The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-02-26

SEPARATION in the enthusiasm of his de-
voted wife and in the s,anch opinions
of Billy Whitaker. These two were
the two at Sedgwick to whom that en-
gagcment brought gladness without al
10y, and since there were not four peo-
pie in. the combined commands who
could thoroughly approve the match,
IT. follows that ut most, therefore, there
could be only one more, but that one
was the most confident, the most en-
thusiastic, the happiest, the gladdest,
the prondest, the fondest girl that ever
lived--Florence. her own sweet self In
passion of tears, one exquisite, moon
lit evening late In June, she had thrown
herself upon her knees by her mothers
side and sobbed out the news that Mer-
Ram had told her he loved her dearly
and had asked her to be his wife, and
when the mother drew her to her bosom
and held her there, and mingled her
tears with those of her beloved child,
her heart went up in prayer to Heaven,
for she knew that which Tremane
could not understand, that so deep, so
fond, so all-possessing was the love
with which Florence would love, prob
ably did love, that there could be no
listening to reason. She had pinned
her faith on Randolph Merriam and it
could not be shaken.
But neither wife nor daughter knew
that night that, earlier in the evening,
Merriam had sought the husband and
father and opened his heart to him,
told him his whole story, and begged
of him his consent and blessing. II
did love Miss Hayward" he said; II was
fascinated beyond expression and was
stunned by the abrupt end of our en-
gagemcnt, but all that passion was
killed by the details that have reached
me, and in its place have grown up an
admiration and love for your daughter
that far exceed anything I have known
before. have had hard lessons, sir;
am not worthy the love of one so pure
and true rs she, but 1t shall be my con-
slant cndcavor to make her happy"
Tremaine could not answer for mo-
mcnt. "What have you told her thus
far?" he asked, though not unkindly.
81 told her before 1 was summoned
back to the detachment, after that
shooting scrape up in the mountains,
about Miss Hayward and my broken
engagement, and her prospective mar
riage. do not think had any bust
ness to do even that-to tell her any
thing hat might seem to single her out
MS confidante, but the impulse was
stronger than I was"
"Was that-the day before the courier
~ mn lnIyp wifi, IVA e No Col,
asked the captain, with upif,ed brows.
He was thinking of how Florence had
been found by her mother in tears that
very afternoon.
Every possibly, sir, though cannot
recall the day"
Then, after pause: answer me
this question, Merriam" said the older
officer. "1f Miss Hayward were to
treat this man as she did you; If she
were again to come into your life and
say: Come back to me- do not ask
yon what your answer would bel ask,
what would your heart say?"
''Eothing. Even if she were not his
wife, l could not think of her ugain
without aversion"
"Yet she is accomplished and a
beauty, you say; which my Florence,
they tell me, though l cannot see it, ia
not"
She is n beautiful woman but look in
your daughters eyes, sir, and l see her
as you see her. God knows l marvel
that any onc can fail to see her except as
you do and as do"
And Trcmaine held out his hand,
gripped hard. the lean, brown fingers
that clnspcd in his. cssayed to say some
thing that was still weighing on his
heart, but gave it up.
''She is all | have to give, Merriam"
he presently said, but she is all tho
world to me-"
And so when Merriam returned to
Sedgwicli to face The vollcys of congrat-
ulation and the occasional shakes of tho
head with which his seniors said to
him: "Shes a heap too good for you,
man." he could not but be aware OF the
trend of public sentiment, and though
time and again he had said as much to
her, to her parents, to himself, it must
be owned that here was Il case where it
was not entirely ilattcring to find the
world of his own expressed opinion.
It nettlcd him not q little, and even
Whitaker and Mrs. Ilaync could not
entirely comfort him. IT was all very
well to say: You must remember that
Florence has been the pet of our regi-
ment ever since she was born. declare,
it makes me jealous ut times for my
own babies" as Mrs. IIaync did. 1t was
gratifying and complimentary to his
taste that the commentator Of his
gentle fianccc was so general, but, no
matter how conscious man may be of
his own shortcomings, is it ever COM
fort to find that nll his friends are
equally aware of them? 1t must be
owned that there were moments when
Merriam grew impatient of these COM
ments upon his unwortlliness, cx-
pressed or implied, even while his heart
rtjoced over the enthusiastic interest
displayed by all the garrison in his
wife that was TO be.
And he was Il very devoted lover,
too. Only twice n week did the mail
rider go out to the cantonment, but
Randy wrote to her long, crowded
pages every day, and her letters came
even longer and brmful of love and
sunshine and happiness. He had sent
to ST. Louis for her engagement ring,
and her delight over j, and it's beauty
was something delicious to see, though