The Advocate and news., 1898-11-09

with his regiment awhile. Ray would
not be an acceptable sOh.in-law. He
has no money and too many fascina.
tions, and there ara both the Corliss
girls, you know, to be provided for, and
Miranda is already passe, and Ray has
resigned the place, and the place 10 va
can't for--wOuld you believe it?--they
say the general rendered it to Barclay,
and Barclay declined Why, when we
were al at Mcpherson there wasn't
Anything satiriCal the COrlisses didn't
say about Barclay, and now that he has
money they bow down to and worship
him. Something Mrs. Pelham
wouldn't do for the world, said Mrs.
Brooks to herself, with an odd smile.
"And when the general was asked about
it yesterday he couldn't deny having
made the offer, but said the reason Cap.
tain Barclay declined was that he would
very probably resign in a few weeks,
his business interests being such as to
render it necessary for him to leave the
army. So, my dear, you won't have the
millionaire in Texas, after all, and /
fancy how deeply Laura Winn will be
disappointed. No matter how much she
cares for her husband, she wouldn't be
her mothers daughter if she didn't try
to fascinate him over again"
Fancy the comfort Of having such a
letter as that to read to an appreciative
audience Mrs. Brooks fed with it to
Mrs, Frazier, who thought it ought not
to be read-it was too like Dorothy Pei.
ham for anything. But Mrs. Brooks
took and read it to neighbors who were
chatting and sewing together and had
no such scruples. And that night it was
dribbling about the post that Barclay
had decided to resign, had refused a de-
tail ON the staff Of General Corliss. Some
body else would get Ned Lawrence's
troop, Brooks heaved a sigh and said
to himself he was glad Of it, and the
women heaved q sigh and wished he
might have come, if only for a little
while, just to make things interesting.
"It would be such novelty to have a
millionaire mine owner in garrison and
actually doing duty as a captain Of cav
airy" Finally they began to wonder
what Mrs. Winn would say now, she
having had nothing at all to say.
That very evening it Ohanced to oc-
cur to Mr.. Hodge that he had not re-
turned Lieutenant Winn's call (by
card, the cavalryman having dropped
in when he knew the new arrival TO
have dropped out), and when Hodge
presented himself at the Winns' (he
had spoken of his intention at mess in
the presence and hearing of the negro
attendant, who had mentioned it with.
out delay to the Winns' colored combi.
nation of cook and serving maid, who
had come over to borrow q cup of cook
ing sherry, it being too far to the sut.
ler's, and that damsel had duly notified
her mistress of the intended honor) he
was shown into the dimly lighted army
sitting room, where, toasting her feet
before the fire, sat dreaming the young
mistress of the establishment, who start
ed up in apparent surprise. She had
heard neither the step nor the ring.
Very possibly she was dozing, she adj
mitted, for baby was sleeping aloft and
her husband was gone. She was attired
in silken gown that Hodge described
somewhat later at the majors as 'puf
fickly stunnirg''-a garment that re
vealed the rich curves of her beautiful
throat and neck and arms. Women whC
heard wondered why she should b,
that most becoming cvenln;
robe when there was not even II hop
She looked handsomer than the gown
said Hodge, as she rose aud greeted him,
her cheeks flushed, her eyes languOrOus
and smoldering at first, then growing |
slowly brilliant. She apologized for the |
absence of Mr.. Winn. He was spending |
much time at the office inst now. "He |