The Delta independent., 1898-05-13
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her garrison and Cheyenne intimates
and acquaintanceA however, Fanny
Turner had no such admission to make.
She could not help seeing. she said. the
havoc played with the outicle of the
other ladies'. Even their bride, the love-
ly blond. Mrs Billy Ray. had COM
pletely lost. said Mira Turner. the deli
cate bloom aud softnes Of her fair
white skin. "But as for me-" she con.
tinued, II declare Il seems to mako no
difference Whatever" .-g - -
Certainly, under the light Of the
lamps and candles Of the hoprcom, her
complexion seemed ~ peachy as on her
wedding day. Is years gone by. But
there were Q dozen women in garrison
who were ready to explain and account
for that 'No one in this regiment, I"
said the colonel's wife. "can approach
Fanny Turner in the art Of making up
She's 81 II she's week old. and she
dances and dresses and decorates as
though she were not 60"
All Of which was practically true.
Spoiled and petted BY nm overindulgent
mother In her girlhood, Fanny bad no
idea of any will O. way but her own
when she married Captain Turner. He
had fallen deeply in love with her
when homo wounded after Cedar Greek
In the fall Of 1864. He was the hero q
their semirural community. and she
married him because he was 20 much
thought Of and admired by some Of the
others For several weeks Turner
thought himself the happiest and luck.
lest Of men to have captured this fair
young beauty. and then disillusion set
In, and oas sdisappointment followed an.
other She was empty headed. frivolous.
fond Of every kind Of social gaysty. but
with neither heart nor hand for domes-
ito duty Of any kind She loved to
dance, and his wounds had put an end
to even the little he ever knew Of that
art. She sloricd in the attentions Of the
society and garrison beaus they met
and plainly showed him be was often
In the way. 6he was recklessly extrav-
agant in her tastes and spent his saw
ings with . lavish hand, principally on
herself in dress OF jswelry. She had
been denied almost every thing Of the
kind at homs. for her parents bad bean
for years in straitoned circumstances.
40IuCIo o0GPAy AZ koVOs OO0Ao uU0y nO8
nothing until his savings were exhaust-
Cd and they had 70 come down 70 his
pay. She rad noehing but novs1a ehe
knew nothing but garrison gossip and
how to make herself look fascinating.
She had fund Of small talk and fac.
ulty Of setting her cap for each new
young officer that Joined the regiment,
speedily fascinating him and attaching
him for term Of months or possibly .
year. TO her apron stringa She was art.
less. kittenisb. oonHdinsly. trustingly
youthful, this mature dame Of 81,
when out in society o. among her Sis
tcrs Of the garrison, but IL was any
thing but Q fresh, youthful, radiant
girl that came yawning languidly down
the stairs this dark March morning and
with "Why didn't you order your
breakfast earlier II you wanted itf" and
barely q glance at her spouse passed
him by without other salutation and
took her seat behind the oo6eepot At
the head Of the table
II much preferred to wait for you,
said Turner gently. He had never re-
buked. rarely attempted to correct her.
since the initial attemps that we'll nigh
wrecked their honeymoon. He could
not scold her now. yet his heart ached
at her indifference. and his weary eyes
did not fail TO notice the marvellous
change in her appearance since she left
the hoproom the night before, OF, rather,
At o'clock that morning. The soft pink
lips were dry and purple now. the deli
cately tinted cheek was eallew and col
orless, dark purple circles had formed
under her eyes, deep lines cracked cut
through their temporary filling and
gave the lie to her pretensions to youth
Her hair, 20 beautifully and becomingly
arranged the night before. was simply
twisted up into . knot ut the back Of
her head. She wore . loose fowercd
wrapper, gathered in at the slender
waist with . cord. Even her white,
fragile hands, that trembled o. she filled
the captains cup with coffee, looked
Wrinkled and old, while upon her Wis
ago, 70 radiant with smiles and sun
shine fcw hours since, there sat an ex-
preston Of profound and envious dieoou-
tent. Turner had hard work to repress
. second sigh ~ he glanced furtively st
hes from over The Leader, which hs
had picked up again when her footsteps
were heard descending the stairs-
MAY help You 70 steak1' he asked
in courteous tones. II fear you are very
tired this morning. Fanny. You bad .
grand time last night though. You
never missed . dance, did your
"If Why how odd that would bei I
never do mia . dance That's one of
tl,a sAv~nt>upa oR having N MANY old