The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-11-16
CHAPTER vII.-CoNrrNurp.

For the life of him Capt. Grafton
could not but feel that he had been
triclSed and deceived, and yet so plaus-
ible were the explanations he could
not brush them entirely aside. At
all events he would not now require
his wife to recall the invitation,
sent and accepted. 1t might even be
as she claimed, that Fan loved and
clung to her as her only dear and inti-
mate friend, and craved her society
and sympathy now in her bereavement
and ill-health, and. though still sus-
picious and dissatisfied, he gave his re-
luctant assent to the plan, and was on
hand at the junction to meet and wei
come his unwelcome guest.
The Merriams had been paying holi-
day visit to Floy's devoted parents at
the cantonment, and were absent from
Sedgwick while these preliminaries
were being arranged. Otherwise Graf
ton might have cast conventionality
aside ard asked Randy for the truth
about those alleged lovely times when
they were on their wedding journey;
but he could not bring himself to
write, and indeed there was no time for
letters to go and come and decide an is
sue that was already decided. 1t was
Mrs. Grafton who, two days before the
arrival of her lovely guest, broke the
news of her coming to Mr.. Merriam, and
was astonished at his reception thereof.
1t was almost sunset of one of those
soft, lnnguorous southern days that
make even mdwinter warm and CRATE
ful in the lower valley of the Bravo.
Across the barren level of the parade
the troopers were marching up from
stables in their white frocks, and send
Ing lcEg shadows stridirg up the oppo-
siie eastward slope of the narrow can
ycn, The officers, in parties Of three or
four. were strolliHg homeward past the
now shaded oporticoes, on many of
which, seated with their needlework or
chatting with friends, the ladies of the
garrison were awaiting the coming of
their lords or loyers-or both. The
smooth, broad walks were bright with
groups of merry children or sedately
trundled baby-carriages. Three or four
of the bigger boys were galloping their
ponies along the roadway, fresh
sprinlled by the huge water-cart. The
band that had been playing in its kiosk
in front of the line had picked up its
music-books and gone trudging bar
backward for change of raiment before
parade, skirting on the way the circular
plat of withered grass maintained at
vast expenditure of labor and water at
the foot of the staff from whose SHIN
mering peak hung, well-nigh notion
less, the blue and scarlet and white of
the national flag. Northwestward the
distant line of the Mescalero stood blue
black against the cloudless sky. Away
to the east rolled the dun billows of
the "Jornada," illimitable in monotony
and range. Downward at the ford of
the San Mateo some Indian boys and
girls were jabbering shrill eXpostula-
ton TO the Mexican herder who was
swearing strange oaths at his usually
placid burros, because they had the
good manners TO shrink at the edge
of the stream whereiA these children Of
nature were disporting, the laughter
and screaming, even the splashing Of
the water, rising distinctly on the air.
Out on the mesa to the north the quar-
termaster's herd was nodding slowly,
sleepiIy homewnrd, powdered by adjust
cloud of it's own raising, and over at the
infantry barracks at the westward end
of the long line scores Of the men were
already out in full dress uniform
awaiting the bugle call that should de
mand tie assembly. Mrs. Grafton had