The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-09

free, glorying in the upland breeze til
rare and exhilarating atmosphere, til
radiant sunshine and her own exuberan
strength and vitality. "How that cir
could dance il she only would dance!
said Mr.. Tommy Hollis, whose highes
idea OF garrison life was german ever
week and hop every night
Up at Winthrop all the officers wer
married, and, this being her first cxpe
rienco in army life, Nathalie was YER
shy and constrained. She thought bot
men and women frivolous in the OK
treme, utterly lacking in that serious
meditatlve quality which at her hom
was accepted as evidence of religion
nature and reasonable hone of ulti
mate salvation. Elder Pease, she wa
sure, would have comprehensive,
stamped thom all, except perhaps Mrs
Barry and possibly the major, as car
nal. But she was physically in sor1
of state Of transition then, being still
angular and sallow for the first few
weeks and only slowly evolving into The
lilylike beauty that manifested itself al
Russell. She had had no one to inter.
rupt her prairie tramps at Winthrop.
But here at Russell q new world
burst upon her astonished vision. Here
sho found herself followed sought,
waylaid by three or four very presenta-
bic and pleasant youpg men in most be-
coming uniforms-''reg imentals, she
called them, as she had learned to in
her far New England homeland all
the Purstanism in the world was not
proof against the woman latent in her
Do what she could to shame it, beat it
down, abjnre it as "carnal and world
ly, " this homage was sweet to her fresh
girlish heart. Tt made her doliciously
happy in spite Of herself. She tried to
overcome it by dressing in still more
soniber shades and styles at first, but
her kind friend and protector protested.
Mrs. Barry told her clnphatioally that
no girl should be allowed to make her.
self hidooua when nature nanifestly i'll
tended her to look radiantly pretty. Tho
Quakerlike hood and cloak were conse-
quently discarded, not without prick
ings of conscience on Nathalie's part,
ind yet, with easier resignation than she
had deemed possible, she allowed her.
self to BIO attirea in tho hat and Jacket
and gloves Mrs. Barry had ordered from
Chicago, and then, as Hunter said, she
was simply az stunning as anything he
had ever seen at West Point.
Then, too, she had at first been griev-
ouGiy embarrassed by tho attentions Of
the bachelor officers. No gentleman had
ever asked hsr to walk or drive or ride,
much less to dance, before, although it
had often occurred that Elder Pease Or
Deacon Drummond would happen along
about the time sho dismissed her scholars
and started on her long, lonely walk in
the wintry cleaning, and whichever
one it was ho would accompany her
much Of the way and talk in most edi-
flying fashion CT tho world, the flesh
and the devil. Twice it came to pass
that these two pillars Of the church ap-
peared upon tho scene as they had not
come--together They seemed to have
concentrated on the little stono school
house from widely different directions,
each serenely unconscious of tho 9TH
er's movements These two worthy
men, it is remembered. were most vohe-
mently oppo2ed to Nathalie S acceptance
Of the Barrys' offer. She ought never to
be allowed to 1.-Two among tho goddess
men and women who dwelt in army
barracks. They were children Of wrath
whose presence was contamination. But
there was bard headed old uncle, Il
scoffor, gaid Elder Pease, who loved
Nathalie both for herself and for her
mothers sake---an uncle who had
big and dependent brood of
his own, who babe her go by all means,
though he nearly broke down ct part
ing. Yet when she was gone no turned
1pnn elder and deacon both with tri-
lmph in his eyes.
At first, too, Nathalie shrank from
these invitations to walk, and
rs for going driving Mrs. Barry had al
most to order her. She was painfully
Thy and embarrassed for few days, and
hen that began to wear off and keen
Enjoyment replaced the shyness. Even
when sho started out alone she speedily
became aware Of Maynard securing the
,rairie Oh his spirited horse, leaping the
,road acequia again and again and final
y riding up in surprise to SEQ her and
ismountiHg to walk by her side, while
Bangor, with mincing gait, came tow ,
ng along bahind.
But for this keen, raw, darksorne aft I
rnoon the engagement had been made t
eforehand. "Ihe boys'' were finding {
ach other very much in the way. To s
ct walk or chat with Miss Baird now t
ne had to see her several days ahead !
nd make an appointment. There had r
cen no very bad weather since the Bar 6
"a came, and ehe rarely missed her c
'eekday exercise Of a three milo tramp Il
ach afternoon, and the man who walked G
18th her need not hope to saunter, h
uoh less to "spoon.'' Miss Baird was b
ont for business" as Dana said, and u
was quick march, 100 to the minute, II
Id good, swinging stride from start II
finish. c
Then Mrs. Barry was becoming in. d
rested In Maynard's devotions. When lt
10 first arrived at tho post and knew y.
IN and heard him referred to as Mrs Il
lrner's latest, she was not disposed L
like him. She had heard of Mrs. tc
lrner, but never before had been sta. III
oned at the same post with her. She sv
rgot at first that every young fellow III
reporting for duty at regimental
was Immediately "aunex- es
/" by this fair, volatile and would be
uthful matron. Sho forgot until OF
ughing)y reminded by Mrs. Stannard nj
ut Hunter, Dana, Hollis-almost all Oh
o boys in fact-shad served their ap. So
enticeship. Blake, tho regi,nental wi
'ter, said that plebchood in the resi- ny
ant had its infallibly visible signs just ~ :.
it had at West Point. In the til the ~
ost prominent symptom was dancing ~ ~
Oil Mrs. Turner. But May t.,
I'd had barely been well settled down s st.
10 the traces-had served much less ~ ~
al half the allotted twelvemonth- ="
len the Barrys came to the post, and ~,
n than thia J1uo ,un, F,;, L...al VI