The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-16

| ho tiopAo hah ipOhSu DhuBeFGu as III
three surrounded him. Maynard ism
as well as he ought to be-" was, how
ever, his downright reply. His wount
is doing well, but he isn't. That's al
there is to be said about it, except
and here he looked intently first at thu
sister, then at the sisters new fount
friend-"except that just now nothin,
OF worrying or disturbing character
should be allowed to reach him. Tt il
bad enough that he should be frettine
SO to get to the regiment. Oh, you'll ali
have letters tomorrow, Mrs. Stannard, ~
he continued, "for we heard that the
major crossed at North Platte today"
II was just writing to him, hoping
to intercept him there" she replied,
"but couriers will undoubtedly be sent
after them, will they not? Have you
heard where Major Barry was likely to
strike the railway The Indians must be
far ahead now"
80 far that can see no chance of
our people coming up with them unless
they 60 to Sleep" said the doctor.
"Now I've said nothing of their cross
ing to Maynard. want him kept quiet
tonight if possible. I'll be back by and
BY" And with those parting injuno-
lions the doctor took his leave. and
Mrs. Stannard, after a courteous word
or two with her guests left them to-
gether and returned to her desk.
But up aloft in his cozy room Mr..
Maynard was not resting at all. Despite
his stout declaration that he did not be-
lieve and would not believe word said
at the expense of Nathalie Baird, deep
down in his heart, even before he saw
her brief meeting with the big stranger,
that soft, sunshiny afternoon, he knew
that there was abundant reason for be-
lieying that the disturber had been
there before. He had never forgotten
for moment that extraordinary &C.
currence the night Of the hop-the
IBhadowy civilian who tossed pebbles up
at her window and then floored him in
the twinkling of an eye when he had
sought to challenge Furthermore,
Maynard had caught the outlines of the
strangers bulk that night, and those
outlines strongly resembled those of the
man who bent 80 confdentially over her
as she stood with bowed head, yes, with
apparently attentive ear, down at the
end of the row by old No. l.. What
could be the explanation? What but
that some former lover was pursuing her
here and that she, though unable to
welcome him to the garrison. was not
to meet him, and if she would
meet him stealthily by day away out OH
the prairie in some Of it's swales or de-
pressions, why not by night, when none
could spy upon her actions? What other
explanation could there be? Was not
her beauty enough to lure man from
the ends of the earth? Would not he
have sought and followed her anywhere,
mad she but kept the queendom of his
faith and trust. Love her? He did, deep
ly, passionately, miserably, for now he
recalled that she had never given him
that only for day or
Two before his mishap had she shown
shy pleasure at his coming, and all those
days that he used to ride out in search
Of her, was it not more than probable
now that he had only been very much
in the way-a nuisance to her and to
ner skulking lover? Very bitter were his
thoughts, and, manlike, he included in
his jealous anger not only the girl who
had caused him such poignant suffering,
out that other-the sister who had been
he first to open his eyes to his queens
And go when Grace Maynard came to
lin soon after evening gun fire with
'ome dainty refreshment Mrs. Stannard
lad prepared for him he turned away
llmost petulantly and with his face to
he wall said be could not bear the sight
# anything to cat. And this was the
rother who ever since babyhood had
een her charge to keep, her loyal and
bedient vassal.
Signing heavily, she turned away and
7ould have gone, but he called her
ack. "Grace," he said, "there's some :
hing I've got to say. I'm getting all ]
light. I can sit up just as well as not, 6
nd thero's no reason why tomorrow or s
ext day shouldn't go to my own room '
nd why within the week l shouldn't y
urry after the regiment 6
ooh, Ronald" she interrupted, "the
oetor says it would be death to you to r
y it," a
"Well, better that kind of death than A
citing to death here. It's killing me s.
y inches, Grace, and I want to get "
way, and-we've staid too long here n
; the STANDARDS anyhow. It's awfully "
BOD Of them, but we have no right, no o
aim, SO I'm going to move day after Ii
morrow to my own den, and-you |,
lght to be thinking about starting for
)me." g,
Think about starting for home, in re
ed? Was she in her sound senses? Was b,
is her little Ronald telling her she
oula be returning to that far Mohawk 4,
llage before he was fairly we'll? 1t Ii
as incredible, it was more than that, h.
was ungrateful, undutiful, cruel, a,
artless She had arranged it all on M
ry different lines. The doctor was to "a
We a certificate. She had studied ont m
o whole situation-a certificate Oh kf
oich Ronald was to be granted a ba
onth S leave with permission to apply lv
r another, and then she would bundle he
her hero baby brother, and by easy M
'ges she would trundle him home, and ev
ere he would swing in his hammock. an
d she and Gertrude would do all the "l
'ding and nursing and petting-she th
d Gertrude at first, so as to arouse no
'picion and consequent rebellion
On she would gradually slip away for
ow moments at a time, then for half ap
hour or so, and more and more leave MI
an alone together, and Cupid and ha
)ximity wOpld do the rest int