Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-07

! dark eyes, was seen to be eagerly speaking
! to the veteran officer. There was a brief
! coiloquy. and then the colonel said some
| thing to the sergeant, at which the GROVE
/ set up a cheer. The sergeant looked
pleased. the young soldier most grateful
and away went the four along the sidewalk,
many of the throng following
And then the colonel caught sight of the
ladies in the carriage, saw that was
signaling eagerly, and heard his name call
ed. fastening to their side, he raised his
cap and smiled cordial greeting.
"Oh. I'm SO glad you came, colonel We
are SO interested in that young soldier Dc
tell US what it all means. Oh! l beg your
pardon Mrs. Frost, l surely thought you
! had met Colonel Crosby-let me pre-
Why. Nita. WHAT'S Are you i'll? Here
take my salts, quck.'
"No-no-go on-I-I want to hear, Where
are they taking him." family murmured
Mrs. Frost.
Try to control yourself" said her com
panion. ''I'll tell you in one moment -
Meantime from without the carriage the
F; colonel continued. addressing Nita's com
| panion
He tells a perfectly straight story. He
| says he has an old friend who is here sc
| desperately i'll and out of money that nc
| got doctor for him and had been nursing
| him himself Those things he carried ar;
medicines and wine that the doctor bade
| MIN buy. All he asks is to take them tc
, his friends room and get a nurse. then he
IS ready TO go to camp and stand his trial
| - .'i' tht SCI SetIt u DE Responsible
Oh thank you much! Do see tina,
y, the poor fellow isn't punished. Wen drive
| right round. Perhaps we can do some.
thing. 1t is Red Cross business, you know
GOOD afternoon. colonel. Please tell our
| driver to follow them"
| But, to her CONSERVATION, no sooner had
| they started than she felt Nitass trembling
| hand grasping her wrist and turning
/ quickly saw that she was in almost hys-
| terical condition.
| My poor child 1 had forgotten you were
so worn out. I'll take you home at once
| but then Wen miss them entirely. On,
| could you bear"
| "Oh. no, no. moaned Nita, wringing her
niue hands. Take me-anywhere. No!
| Take me home-take me home And prom
| ise me not to-not to tell my husband what
| we saw"
Chapter XII.
For a man ordinarily absorbed in his
! own command Colonel Stanley Armstrong
had become. all on sudden. deeply en-
! crossed in that of Colonel Canker The
| Frosts had been gone week, via Van
| couver-the expedition only about sixteen
hours-when he appeared at Gordon's tent
| and frankly asked to be told all that tall
| southerner knew Of the young soldier Nor
| ton now gone from camp for the third
| and. as Armstrong believed, the last time
why. that young fela's bawn gentle
man." drawled Gordon, as he offered the
| colonel a chair and cigar "He was be-
| havin tip top. steady you please, until
| about a month ago. He's only been with
| Us since the LIST Of May-came with a big
| batch of recruits-a regular athlete you
| know. Then. after he's drilled awhile
| nailed him for headquarters clerk. l never
knew him to be off an hour until about
| four weeks ago. The men say another
young fe,la came out here one night, had
| talk with Morton, and they went out to-
| gether. He got regular permission. No
| body has set eyes on his friend out here
J since that time, but Morton got three
! passes to town in ten days. and Saueers
| happened to want him and gave orders he
| should have to be consulted hereafter.
| lit out suddenly and was gone forty-eight
| hours. and was brought back by a patrol,
| perfectly straight. and he said he had to
go on account of q friend who had been
| taken very i'll and was a stranger hera.
| Squeers let him or with warning, and in
| side of three days he begged for a twenty
| four hour pass and SQueers wouldn't give
| 1t. He went without It, by George! It was
| just about the time the Prime family ar
! rived, locking UP the boy they heard was
| in your .egiment.
This time there was big trouble The
| patrol sent for him went directly to the
| lodgings OF his sick friend and there they
| found him and he laid out two Of our best
| men for forcing a way into the room They
| told me your carriage nearly ran over him
i the day of the review. Then came that
| dam fool charge about his being mixed up
| in this robbery. Then his escape from
| under Billy Gray's nose. by George. and