Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-11-25
CHAPTER VII.-CONTINUED.


For the life of him Capt. Grafton
could not but feel that he had been
tricked and deceived, and yet so plaus
ible were the explanations he could
not brush them entirely aside. At
all events he would not now require
his wife to recall the invitation,
sent and accepted. II might even be
as she claimed, that Fan loved and
clung to her as her only dear and init
mate friend, and craved her society
and sympathy now in her bereavement
and ill-health, and, though still sus-
picious and dissatisfied. he gave his re-
]uctant assent to the plan, and was On
hand at the junction to meet and WEI
come his unwelcome guest.
The Merriams had been paying holt
day visit to Floy's devoted parents at
the cantonment, and were absent from
Sedgwick while these preliminaries
were being arranged. Otherwise Graf
ton might have cast conyentionality
aside and asked Randy for the truth
about those alleged lovely times when
they were on their wedding journey;
but he could not bring himself to
write, and indeed there was no time for
letters to go and come and decide an is
sue that was already decided. 1t was
Mrs. Grafton who, two days before the
arrival of her lovely guest, broke the
news of her coming D Mr.. Merriam, and
was astonished al his reception thereof.
1t was almost sunset of one of those
soft, languorous southern days that
make even midwinter warm and CRATE
full in the lower valley of the Bravo.
Across the barren level OF the parade
the troopers were marching up from
stables in their white frocks, and send
ing long shadows striding up the oppo-
site eastward slope of the narrow can
.yon. The officers, in parties of three or
four, were stroiling homeward past the
now shaded porticoes, on many of
which, seated with their needlework or
chatting with friends, the ladies of the
garrison were awaiting the coming of
their lords or lovers-or both. The
smooth, broad walks were bright with
groups of merry children or sedately
trundled baby-carriages. Three or four
of the bigger boys were galloping their
ponies along the roadway, fresh
sprinkled by the huge water-cart. The
band that had been playing in its kiosk
in front of the line had picked up its
musie-books and gone trudging bar.
backward for change of raiment before
parade, skirtipg on the way the circular
plat of withered grass maintained a
vast expenditure of labor and water a
the foot of, the staff from whose SHIN
mering peak hung, we1-pigh motion
less, the blue and scarlet and white o.
the national flag. Northwestward tn.
distant line of the Mescalero stood blue
black against the cioudless sky. Away
to the east rolled the dun pillows O
the Tornado" il,imitable in monoton,
and range. Downward at the ford o
the San Mateo some Indian boys am
girls were jabbering shrin expostula
s. ton to the Mexican herder who wa
swearing strange oaths at his usual.
placid burros, because they had tn
good manners to shrink at the edg
of the stream wherein these children O
mature were disporting. the laughte
and screaming. even the splashing o
the water, rising distinctly on the all
Out on the mesa to the north the quar-
termaster's herd was nodding slowly
s1eepiiy homeward, powdered by adust
: cloud of its own raising. and over at tn
infantry barracks at the westward en-
of the long line scores of the men wer
already out in full dress uniform
awaiting the bugle call that should de
snsand the assembly Mrs. Grafton ha