Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-10-13


when he regained his feet. Hogan
man and that described by Miss May
nard are apparently the same Who
can it be and what possible hold can one
like him have on a. girl so sweet and
refined as Nathalie?"
Mrs. Barry listened without interpos-
ing word, but her eyes were eloquent
with sorrow and pe-plexity. At last
she spoke.
Can you remember the night, Mrs.
Ray?"
yes, it was the night I was here
with you-the night the news came
that our battalion, too, had to go''
There was moment of silence. Mrs.
Barry had covered her eyes with her
thin white hand and was thinking in
tently, and presently, without removing
her hand, she asked, and the question
itself was significant:
"Doyou know-has Mrs. Turner been
very much with Miss Maynard lately?"
And her visitors looked at each other
without speaking. After waiting mo-
ment for an answer and receiving none
Mrs. Barry looked up. "Why do you
not speak," she said to Mrs. Freeman,
who sat nearest. 'You know that your
silence tells me that my conjecture is
correct. And now about Mr.. Maynard.
Mrs. Stannard told me that he sat up
two days ago, was out on the porch
awhile, but that he seemed anything
but benefited. Did he see Nathalie and
tbiS Inyy,, hy-f bo r.,
reason he has not left his room since?'
Yes, Mrs. Barry. Miss Maynard has
told Mrs. Stannard and others, too, that
not only she, but her brother, saw the
meeting, and her brother recognized
the man as one he had seen in the crowd
the day OF the trouble in town. But
Low let me say right kere that can be-
lieve no i'll Of her; that there is proba-
bly, some hold, some claim, or she
would never be seen with such look
ing character, and that he is reprobate
thoroughly believe. She is shielding
him fo. somebody's sake or she never in
the world would have concealed her
meetings with him from you. l say
again, Mrs. Barry" persisted Mrs.
Freeman, her color rising with the
warmth Of her appeal, 81 will 5elieve
no i'll of Nathalie, and that IS one reason
why so earnestly urged her to go to
town with me. wanted to try in every
way to win her confidence and be a help
to her. l had hoped so much from her
knowing Mamie Bryan, but they didn
get along together at all. Nathalie is
utterly unnerved by this trouble That's
the truth of it, and she dare not tell the
cause to anybody. Did you say she was
in her room?'
Yes, she was here with me, and I
was urging her to go with you to town
and trying to get her to tell me what
was worrying her when she heard
your steps and vanished. I think she
was crying I've found this out-that
she has been sending some money to
help dress cousin of hers"
And just then came another step,
quick and businesslike, upon the piazza.
It was the orderly from the adjutant's
o-1ice with the mail. AS the servant en-
tered with the EUuIe packet potn tbs
visitors sprang to the door and called
after the garrison Mercury, eager ia
know what he had for them. He came
back, smiling, with letters for both, and
yet their faces were long as they re-en-
tered, for there was not line from
their lords.
But Mrs. Barry's face was clouded
too. "Look at this" she said and held
out dingy missive with the Cheyenne
postmark and a scrawling superscrip-
ton, "Miss Nath. Baird, in care of
Mrs. Majer Barry, Fort Russell. "
"Once before letter came for her from
town, but it was addressed in scholar
ly hand, and remember now how agi-
tated she was at sight of it. But this is
the work of some uneducated person. 1t
seems Irish somehow, that in care of
Mrs. Majer' especially. What can we
do-what shall we do to help her? If
she would only confide in some one''
But before evening it was definitely
settled that that was the one thing poor
Nathalie could not or would not do.
Mrs. Barry sent the letter to her room
with the message that Mrs. Freeman
was there to take her driving and
would she not come down. And the
maid returned, saying Miss Baird was
not we'll enough to go. She had been
lying on her bed, the girl admitted, for
she had to wait some little time before
the door was unlocked. Then Mrs.
Freeman penned little note, dearest
Nathalie, won't you see me just a min
ute or two?" But the maid came back
in five minutes with the penciled words,
PLEASE, please do not think I am UNI
grateful for all your patience and kind
ness. but indeed am not dit to see any
one just now
And so the friends had gone sadly
away without the longed for word with
her, and then Mrs. Stannard came to
read to the invalid, but the books were
set aside and the two took counsel to.
gether as to what should be DONE They
sent tea and an appetizing luncheon up
to her room, and the maid brought back
her best thanks and said that she would
try to eat. She was writing a letter
then. But when two hours later they
sent up to see how she was the maid re.
ported that the luncheon was untouch-
ed; even the tea seemed to have been
neglected. They heard Nathal;o,s sto,>