Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-10-20

den appearance OF the young lady In
mate OF the Barrys' quarters and her
announcement that she would follow
the messenger without delay. True to
her word, not half an hour later Miss
Baird issued from the eastern gate and
started swiftly on her three mile walk
to town. The corporal saw her 20, SO
did the hospital steward and the man of
all work, sweeping out the store, and SO
4 DID the lone sentry, pacing his post
along the row of storehouses, and such
2 thing had never before been heard of
i at Russell. Maloney, it seems, had rid
den out on a borrowed horse and had
hastened back with his answer the mo-
ment the bewildered noncommissioned
officer let him go. What no one of these
men could understand was how it hap.
| pened that one so fair and delicate as
| Miss Baird should have to take that
lonely walk instead of being sent in by
some one Of the several vehicles owned
among the officers families. What they
did not dream was that of all the WON
en- IN the crowded garrison not one OF
their number at that moment felt so
friendless, SO utterly alone in the world,
as Nathalie Baird
| At s o'clock Mrs. Stannard had re-
ceived a brief line by the hands of Mrs.
Barry's maid. 1t merely said, Come
| to me for moment as soon as you can, -
and Mrs. Stannard lost no time
She found her invalid friend and
neighbor pallid, distressed and alone.
Her eyes must have asked for Nathalie,
for Mrs. Barry, without word, handed
her little note, and, opening, Mrs.
Stannard read:
be ignored. He is desperately ill, perhaps dy-
ing, and has sent for me. After this you know
why l ought never to return to your roof
The shame of it all overpowers me, and vet
cannot do less for him than am doing and 7
cannot, must not, tell you why. Tonight-to-
morrow-you shall hear from me, and then let
me go home and let me be forgotten Your
heartbroken NATHALIE.
What can we do?" was Mrs. Stan
nard' s exclamation after the momentary
stupefaction seemed to have passed.
MAY l not get the doctor and drive
after her with him?''
Gould you? Will you?" asked Mrs.
Barry, almost weeping. "Ah, l knew
you would Send first for him, and then
I'll tell you all know
But as luck would have it the little
doctor had his hands full this fatefuI
morning. The only practitioner left at
the post, it was but natural that half
the laundresses' children should be
down with various infantile maladies
and that officers row should find itself
in urgent need of his services. Mean
time there had come many caller to
the Barrys door-women like Mrs. Raw
and Mrs. Freeman, full of sympathy
and sorrow; others, like Mrs. Turner
and Mrs. Raymond, inspired by rage
OF curiosity yelled beneath the conven-
tionalities of "kind inquiries. +" Mrs.
Barry could see no one at first, but
yielded to Mrs. Freeman's importuni-
ties, and she, too, with Mrs. Ray, was
taken into confidence. 1t was nearly
half past 10 when at last the doctor
drove up with the post surgeons team
and double seated carriage, and just as
Mrs. Stannard was being handed in and
numbers of interested spectators were
looking on up and down the row there
cantered into garrison on scrub of
pony youngster who used to earn
precarious livelihood in those days car
rying travellers hand luggage running
errands and doing odd jobs around the
few hotels and many barrooms, and no
had note Tor Mrs. Barry addressed in
Nathalie's small and tremulous hand.
They took it in to her at once and she |
opened it.
1t was brief, piteous yet almost i'm
perative demand for $40 to be sent to
her bv the bearer
ITO BE CONTINUED.