Arizona republican., 1898-03-06
(Continued From Yesterday.)

And so when Merriam returned to Sedgwick to face the volleys of congrat- uIation and the occasional shakes of the head with which his seniors said to him: "Shes a heap too good for you, man." he could not but be aware of the trend of public sentiment, and though time and again he had said as much to her, to her parents, to himself, it must be owned that here was case where 1t was not entirely fattering to find the world of his own expressed opinion. It nettled him not little, and even Whitaker and Mrs. Hayne could not entirely comfort him. It was all very well to say: You must remember that FloI ence has been the pet of our regi- ment ever since she was born. 1 declare, it makes me jealous at times for my own babies" as Mrs. Hayne did. It was gratifying and complimentary to his taste that the commendation of his gentle fiancee was so general, but, no matter how conscious a man may be of his own shortcomings, is it ever com fort to find that all his friends are equally aware of them? It must be owned that there were moments when Merriam grew impatient of these con- ments upon his unworthiness, ex- pressed or implied, even while his heart reioiced over the enthusiastic interest displayed by all the garrison in his :. wife that was to be.
 And he was very devoted lover, too. Only twice week did the mail rider go out to the cantonment, but Randy wrote to her long, crowded pages every day, and her letters came even longer and brimful of love and sunshine and happiness. He had sent to St. Louis for her engagement ring, and her delight over it and its beauty was something delicious to see, though she properly rebuked him for his ex- tIavagance and warned him never again to spend so much money in jew eIry for her while he was yet a poor lieutenant. By and by, when he be- came great general, as surely he must, then it might be permissible, but no matter how great or distin- guished he might become, never could she be prouder of him or of his love than now, never, never!
 As the late autumn wore on it was ar ranged that the wedding should take place at Sedgwick, and both ri1ers and troopers, the -th foot and the -th horse, were to give the happy couple glorious send-off Both bride and groom-elect had seen much of ihe east and south within the ten years preced ing this of '92, and Merriam suggested southern California, Coronado Beach, Santa Barbara and Monterey for their honeymoon trip. Florence would have gone without question had he said Kam- chatka or Timbuctoo. Once-twice dur: ing the autumn long letters had reached him from Ned Parry-letters over which he pondered gravely. MT. and Mrs. McLane, said the second letter, were once more in Gotham, the vortex of a gay circle, but Mrs. Parry had de clined to go east again. He himself had not cared to go, and did not call upon the happy couple or upon their revered uncle when, as it happened, he did have to go. "Mr. Me1len has never written me since my letter to him telling him why I could not attend the wedding" wrote Parry. "Yet he and I have got to have an accounting, and in the near fu- ture, too. But first, my boy, I must look up that California story and we are to meet It may be weeks yet before I can get away. but when I do I'll wire If possible get brief furlough and join me. I'll come by way of Sedgwick, and Charlotte-will not be with us.'
 And, though Merriam soon answered that letter, he made no mention of his engagement. Cards in due form were issued in January just a fortnight be- fore the ceremony, and that was Parry first intimation of ''the impendin.. ! crisis" Charlotte was astonished Bot, were rejoiced on one account, yet bot wished, for the girls sake again. thc he had not been so precipitate. Eact believed that the old love still smoi- dered and could be famed into flame They sent beautiful gift to the bride some rare cut-glass pieces over which Florence almost cried with delight, and for the first time in long weeks Char lotte Parry wrote to her fair sister in Gotham and told her of MT. Merriam's engagement to such a charming girl, ~the only daughter of distinguished of ficer, the pride and beauty of the regi- tHC tOdSt Ol all lUe CdNulTN anu other elaborations, some of which, it must be owned, Mrs. Parry coined, but most of them she compiled and evolved from the letter Merriam wrote to her two days after he had posted the cards.
 The wedding was lovely, as army weddings usually are. The day was perfect, the music grand, the assem- blaze all that could be desired; the ceremony, despite the mist of tears in many eyes and Tremaine's manifest emotion, had gone off without jar The reception at the Haynes was sim ply perfect, as everybody said, and then, though it was a manifest "give- away of the young couple, and prob ably very bad form indeed, dozens of men and women had ridden to the june ton to meet the west-bound train and see them off; and hardly had their fond