Willmar tribune., 1898-09-14
win be ample. and I cannot rest ~
uufi3 do > Ss5S s5&

i
until i do-"
Grafton was on the point Of bidding
her remember that khe had refused q
chance of talking with him earlier that
night, but Tefrained- He looked back
across the sallow, noon1it surface OF the
parade to where the oil lamps were
burning blearily in the guardroom- He
is not there" said he. He has gone
down to the corIalS But7-a happy
thought striking him-:-in less than ten
minutes he win be coming through here
on his rounds I gave hin the key of
our rear gate It's warn4 and pleasant
out hera You might hail and halt him
as he enters"
Meantime there had been sore, sore
hearted young wife farther up The TOW
As wrath and passion sobbed them
selves away and the devil of jealousy
wore itself ont, and the thought Of
Randy's patience and gentleness and
OF all that Mrs Hayne had said of his
unfagging tenderness and love. POOR
Florence began to wonder if she had not
angered him beyond repair. His last
act had been one Of fond, thoughtful
care He had spread the shawl over her
and fingered over it as though he loved
to touch her, mad, miserable, ugly,
hateful as she had been. and she had
spitefuily thrown it off She picked it
mp now and srove to arrange it as he
had done. but could not She arose
and bathed her face and eyes. and gazed
out over the low deserted parade. She
4 o1 = 10
marched away. She paced the floor
again and felt that she was weak. and
became conscious that she was most
automatically hungry, and theo-Oa.
heavens. how could she.-how could
she have forgotten? Here was Randy
On guard up all night, and never before
since they came back from their wed
ding tour had she failed when he was
officer OF the guard to have delightful
little ehadng dish supper all ready for
him at II o'clock. and he used to come
over from his duties for half an hour
and eat with such an appetite and praise
her Welsh rarebit, OF her oysters, and
then take her in his arms with such love
and delight in his fond eyes. and here
and here it was one O'Clock and she'd
utterly forgotten it Oh. poo- Randy
must be starving!
In ten minutes Mrs Merriam had
bundled up her dishevelled hair. donned
some more becoming gown than tie
tumbled wrapper. and had hustled
downstairs and lighted the parlor lamp
TO signal Randy to come home and be
fed and forgiven, and then she ran
sacked the cupboard and started her
ire and then Peeped over toward the
distant guardroom and saw 10 sign of
his coming She 1notted through the
kitchen and banged Justify at Hop
Ling's door and bade him rise and go
summon his master, but the menial an
swered not- He. too. had slipped away
to the Junction-not SO much to see the
Rzfers OF as to have a shy at fan-tan.
and Florence was alone Never mind
She had been born and reared in garri-
sen. No one could teach her the ins
and outs of post life Why shouldn't
she run across the wide dimly-1ighted
fat and surprise her darling at his desk
let her twine herself about him. and
have happier cry as she told him how
weak and wicked end cruel and hateful
she had been and beg to be taken back
into his love and trust Yes yes, well
she knew that he was too noble, too
grand TO treat her sternly, coidly, be-
cause OF her tempestuous outbreak. It
was all because she loved him so-loved
him so that it was torture to think any
9--
even attract him. With frightening
eyes. with bounding heart, she threw
ever her head and shoulders a light
wrap and stepped out on the piazza
Somebody was coming across the pa
radefrom the suardhouse- even now.
He was stil too far away to be recog-
n1zed, but as he halted one minute and
turned as though to listen to the sen
tries just beginning to call haH-past
one, the moonlight glinted on the steel
seabbard, and she knew it must be
Randy. Then he was coming to her
after al. and she need not have to seek
him and be the first to make up" as
she used to say in gin.izh DAYS The
Gan went round with echoing ring, and
then On came her loving husband again
How she loved that martial stride OF
his. How erect and strong and sol
dierly he seemedl Hozs-<n-he
wasn't coming straight to her. He had
reached the flagstaff There lay the
beaten pathway right before his eyes
and hers He must see the bright lights
of his home bidding him come and find
love and welcome Bnt he had turned
away-was walking, not toward the
west end, but straight fcr. the middle of
the row. straight TO where the Graf1ons
lived -wher@that woman lived
But that meant nothing Oh. mol
Florence well knew that meant moth
ing. Had he not said only a little while
before that never would he see or speak
with her without coming first to his
wife, his Florence, and letting her
know? Yes, why should he go thither,
al this hour of the night? That was not
the way 10 the sentry posts Uneon-
scionsly she approached the edge of the
piazza-she saw him reach the road