Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-12-05

and into this, his favorite leather
armed, canyas-iacked. hickory-framed
companion of many year, she deity
dropped him and then, giving him no
chance for word, gayly pirouetting,
She seized one after another upon each
member of the party present-an &C.
complished little mistress of ceremon-
les, encased in tailor made travelling
suit that rendered her proof against
dozen minor ills, SO beautifully was it
cut and fitted to her pretty fgure-and,
with inexhaustible flow of merry words.
presented her or him to the veteran in
the chair:
This, my honored general, first
and foremost, is Miss Mildred Prime.
daughter of thousand earls is she,
yet one vastly to be desired, though
say it who should not, for she halls
from New York, which is enough to
make me hate her, whereas we've lust
sworn an eternal friendship. You've
only casually met her and her folks
before, but 1 can tell you all about
them. You should have put Frank at
the head of your intelligence bureau,
general. He'd never find out anything,
but l would. We came on the same.
train together all the way from Og-
den"
"a tall, dark-eyed, dark-haired, oval
faced girl, coloring slightly in evident
embarrassment over these odd army
ways, courtesied smilingly to the gen
eral and seemed to be pleading dumb,y
for clemency if there had been trans
gression)
This" hurried on the voluble little
woman, seizing another feminine wrist,
is Miss Cherry Langton-Cherry Ripe
we call her at home this summer, the
dearest girl that ever lived except my
self, and one you'll simply delight in
as you do in me-when you get to, know
her. She is, as you have often been
told and have probably forgotten, the
only good-looking member of Franks
family-his first cousin. She was mop
ing her heart out after all the nice
young men in Denver went to the wars.
and whitening on the stem until told
her she should go, too, when she bios
somed and blushed with joy as you see
her now, sir. Cherry, make your man
ners." CHERRY, whose name we'll de-
serlbed her, was only waiting for a
chance, laughing the while at the merry
flow of her chaperon's words, and, at
the first break, stepped quickly forward
and placed her hand frankly in the
outstretched palm of her host, then
glanced eagerly over her shoulder as
though she would say: "But you must
see her." and her bright eyes sought
and found the fourth feminine mem
Der of the group.)
And this" said Mrs. Frank Garrison.
bravely, yet with trife less confidence
of manner. with indeed faint symp-
tom of hesitancy, sis Miss Amy Law
renee" and in extending her little
hand to take that of the most retiring
of the three girls, only the finger tips
and thumb seemed to touch. Miss
Lawrence came quickly forward, and
waiting for no description, bowed with
quiet grace and dignity to the chief
and, smiling bit gravely, said:
Uncle left word that he would soon
return, general, but he has been gone
with Col. Armstrong nearly an hour.
l hope we have not taken too great a
liberty" and her glance turned to the
substantial tea service on the rude
camp table.
"Oh, I'm responsible for that-and
for any and every iniquity here COM
mitted, solely because 1 know our gen
eral too we'll to believe he would allow
furnishing damsels to faint for lack of
sustenance." 1t was Mrs. Garrison, OF
course, who spoke. II simply set
Frank and his fellows to work, with
the result that tea and biscuit, light
and warmth, mirth and merriment,
faith, hope and charity sprang up like
magic in this gloomy old tent, and here
we are still. Now, say you're glad I
came, general, for these stupid boys
Oh! 1 quite forgot! Let me present
the slaves of the lamp-the spirit lamp,
general. Frank, you know-too well,
I dare say. Stand forth, vassal Number
Two. This, general, is Capt. Schuyler,
mite Of man physically-a Gotham
lite, in fact-but tower of wit and
wisdom when permitted to speak," "a
diminutive youngster, with head
twice too big for his body, and world
of fun in his sparkling eyes, bowed
deliberately to his commanding general,
but prudently held his peace.) capt.
Schuyler, my dear general, meekly
bears the crescent of the subsistence
department on his beautifully high and
unquestionably New-York-made col
lars. He hasn't an idea on the sub
ject of supplies except that commissary
cigars are bad, but his senator said
he had to have something and that's
what he got. He'd rather be second
lieutenant of regular infantry any day,
but that was too high for him. Here's
youth 1t fits to 't'-Afr. William
Gray, of the tenth foot, whom I
knew years ago when we were kids in
the same camp, and whose best claim
to your notice is that you knew his
father. He says so, and hopes you'll
forgive all his budding iniquities on the
strength of It," The general nodded
with grin at the youngster who stood
at Miss Lawrence's left, and then held
up his hand for silence, shutting of
further presentations.
"I'll forgive anything but more chat
ter" said he, with placid smile, pro
vided you give me some tea at once.
Then l should be glad to know how
you all happened to meet here"
my doing entirely, general. Drank,
another cup-quick.) Cherry came
with me to surprise my husband-an
easy thing to do-l'm always doing it.