The Delta independent., 1898-06-17

-rnereupon Miss Maynard IN tones OF
deep dismay calculated, "Oh, Ronald"
and lapsed into a silence indicative Of
unspeakable woe, leaving Kim no al
Tentative but to demand the reason for
her strangely significant conduct. No
little urging accomplished the object.
1t required strong persuasion apparent
ly to induce the woman to tell what she
knew, or believed she knew, concerning
Nathalie Baird, but when onos the ice
was broken there was no stint to the
swift torrents of her accusations.
1t gave her infinite pain, she declared,
to have to say ono word against girl
who was orphaned, homeless and, but
for Mrs Barry. practically friendless,
but duty to her brother and the good
name their father had given them
prompted her to tho task. Shy aud pure
and innocent as Miss Baird might look,
there was cloud over her name and
character. She was carrying on clan
destine correspondence and holding Sc
cret meetings in the dead of night with
man, a total stranger to the garrison.
For a moment Maynard could not
speak. His face, pallid through illness
and suffering, took on u shade of gray
that intensified its ghestly hue. His sis
ter looked upon him in astonishment
and in fright. "Ronald," she cried. ~
did not know-I did not dream it could
mean SO much to your'
'It doesn't mean" he interrupted,
finding husky voice at last. Then each
word seemed to come like tho crack of
whip - sharp. swapping, tone that
never in his life had she heard from his
lips before. "It doesn't mean, for I
don't believed id word of itr'
Shocked and stunned, the woman was
sor the moment silenced. Never since
childhood days had he braved her.
Taught by his soldier father the most
scrupulous courtesy and gentleness to
women in general. his mother and elder
ulster in particular, punished promptly
il in boyish temper he raised hand or
voice against either, he had passed from
the jurisdiction of that mother to that
Of the sister a. unopposing as though
her sway for all time were unquestioned,
and Grace, womanlike. had accepted his
submission a. her just due, had found
him yielding - ever 70 her dominion
when he returned 10 hse On cadet fur.
Tough and hardly less % when, with
bgoadsned shoaldsrs and In stalwart
maphpoA and heistling mustachs, the
young graduate oame onCe more to the
peaceful Mohawk village before joining
his regiment in the far west. She bad
looked upon him rs her own to guide
and mold and direct A. she had guided
and directed his toddling footsteps She
had never known him to oppose his will,
his plans, to hers.
She recalled how when, only three
weeks before it was time for him to
Etart for Wyoming, he came in all eager
ness one day to say that Wharton. Ives
and Draper Of his class were to sport
their new uniforms for the first time at
the Twenty eighth hop" (the ball
given by the cadets on the 2sth Of Au-
gust annually at West Point and had
written for him to join them, and he
was wild to go, she had glanced at Ger
trude Bonner sitting patiently in the
zine shaded porch Of the old homestead
and bade him hold his reply until she
could have opportunity to speak with
him alone. How submissively, how af-
fectionately, he had yielded to her brief
argument. How entirely he seemed to
be swayed by her wish. How utterly for
years had the brother been her vassal-
"hers to command indeed. How in
definitely might she not have counted
on the continuance of her queendom had
not another woman stepped upon the
threshold Of her throne. Not only to
her, to the sister who had been his
guide and guardian, 10, theso many
years, did he owe allegiance now, but in
the Jealous love Of power and possession
burning in the woman's breast she had
come to regard 1t as her right to say to
whom her princeling should tender,
when the time came, the heart and hand
that she had held in fancy as only hers
to bestow.
And he had dared to look with eyes
Of love upon another, and now had
dared to say to her that not one word
would he believe of her aspersion of the
girl he lovedi 1t stung her to quick re-
sentiment, to one supreme effort to re-
gain her old ascendency. Far down the
row toward the east front the slender
form Of the fair young girl could be
seen. She Lad well nigh reached the end
Of the walk. 1t was too early for the
band, too coon after the midday meal
for the ladies to appear upon the piaz-
Eas Only few children were chasing
about the gray green carpet Of the pa
fade, only . few nursemaids and baby
carriages were visible, lazily trundling
along the sunlit path. Not . man was
IN eight about the great quadrangle.
The barracks were silent and deserted.
The guard maintained over the few
general prisoners had been drawn with
In the wooden prison. Grace Maynard
was alone with her brother, weakened
- he was BY wounds and suffering and
ms.tal wory. and 10 might be her last
opportunity.