Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-29
AN ARMY ROMANCE.

1t is a commonplace of speech that
there is nc changing the leopard's spots.
The keen observer of his kind who has
not IL axioms wherewith to work the
theorems of life, but /, 400, accepts it as
gospel. Raymond, who was not a keen
observer, but a man with faith in his
heart, did not accept it. In the face Of
advice and caution and good counsel he
decided to reduce it to the absurd and
marry Cicely Granville. Success crown
ed him, as ever those who warned him
know now, but it was a desperate risk.
Far back in the days which it were
heresy to doubt were as good as they
were old, when Alan was just the stolid
small son Of Captain Raymond and
Cioely was but the angel faced little
daughter Of Captain Raymond's first
lieutenant, Marlitt, the boy and girl
had been fond Of one another.
They had made mud pies and hunted
the first wild flowers of the plains and
had ridden burros and bronchos togeth-
or. They had wintered and summered
in each others company the mountains
and prairies of the southwest while the
land was yet given over to the never
ending disturbances of the hostiles.
They had learned what it was to have
only one another for playmates for
months at a time. And because of the
hardships Of long marches and the joys
of a half savage freedom shared togeth.
er they came to think themselves in
separable.
And then they were separated. Cicely
was to be civilized. She was sent east
and abroad to school. Alan Raymond
went through West Point and got his
commission.
Thereupon fate-whioh at times does
what might be expected Of her-sent
him to the same post where the Marlitts
were stationed, and he saw Cicely again.
He looked into the placid depths Of her
long, gray eyes and remembered the
past. He looked at the curving red lips
and the thick brown hair and guessed
the future. She had changed for the
worse and for the better. She had been
civilized and was less frank. She had
learned to attain her ends by indirect
means, yet as women go she was honest.
But the sanity face was more beautiful
and the child was grown to one of those
women whom to love is to worship.
And in due time Raymond loved her.
There are men who take their love as
simply as they do the breath of their
life. 1t is necessary to them, but they
do not 60 mad with the ecstasy Of its
possession. When Raymond had told
Cicely that he loved her, and when she
had laid her head upon his shoulder and
had put her slender, clinging hands in
his and, turning up the beautiful, deep
eyes to his face, had said ~ 1--we you,"
he was satisfied.
His fault, if such it we1e, was that
he was undemonstrative, and Cicely's
though some count it a virtus in wo-
man-that she was Jealous. OF all vices
jealousy carries with it it's own swiftest
punishment. It realizes its unreason.
but is powerless-like a dreamer who
suffers and cannot awake, though he
knows the while that he is dreaming.
She knew in her heart that her lovers
word was worth more than most mems
vows. She knew that his purpose was
direct and honest, and yet she doubted.
The tiny stone Of suspicion began to
roll. A question which Cicely was too
proud to ask would have checked it, but
it rushed ON and became an avalanche
that buried and crushed their happiness
under its mass. Raymond looked on
dazed. He could not understand.
When II was too late, it was made
plain. Cicely sat before her own fire in
the dusk and looked quietly at the blaz-
ing logs. The light shone on her fair
face and on her. cleaning hair. Ray.
mond stood and looked down at her,
resting his arm on the mantelpiece. He
was an honest man. He had no inten.
tion Of speaking Of even the love Of the
past to another mans wife. but beside
the blank reality rose up in front Of him
the might have been Of his life, and he
cried out from the depths:
"Cicely, why did you do itf"
She started back and looked up at
him. For one long minute the deep
eyes gazed into his eyes and saw there
the futility, Of an irretrievable mistake.
The curved lips grew white and parted
and closed again. She turned and hid