The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1898-11-24
CHAPTER II.

elderly club men, long years the chums
IT the groom, barely had time to con-
roct suitable forms of compliment and
congratu'ation. The reception which
followed the ceremony. however, was
on such a scale Of magnilicence as to
leave little room for doubt that the Mel
lens had long been preparing for the
event The business relations existing
for decade between Uncle Mc.,en and
John McLanc were well understood.
Indeed the match was declared TO be OF
Uncle Mcllcn's making, and the whole
transaction was openly referred to by
younger club men as n most Mellenchol-
y affair. Charlotte Parry went on from
Chicago 10 attend it, but Ned. her de-
voted lord, pleading very pressing pro-
fessional engagements. positively re-
fused 10 go. lie vrote n letter to Uncle
Mellen about that time. however, which
gave other reasons for his non-attend-
ancc, and TO which the recipient, after
several attempts, found it impossible TO
reply. Mrs. FAIRY fastened back to
Chicago Immediately after the recep-
ton, and from that day neither she nor
her husband set foot within the Mellens'
doors. Aunt Charlotte declared the
conduct of her niece most undutiful,
ungrateful, unaccountabie, but her hus-
band said nothing.
The bride was vision of girlsh beau
tyt that bright June wedding day, and
McLane was as handsome and we'll
preserved a fellow of IS as even New
York could show. lie was evidently
deeply in love and UNNECESSARILY proud
ard happy. AS for the lady, she looked
to the full as joyous and radiant as any
lover lord could ask, and her manner
toward McLane, much more than twice
her years"-nearly three times, in fact
was sweet, shy, appealing, and trust
ing, al in one. Many women in society,
Old and young, envied her, and every
body appropriately congratulated him
and wished her joy. Macs plan for the
honeymoon included a yachting tour
through the Scottish isles and so on to
North Cape, but Fan surprised him.
She had seen so much of Europe, she
said, and so little of their own country.
Couldn't they GO to Chicago for the
worlds fair, and then to Niagara and
down the ST. Lawrence and thrcu"h
the White mountains and'the Catskii,s?
So this they did, coming back to Gotham
| for round of receptions and social
| gayeties in the late autumn, then roing
to Florida and thence to New Or.cans
for the Mardi Gras, ard them Fan.
begged to be taken to Coronado and
Monterey. She longed, she said, to see
Southern California, and the Sunset
Route" bore them within three miles
of old Fort Sedgwick on their westward
way.
The Graftons were still at West Point.
There was only one officer at the post
whom she knew, and none who were
known to her husband. It. was five
o'clock of soft, sunshiny February
afternoon, one of those matchless days
for which the valley of the Rio Bravo
is famous. McLane was playing dunn
my in the smoking~room. The young
wife was yawning over a book. She
was looking, it must be owned, not only
bored, but somewhat dusty and di-
sheve,ed, and she was conscious OF the
fact, which made her look still worse
|
and dreary and monotonous was the
landscape, and wondering where they
were and what was the name of those
far-away blue mountains under the
fiery path of the sun-geography was
not one of her strong points-when the
train slackened speed and rolled slowly
into station that seemed mote popu-
lous than any recently passed, and there
stood another train, almost the coun-
terpart of their own, and on the station
platform of what was evidently CON
Meeting road were groups of swarthy,
Notwithstanding Mexicans, few
stolid, silent Indians, and then-was
it possible? - stylishly, fashionably-
dressed women, and officers in riding
garb, and there at the Platform stool
waiting ambulances and ordcrlies with
led horses, and the sound of merry chat
and laughter came Eoatirg in at the
open window, and people occupying sec
tions on the left side of the Pullman
crossed over TO her side and gazcd with
all their eyes. whats the name Of this
station?' some one asked the porter.
Santa Fe Junction" was the answer.
"Yawnduh's Font Sedgwicls, three miles
out there on the mesa"
Fanny McLane's heart gave a sudden
jump. The train, which had stopped
an instant before crossing the other
track, moved slowly on, and then under
the grip of the air brakes came to q
stand beside the platform, and, CON
scious that she was looking her worst
looking yellow, in fact-she drew
back from the window and hastily
lowered the shade. Then merry voices
and laughter, and light, bounding foot
steps were heard at the head CT the
ear, and in came n joyous party, officers
and ladies'. y tall, slender gill seemed
the object Of general interest. and her
bundles and wraps were deposited in
the opposite section by one officer: an
other bcre a Erand-new bag. another a
bunch of beautiful roses, ard ten wom-
en- Lung about the girl and Kissed her
and ccoed over her; and. with the eN-
perienced eye of her sex. Mrs. McLare
needed only one glance at the pretty.
stylish travelling suit, at the iaunty
little hat, NJ the slender, tapcrirg boot
all so new and glossy, to realize at once
that here was bride-an army bride
and one beloved of her kind, for one
woman after another chung to her as
tha,- L opT go.