The Irish standard., 1898-02-12
TIE IRISH STANDARD. SATURDAY. FEBRUARY H. 1898

roundings, this was exactly what
Randy Merriam did. Ned Parry, with
8 puzzled look on his fncc, had listened
to his nournful recital. had promptly
offered his services and his bank ac-
count, and made but one stipulation,
Don't you go near those fellows. Mer-
rium. Let me have the bills and III
send you the receipts" for Parry had
theory Of his own.
Sedgwick was us drcary IL post. so far
us surroundings were concerned, us
could be found In the west. II stood
on II pcbbly mesa, flat and barren, over
looking the narrow, tortuous. shallow
canyon through which rippled tho
waters Of the San Mateo. Across the
western horizon hung IL low, Jagged
curtain Of distant blue mountains. Fur
AWAY to the northwest snow peuk
shlnmcred in the dnzzling sunshine,
but north. east and south the low roll
ing contour of the prairie, like the
ground swell Of the ocean. was lost In
lllimitable monotony. The only trees
were some willows down in an arroyo
that cmpticd its rivulct after rain
WI ~ III w viz otiNtltl. llc pIllN green
things We're the blinds and vines upon
the piazas Of the officers quarters. Yet
Scdgwick was big post, an important
post, for great Indian reservation lay
only 20 miles away toward the noun
tains. Two lines of railway met ut the
junction three miles down stream, and
by riding few miles westward one
came suddenly upon fertile valley.
where grass and trees aboundcd, and
where all nature seemed to smile, and
where by rights the old post should
have been locatcd; but all that was In
dian reservation when Sedgwicli was
built, and not until long after did the
territorial officials succeed in getting
it Topped Off from Los allotment and
thrown open TO settlement. Along tho
bowery shudcs of the Santa Clara were
now ranches by the dozen, and hum
dred or more Of enterprising settlers.
and between them and the thronging
garrison at Scdgwck was peace and
good will and every kindly relation,
when Randy Merriam came out in tho
December OF the Columbian year, de-
termined to take his punishment like
man. lie had sworn off cigars and
extravagances of every kind. For
time he even declined to subscribe to
the hops, which were charming affairs,
for the band WAS cXcellcntund the rcg-
ment blessed with many lovely and
lovablc women. "Merriam spends all
of his money in stamps" was the COM
ment of the garrison wits, for he wrote
day after day to his distant darling in
the east. That winter Ned Parry ac-
ccptcd the junior partnership in the
great firm of Grnclnc e. Rayburn, in
Chicago. and moved thther with his
lovely wife, while, Fan remained with
Aunt and Uncle Mcllcn in Gotham, PIN
ing, presumably, for her far-awny sol
dier boy, and yet writing much less fire.
quently than he did, for the demands
of society were inccssant and unntie
kept her con the 60"
One day in April there came a letter
from the east at sight of which Randy
Merriam's face was radiant with JOY.
1t briefly told him that the long litigr.-
ton was over aud that some 800, all
that was left of the original $4,000, were
at his disposal. Jnbilnntly, confidently
then. he wrote TO Fanny TO mime the
day. and in course of time there came
reply, long, sef-accnsing, pcnitcnt.
miserable, but all-sutlicicnt. The day
was named, and so was the man,-Mr.
John Harold McI.ane, of New York, q
wealthy widowcr of 55