The Florence daily tribune., 1898-03-08

i~Vpo'fS"As WV
Meantime the culprit officer himself
had been carefully lifted into the doc
tors buggy, and with that excellent
praotitoncr was enjoying n drive. The
one thing Wells ccn!a rot understand
was 'hat, while his patient rapidly gained
IN heaiih, hesh nad appetite. he seemed
SO soto"roep n spirits. Not one word had
ne been told Of Merriam's broken on
sagsmcnt, beyond what Mrs. Tremaine
had impaired. and she could pive bnt
scanty information. Merriam was
grateful for all the care and attention
layished upon him. grateful for retmrn-
ing strength. for sunshine, fresh air,
and the brisk drive along the shores of
the winding Catamount, but Merriam
was silent, smiled hut seldom. and
lnughed not at al. Merriam was plain
iy troubled. and that night, when Mrs.
fremaine asked her fried, the doctor,
how his patient enjoyed the drive, TINT
gentleman replied that if i, did him
good he gave no sigu. Il believe" said
he, that Merriau's in love, and thnt's
why | cannot understand his eager
ness to get back to his troop" And the
mother leaped with hope. She. too. had
had Other plans for Florence than that
she should marry n subalIern officer;
but IL by chance T1oy had chosen for
herself and fallen in love with one. 1t
could not have been without some per-
suasion, some pleading on his part 1t
must be that ne was the first to love
and 10 plainly show it,
That niclit EIorppee x-ac ver,- ,,,;ot
She read aloud 10 her fnther, as was her
custom, and c,ung to him as he kissed
her goodnight. Merriam had gone
early to his room. as though fatigued
by the drive or rendered drowsy by the
unaccustomed motion in the air Some
where about three in the morning there
was an unusual sound of voices in ex-
cited talk near the guardhouse. and
Tremaine awolse and was dressing hur-
riedly, when rapid steps came up the
walk and the sergeant of the guard,
with dust-coyered courier, stood at
his door. They bore a note from Whit
taker \ serious row had occurred be-
tween some Of the troop and n party of
miners and prospectors who had been
camping near them for three DAYS
Pistols We're drawn, with the result
that one miner was killed. two troop
ers and one prospector were seriously,
perhaps mortally, wounded. and sew
eral Others were injured. Could DIR.
Wells come out TO them at once for
few hours, at least, and was Merriam
able to ride? The young prospector
who was so seriously wounded had
begged to see him. ms he had important
Information for him. and bade them
tell Mr. Merriam that his name was
Z McI.ane, a son Of the man who was
about 10 mnrry Miss Hayward. A pen
eiled note in closed envelope accom-
panied the verbal message for Merriam.
Florence. listening at her half-open
door us the captain read Whittaker's
dispatch aloud to her mother, shrank
back TO her bedside, covered her face
with her hands and sank TO her knees.
1T was thus she was found few mo-
ments later. Merriam. aroused by the
unaccus.enned sounds, had lighted his
candle and. partially dressed, came
forth into The broad hallway of the
commanding officers quarters. and
Treuaino met and gave him the mes
>ssfsS dHA triI IOit, NH.tn AttltI itHNtN
tore open and read with staring eyes.
For moment he stood confcunded.
thea turned sharply to Tremailie:
"Now, sir, I've got to go, and go at once
when Wells Does then turned and
hurried TO his room.
The captain himself aroused his post
surgeon, told him the news, and bade
him see and quiet Merriam as soon as
possible. The dawn was breaking, and
the rosy light was in the eastern sky
when the doctor reached his patient,
fading him fully dressed and rapidly
slowing in his saddle-bags the simple
articles ofa soldiers toilet.
This won't do, Randy. You're not
fit to stir" said he. But his determine
ton cozed when Merriam, with white
face, turned and said:
More than my life's at stake here,
doctor-it's woman's honor, and I'm
going, live or die
CHAPTER ".