daughter was dead.
But until Charming was buried in tha
graveyard on the hill, where thecoyotes
dug up the mounds at night, and the
prairie dogs barked ehrilly, 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
ensnared on his death-bed; the wife.
that he had never loved the childish.
pretty Virginian. Yet neither-out of
pity-spoke 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
ss they marched by outside. following
The young officers fag-covered coffin.
Then there was long, long silence.
They were wide apart-the wife witt,
her beautiful head in her hands; tho
girl, looking straight at the wall; the
old woman muttering and scratching at
her gown with her crooked fingers.
At last came the sound of q far-on
volley of m,tsketry. The girl jumpe.!
up. "What's that?''
''The firing over his grave"
In moment it came again. The girl
stood swaying. The wife sat with her
head still bowed. It was no new sound
to her.