The Delta independent., 1898-11-25
CHAPTER vn

CHAPTER Vn
Within the fortnight came poor Ned
Lawrence back to Worth. and men who
sode far out on the Crockett trail to
meet the stage mArveied at the change
three months bad made in him He bad
grown ten years older and was wriDkled
and gray. Winn was OF the party. ard
Winn, who a month gene by was look
ing haggard. nervous. miserable. now
rode buoyaptiy. with almost hopeful
eyes and certainly hotter color than hs
had kad for months, despite the fact
that he had lost both flesh and color
during his illnesA Something had hap
pened 10 tighten his load Of dread and
care Something must have happened
20 enable Law renee 10 take that long
long journey back to Texas. Fort Worth
indul9ed in all manner of theories as to
Whare the money was coming from.
end Barclay OF course was suspected,
even interrogated The frankest man in
some respects that ever lived. Captain
Galbraith Barclay was reticent IS .
clam when he saw fit TO keep SILENT
and men found it useless to question or
women 70 hins As for Vim. he had
but ono classuate At the post Bsayton
who had never been one Of his intimates
st the Point. and being rather. ~ was
mid. Of the thigh ard mighty" re-
served and distant sort with the subal
tssns he found at Worth on joining
three wintaes before. Winn had mover
bssa popular. Lawrence was his one in
timase. despite the disparity in years
And 20 no man ventured to ask by what
means be expected to meet the demands
thus made upon him. The hoard Of sur.
vey ordered to determine the amount Of
the loss and fx the responsibility had
no alternative. Winn aud his few
friends madn hard fight. setting forth
the facts that tho count had been made
svsey month as required by orders aud
regulations. and that except BY burst
ing open every bale box and barrel and
sitting over the contents it would have
bssn impossible to detect Marsden's
msthodA On some things the board was
disposed 70 daro regulations and raps ON
the knuckles and to let Winn of on
several oeherA but what was the uss.
''ths proceedings would only b sent
tack for reconsideration. said their
psesidsnt and ~ it transpired that
Winn had not exercised due vigilance.
but bad trusted almost entirely 70 his
essUsank they decided 20 cut the Gortiixn
hnos by asddling the young o(iicer with
ths snsiss responsibility. which meant
soosss q lates ssOppage os nearly
oe,o0o q his pay.
It II nd yes time honored commsp-
taEy at the expense Of human nature
that the oontemplstion Of the misfor-
t1nes a our fellow men 10 not always .
soafus Of unalloyed sorrow. There was
genuine and general sympathy for Law
ssnoe. because he had been poor and
pinched and humbled for years, had
WON shabby clothes and had sought all
possible field duty. where ''deetiA NOS
dudA. - . garrison wit expressed IL.
seemed 70 make the man He had frank
b spoken Of his traits and worries to
such - spoke 70 him In friendship.
and this with his deep aud tender
love for his children and his capital
record - a scout leader, had won over
10 him all the men who at one time
were envious and jealous and had chez
lshed the line nIan's prejudice against
the fellow whose duties for years had
ell with him and that meant far moro
than may seem possible outside the
army. There was mnny gentle dame
IN the old days Of adobe barracks who
e01ld b - Artem isia in the cause Of .
Aisod.
No one knew just what object Ned
IAWrence had in coming back to Dixie
Every ono knew he had Indignantly re-
fused the second lieuterancy, despite
To fact that one OF two men with war
service and rank almost equal to his
own hsd meckly accepted the grudging.
ly tsodered commission and others were
said 70 be about to follow suit-all, pre-
0amably. with the hope that their
friends and representatives, in congress
sssembIed would speedily legislats
them back where they thought they be-
lonRed No one knew where Ned Law
ssnoe had made a raise Of money, but
raise he Certainly had made for. to
Mytbe' indignation, there came o draft
Il 800 TO cover the expenses, 10 said.
of his children and Old Nanny and 70
pay the Latter some Of her wages Tbs
balance be would settle. he wrote. when
he arrived Blythe would far rather he
had Waited until his accounts were I'D
5usted; then. II Lawrence were in
funds. Blythe could have fourd no fault
with this insistence on It least partially
dsfnying the expenses Yucurred in pro-
vidiDg for tho little household Law
SsDcD hOped 70 have bis socounts adjust
- hts letter Aid. and he bsd roasno 10
bslievs, from what friends In Wsshine-
eD told him, tbat be would nud his
ssoSs9us willing 10 receipt 20 him fos
Diaing iseDs. trusting TO luck and the
0oesna asd 1sexsm q the frupsier to -
paass ehso In courss of time. LAwrsocs
Sn1ou9 Wao cariOus BOW to meet and
49, OhuH~Sa G~Swo~O NrD - h>A 49,