The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-11-02
CHAPTER V.

1t was October before the surveyors
finished their work in the Mescalero
mountains and Merriam and his men
were recalled to Sedgwick. Late in
July Billy Whitaker had been relieved
by his restored comrade and returned
to headquarters; he lost no time in call
Ing on the Haynes, and between him
ind that charming little army matron
Mrs. Hayne, there were exchanged sig.
nificant smiles and knowing looks, and
not few confidential words, to all OF
which the blond, Norse-looking captain
and husband seemed to give hearty ap-
proval. And letters from the canton
ment - long letters came to Mrs
Hayne from her friend, Mrs. Tremaine,
and long, loving, blissful missives from
Florence, and when the Haynes, father
and mother, boys and girls, all present
ly went in to Chicago for month at
the fair it leaked out in some way that
Mrs. Hayne left freighted with mysteri-
GUS commissions from her friends at the
Catamount, ,Tremaine's reverses permit
ting no such extravagance as a journey
especially in view of the many new
and lovely items that women decreed as
indispensable now. And presently it
was known at Sedgwick that, despite
his complete recovery, Mr.. Merriam
seemed to find it necessary to leave the
detachment in the mountains and make
frequent, even hazardous rides, with
only single orderly, down deep into
the canyon of the Catamount, and so on
back to Wells and the cantonment.
Long before the Haynes returned from
Chicago, therefore, the sweet secret was
out, and all Fort Sedgwick was talking
of Merriam's engagement to Floy Tre-
maine. She was but 1S; he 2s. She was
shy. sensitive, an idolized daughter.
There were times when she was actual
1y lovely, so deep and tender were her
eyes, so winning her smile, soft and
caressing her voice. He was stalwart,
soldierly, fine-looking certainly, but a
man few heartily liked, while few thor
oughly knew him. He had been wild,
extravagant, and, some said, dissipated
the first two or three years after his
graduation. He was ksown to be frank
and truthful, and as giver and lender
had been decidedly too generous. He
was a conscientious officer in many
ways, except when he was serving un-
der Buxton. He couldn't bear 'BuX,"
and Bux not infrequently spoke dis
paragingly of Merriam's ability, thing
that might have hurt him in the eyes
Of his superiors but for the fact that
they knew Bux far better than he knew
them. Among officers of his own grade
there were none whose opinion was
worth having who really disliked Mer-
riam, but very few who felt themselves
sufficiently intimate with him to active
ly like. They had nothing against him
except certain Indifference of manner,
and nothing that called for enthusiastic
praise. His conduct in returning to his
regiment from an expensive eastern sta
tion and putting himself en- retraite un-
I'll his debts should be lifted and his
duns appeased met with general COM
mendation His course in taking the
Mesealero detail off brother officers
hands was held to be Enthusiastically
generous. He had Lots of good points,
had Merriam, they all conceded, but
there were not four people, officers or
ladies, in either the cavalry or the
Riflers who thought him good enough
for Florence Tremaine.
"Wish her joy? Aye, with all my
heart" said the old colonel, when the
news of the engagement was brought
to him, "but can we hope it?" Even
Capt. Hayne was not sure, though he
tried to be. and found comfort and in
spiration in the enthusiasm of his de-
voted wife and In the stanch opinions
of Billy Whitaker These two were
the two at Sedgwick to whom that en-
gagement brought gladness without al
10y. and since there were not four peo-
pie in the combined commands who
could thoroughly approve the match,
it follows that at most, therefore, there
could be only one more, but that one
was the most confident, the most en-
thrsiastie, the happiest, the gladdest
the proudest, the fondest girl that ever
Iiyed--F;orence. her own sweet self. In
q passion Of tears, one exquisite, moon