The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-14

An unlocked for desire for each other,
company.
ing Of her haste, and there in Mrs. Stan.
nard's parlor or in solemn promenade
along the walk did Mrs. Turner and
her new found friend spend hours in
close and confidential communion, the
object Of which was mystery to Mrs.
Raymond, not to mention the rest Of
Russell. Meantime Lieutenant Maynard
was mending fast and needing little
nursing. Therefore was bis sister at lib.
erty to seek more and more the stimu-
liant and exhilaration of the open air.
Therefore, too, was it suggested by
Mrs. Raymond that the necessity of her
remaining burden on her brother and
the STANDARDS no longer existed. Stan.
nard and his stanch battalion had gone.
The populace of Russell was now made
up mainly of the temporarily widowed
and fatherless, the invalids and the
band A small squad had been left from
each troop to take care of the stables,
quarters and corrals, and from these tho
post quartermaster detailed night watch
men to patrol the garrison pending the
coming of an infantry company. The
colonel and adjutant, too, had taken the
field one train ahead Of STANDARDS
Mrs. Atherton had gone in to visit rela,
tiyes in Chicago, and, when they could
laugh at all. the ladies were asking each
other which of their elders was really
in temporary command of the camp, or
did the surgeon, chaplain and quarter.
master deserve consideration?
Meantime poor Maynard was Tuning
and fretting in his pretty room, devoted
ly nursed, carefully attended and pre-
scribed for, but with every day becom-
ing more irascible and unreasonable. It
was his first year with the regiment, be
it remembered, and the idea that it
should be on the warpath and he mewl.
ing in bed was intolerables Yet the doc.
tor gravely told him he could not ride
without certainty Of reopening his
wound and endangering his life. May
nard could not believe it. Both Mrs.
Stannard and his sister strove to read
to him, but he would not listen. He
wanted all the papers that had news of
the field columns, but no other subject
in their pages interested him in the
least. There was one subject much near
er home to which he would have given
ear with more than avidity, but Oh this
subject he could not talk, and Mrs.
Stannard and his sister would not talk
to him. He longed for daily news of
Baird and got none. She had
even ceased her visits to the house.
Ever since the night of her first ap-
parent illness-the night that orders
came for STANDARDS men to move-shc
had been dropping visibly, and Mrs.
Barry was sore distressed. No more did
take her long, exhilarating
walks upon the open prairie. She stole
forth ON sunshiny days at Mrs. Barry's
urging, and went timidly up and down
The long walk within the sentry lines,
out never neared the gate at the east or
he open roadway that passed out to the
westward beyond the old headquarters
She seemed to shrink from
observation even then. She seemed re.
uctant TO meet or talk with the many
iind and sympathetic women who
would have welcomed her to their fire
ides when the swift gales burst upon
hem from the mountain pass to the
northwest Or to their sunshiny piazzas
III the rare afternoons when soft breezes ,
lew from the Colorado foothills, and =,
he band played sweet melodies, and
he children frolicked merrily out On
he broad level of the parade ,
Shy she had ever seemed to be, Dut =.
ot startled and afraid as now, and MIS-. :,
tannard, generally self contained and +
elf reliant, bad even taken counsel with +
lesdames Fay and TruScott two yUung =.
latrons she much approved of, aud IL. |,
oked their aid in the good work Of
the evil spirit that had dark 5
ned the day dreams of this strangr
ew England girl. Both were ready ant d
Ming to help in any way, yet neither d
'uld suggest line Of operation. The ii
rl seemed SO utterly unapproacl,ab,e. 6
rs. Truscott had paraded Baby jack h
n Miss Baird's inspection and expected &
Dr. to become slave to that conquer. y
Z bero's fluctuations as did othsr 4