The Delta independent., 1898-06-17

lips and glanced significantly alofA
nathalie h utterly upset shoat some.
thing this morning." she murmurcd.
"Do sit down . momeat. WON'T youi 1
want to talk with you about her. am
20 troubled ON her account She has
been ailing for days. ~ you know, seem.
ing nervous and troubled, and it has be-
come % much worse a late. What oan
bo the matterf'
Then Ark Freeman locked appealing
ly 1t NrA Ray. and - she remained
silent the former spoke:
''Ara Barry. II We. too. didn't think
everything Of Nathalie shouldn't ~
this. but We both feel-Mrx Ray and I
that you should know the story that
has been going round. We've both heasd
it We couldn't help hearing it. Every.
body seems TO have heard it in the last
two days, and il im't all Arn Turner'S
doing either. Marion" she said, turn
ing fmpulsivsly 70 her younger friend,
"do help me. IL 10 20 hard"
Looking first ut one, then at the 9TH
q, Mrs. Barry saw too plainly the sor-
row and embarrassment In each fair
face.
''Tell me everything, she murmrr-
ed "Surely II trouble comes 70 her We
should BE- tho ones to help"
"It il briefly this, Mrs. Barry: Il 10
told that Nathalie has several timss
been seen either away ont on the prairie
before 0e troops went away. or else
down here near the store since that
time, talking earnestly, pleadingly with
. strange mAn--uot . eoldier-a tall,
powerful fellow. At first it was thought
to be-you know-ons of Fanny Tur-
ner's fabricationA but Ain Maynard
solemnly assured MrA Stannard she had
seen It twice. and now. Mrs. Ray,
you've got to tell the rest."
''It IL only this MrA Barry: You
know the one failing Hogan. our Irish
groom, has. He 10 devoted 70 Captain
Ray. but ooos in . long while be yields
70 temptation. and the other night he
was in town and had svidently been
drinking when he came back and had
lost his key 10 the door Of the little
room he has In the extsnsion st the rear
Of the quartefa Will bad gone over to
the barracks, and heard our cook 60 10
let Hogan in and heard him telling hef
thickly Of an adventure be had had. He
was excited and talked loudly, and I
feared IL would rouse the neighbors. 20
threw open the back window and told
Jano to make him 60 to his bed without
another word. and he obeyed, but his
eye was all black and swollen in the
morning, and I saw there was some
truth in what be aaid-that just back of
your quarters he had stumbled ON Q big,
ouriy man N o'viiian otess 70 wnom
giri was talking low beggins and NM
pior1nS and crying. and tho man en-
swsred her rosshiy' and Hogan thoaghs
the eifi was ycos Aoeanaid' for ne
heard IN cssp oed aa indosss q ooces
ano eeen - himseu nad some woeoe
win ~ DAn aed - ssocksa Gown
- 49, - qeas9 - nsvee snsw veae
h,e M. - ~ - haA venaehea
Wneo = S8seso ~ 1ees. 0oos
oae 80 shss oeecsaeee ~ Mo ~
eese - eppaienuy ~ aoe Wso
- d - ana wnas pocsiose noso can one
ne ss0 seSe g sSifA % sweet and
ssnnsd q Natna.ieF
Afs. bassy iissened without interpos-
ing wosu. oos nee eyes were eloquent
vfsa sorrow sod psspIsxify. Al last
-. -.
Can you fsmsmoef tho night Mrs.
hay
1ss' IL was the nient l was mere
Win yoe-tn0 niens sne news came
snsS oes osssos' 700, n.a 70 go
Thcs vas Q moment OF silence. Mrh
Barry hed covered her eyes with her
thin whtse hand and was thinking In
teutly. and presently. without removing
her hand, shs asked, and the question
itself was asninoans:
do yoa know-has Mfa Turner been
v@y much with Aias Maynard iatelyI"
And hss vaaeoss looked at eanh other