The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-10-21

now, and first thing you know Barclay
will hear you, and''-with almost
comical irrelevance-'syou don't want
to meet him this way, when you haven't
even called on him.
Winn redeemed again There was
tinge of bitterness in his tone as he an
swered:
"Don't trouble yourself about Mrs
Winn's hearing. She's placidly asleep
long ago. AS for my not calling, you
know I've only been out Of my bed
three days or SO, and Captain Barclay
must understand that a man burdened
as / have been is in no mood for social
observances. This is all begging the
question You're the only man I can
ask to be my second. Finish your dress
ing now and come. +"
"Winn, won't do it," said Bray
ton. with flat footed decision. "This is
my captain s affair, and from what I've
seen of him since he joined I'm bound
to say what's his is mine. Besides,
you've got no business mixing up in
the matter. You've got your wife to
think of, and you've got that commits
sary business to straighten out. Bar
clay and I have no membranes Of
either kind" At the moment, / fear
me, the young gentleman could have
added, "Thank God, - for with all his
appreciation Of the physical projections
of his classmates wife Mr.. Brayton
was keenly aware OF her many extrava-
gances.
"Of course I've a wife, % answered
VIM holly. cts because of her I feel
bound to take this up. AS for that COM
missary money, every cent will be here
to square the shortage, whether am or
not. I'll tell you what others No,
I can t even tell you, Brayton. But an
old friend of my fathers has offered his
help. Now, once more, will you come
or not?''
"No, Winn. You know we'll enough
I'd see you through if Hushl There's
Mullane and some one else coming out
of his quarters now"
sThen, by God, I'll go alone" ex-
claimed Winn, "and it's got to be done
before they get away" And he would
have gone springing down the steps,
but Brayton seized and held him.
'For Gods sake, Harry, be quiet to-
night. DON'T go near him. Quiet, man.
Can't you see? Those fellows are COM
ing this way now" a
True enough, Mullane and his com.
panion, who had issued from the fourth
set of quarters down to the left, turned
northward the moment they reached
the walk, the moonlight cleaning on
the buttons of their uniform frock coats,
but the sight and faint sound Of scuf-
fling on Winn's porch seemed to attract
their attention. They stopped as though
to reconnoiter, and just then the front
door of Brayton's hall opened wide,
and, with the broad light at his back,
Captain Barclay stepped quietly forth.
"Brayton," he said, ''you left the
door ajar, and it was impossible not to
hear the latter part of this conference.
Mr.. Winn, I presume, he continued,
with calm, courteous bow, as the two
young men, unclasping, turned and
faced him. 81 infer that you purpose
going to Mr.. Bralligan's quarters-now.
Let me urge that you do nothing Of the
kind. Brayton is right. see that, late
as it is, some Of their party are moving
this way. Pray remember that as yet
this is entirely my affair.
There was no time for other answer
than a bow, a mumbled word or two,
an embarrassed acceptance of the hand
extended by the captain. Just as he
said, Mullane and his friend were COM
ing rapidly up the walk. They passed
the Winns' gate, entered that of Bray
ton, and then it appeared that Null
lanes friend was the ubiquitous Hodge,
that Mullane was manifestly in his
glory and that both were perceptibly in
liquor.
Gentlemen, said the doughty sap
tain, hating at the foot of the steps
and raising his forage cap with magnif-
cent sweep, gentlemen, lam the beerer
of missige from me fri nd Mr.. Bralli-
gan. Have the honor of addhressin
Captain Barclay?" Fondly did Mullane
imagine that he impressed his hearers
as did Sir Lucius O'Trigger, and much
did he remind one of them, at least, Of
Captain Costigan Of blessed memory.
This is Captain Barclay" that gem
tleman answered in low tones with
smile Of amusement at Mullane's grand
Eloquent prelude, yet stepping quickly
forward to meet the ENJOYS. Vim
could not but note that the captains
movement accomplished at once two OBJ
jects-it left him and Brayton in the
shade and it Kept Mullane and Hodge in
the moonlight and off the steps. "Par-
don my suggesting that lady sleeps in
the front room aloft there and that YOU
speak low, so as not to disturb her.
Where is your message?"
This was trying. Mullane loved his
chest tones as he did his whisky. His
low voice was apt to be thick and husky
and unimpressive, and tonight he was
overweighted with the sense of the gray
Ity and importance of his mission if
with nothing else.
Sorr, " he said, with another flourish
OF the cap, Sin accordance with the
practice of gintlemen in the old arrumy,
/ am the beerer of verbal missige''-