Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-10-06
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i colonel ana adJutant, too, nau taken the
field one train ahead of STANDARDS.
Mrs. Atherton had gone in to visit rela-
tives in Chicago, and, when they could
laugh at all. the ladies We're 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. 1t
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 intolerable. 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 homo to which he would have given
ear with more than avidity, but on this
subject he could not talk and Mrs.
Stannard and his sister would not talk
to him. He longed for daily news of
Nathalie 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 lnove--she
had been dropping visibly, and Mrs.
Barry was sore distressed. No more did
Nathalie 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,
but never neared the gate at the east or
the open roadway that passed out to the
westward beyond the old headquarters
building She seemed to shrink from
observation even then. She seemed re-
luctant to meet or talk with the many
kind and sympathetic women who
would have welcomed her to their fire.
sides when the swift gales burst upon
them from the mountain pass to the
northwest or to their sunshiny piazzas
on the rare afternoons when soft breezes
blew from the Colorado foothills, and
the band played sweet melodies, and
the children frolicked merrily out on
the broad level of the parade
Shy she had ever seemed to be, but
not startled and afraid as now, and Mrs
TOW nd
self reliant, had even taken counsel with
Mesdames Ray and Truscott, two young
matrons she much approved of, and in
voked their aid in the good work of
banishing the evil spirit that had dark
ened the day dreams of this strange
New England girl. Both were ready and
willing to help in any way, yet neither
could suggest line of operation. The
girl seemed so utterly unapproachable.
Mrs. Truscott had paraded Baby Jack
for Miss Baird's inspection and expected
her to become slave to that conquer
ing hero's destinations as did other
women, old and young, but Miss Baird
had passed his little highness by with
scant recognition the very next time
she met him, and an injured and indig-
aant nurse was not slow to take the
Jldlngs nome. Mrs. Ray had hidden he1
to luncheon or tea or both. always with
the same result. Nathalie could rot
leave, she said, her invalid at home ex.
cept for the walk she took each day.
Mrs Stannard had sought, gently and
kindly, to win the confidence of the
girl, but Nathalie seemed to divine he1
object and fled from her in nervous
alarm. 1t is most uncanny thing,
said Mrs. Stannard to Nathalie's friend
and protector. 81 never met a girl Of
her years so utterly set against hel
kind. q" There was a lovely young girl
often visiting at the F'reemans' then, &
Miss Mamie Bryan, who was freshness,
vlvacity and frankness personitied, and
these schemers sought to induce her tc
cultivate Miss Baird but that fell
through, for Mans outspoken, open
hearted manner seemed to be reproacE
in Nathalie's eyes-she who would not
or could not contide in anybody
''She is the loneliest girl in Wye
ming, said Mrs. Barry despairingly to q
friend one sunny afternoon.
"Ah, WE'LL" was the reassuring re-
ply, "Mr. Maynard is to be allowed tt
sit up in the sunshine presently, anG
then you'll see how soon she futters tc
his side.''
And they did see. She came out from
the Barrys' for her customary exercise
one brilliant afternoon, and there he
sat reclining in an easy chair, well
wrapped up in overcoat, robes and
blankets, and he caught instant glimpse
of her, and his eyes flashed their sigma,
OF joy and recognition, his pale cheek
mounted its radiant color in honor OF
her coming, but she went pale as lily
and, turning hurriedly, snapped the
gate behind her and with obstinately
averted head FASTENED down the row.
1t was impossible for his sister not tc
see the depth and bitterness of his dis
appointment and chagrin. She deter
mined that the hour for her to speak,
and to speak plainly, was now at hand,
SO relentlessly she began. There are wo
men who choose the time when a fel
low is down, a helpless invalid, to tel