The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-03-19


half-mourning hops. Whitaker, who
was sulky about something and pre-
ternaturally stately as u consequence,
reminded him that Mrs. McLane was
still in deep mourning-fual mourning
to which a cynic in shoulder-straps
who happened to be present replied
that he only wished that other fulls
could be as lightly worn. "She may
have been in the depths Of woe before
she left Chicago, as Mrs. Grafton de-
clares she WAS" said Mrs. Buxton,
lady with years Of experiences, but
she's bravely over ii soon enough She'll
be dancing next" And this unchris-
tian, uncllaritahlc remark was called
forth by tl:e sight of the lady going to
ride with Observation-Disclosures who
at first could hardly be induced to call,
and who now could hardly be induced
to believe it time to go.
And of course, before she had been
ut the post week everybody knew
that this WAS the woman to whom Mer-
RAM was al least believed to be en-
gagged two years before, and that add
ed to the thrilling interest of TIE situa-
ton. For little while it had been
quite problem how to entertain her.
She didn't go to dances or dinners.
She could, perhaps, ride and play ten
mis-, but tennis she did not care for.
Hiding was unpleasant, because there
were no winding wood roads, no elastic
turf. The mesa was pebbly OF sandy
by turns, the canyon narrow, the roads
dusty. Ladies' lunches, very, very
quiet and Informal, she consented to at
tent, but she did not care for lunches.
The women presently declared she did
not care for women.
The men, especially Minturn and
Whitaker. had early become devoted
to her, and there could be no doubt of
her powers of fascination. The gunner
and the trooper grew cold and con-
strained in their manner toward each
other, and Whitaker quit going, as go
he used to day and night, to Haynes or
Merriam's. The colonel's wife, dying
to be hospital,le, had urged little,
quiet home dinner. "Just yourself,
your friends, the Graftons and Merri-
ans, and, say. Mr.. Minturn." Mrs. Graf
ton assured the kind army woman that
Mrs. McLanc would not think of ac-
cepting. Mrs. McLane amazed her host
ess by eventually saying yes.
Since the Tuesday evening of their
call, not once had the Merriams held
conversation with the widow. She
called. as has been seen, and Mrs. Mer-
Ram had to be excused. Mrs. Merriam
used to love tennis, but quit the game
MS soon as Mrs. McLane began coming
to the court. Mrs. Merriam, who used
to love to ride with Randy, had discon-
tnued it a day or two after that al
legged illness, as though to carry out
the illusion, but by the Thursday she
again appeared in the saddle and gall
loped out upon the mesa by her hus-
bands side. Returning, they met Mrs.
McLane just starting out with her gum
ner friend, and the ice had TO be broken.
The stylishly hubited widow beamed
on both, begged Floy to let hrr know
atwhat hour they would ride next day,
as she adorcd it of all things, and next
day Floy's horse was reported dead
lame," and she would ride no other.
When Mrs. Colonel's invitation came for
that utterly unIooked-for dinner, the
Merrians were corncrcd, for Tloy,
though looking sallow and heavy-eyed
now,was not really i'll and could urge no
excuse. Garrison dinner "bids" must be
answered as promptly as Those in city
life. "Wc'vc got TO go dear" said Mer-
Ram calmly, $50 send our acceptance"
II won't CO." said l'loy to herself, as
she penncd and signed the little note,
and when Saturday came she was too
i'll to leave her bed. Mrs. 1Iayne came
to minister to and sit with her. The
Freemans were hidden instead, and
Mrs. Freeman could have stamped
her pretty foot in vexation, for neither
she nor her lord thought it the proper
thing for Mrs. McLane to be going to
dinners so early in her widowhood; be-
sides, there were other reasons.
The dinner came off, however, and
was dismal feast with a dramatic con-
clusion.
AS has been shown, only twice had
Mrs. McLane had speech with Merriam
during the seven days, and both times
it was in presence of his wife. The
Graftons, Haynes and Frccmans were
delighted will, him as consequence,
and rejoiccd in secret over her. But
not n whit did the widow show lsap-
pointment or discontinue. She was
amply entertained, apparently, with
the increasing dcvotions of Minturn
and Whitaker, and the latter spent
two miserable hours this Saturday
evening in jealous contemplation Of his
OWN o,ltcast lot and Mintnrn's presum-
able bliss. Yet the colonel could not
have both to dinner, so Mrs. Colonel
was allowed to decide, and her pref
erence was for the artillcrymnn. The
Graftons went with rather bad grace,
Mrs. Grafton warning her guest that
the whole garrison would be talking
Of her Inconsistency, but, as Ned Parry
remarked on previous occasion, Fan
had had her own way ever since she cut
her first tooth. and did not propose to
be ruled now.
almost the last words Mr. McLune
whispered" said she, Indignantly,
"were to imporc me not to waste my
youth in vain Iamcntation. Life is too
short to be spent in tears were his
very Words" and evidently the widow
was here in full sympathy with the
expressed or reported views of the
dear departed. She went. She looked
uncommonly pretty in a gown of deep
est, most somber and most expensive
Grape. She sat at the colonel's right,
,1r I.