The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-03-07
Synopsis Of Chapters Published.

Geraldine Allyn during his cadet davs
at West Point. is ordered TO Arizouia.
III and III-Lientenant Blake arrests
q deserter, Higgins, whom a Mexican
girl, Pamela, eudeavors to protect Nv
Captain Neyins, appolnted to tue
REGULAR army from civil life, gambler
aad embeZzler of government funds. is
tried by court martial. He makes a
confession. stating that he was ALWAYS
bad, but had married a good woman.
He asks Lieutenant Loring, judge adj
vocate OF the court, to carry his watch
and some jewels to his wife, stating
that Loiing is acquainted With hal
sister, Miss Geraldine Allyn.
CHAPTER V.
The saler's "shack" at Camp Cooke
was crowded with officers that evening,
and the episode CT Nevins' address was
the talk of ali songues. Certain civilians
were there. too. frequently Of Sancho's
place. but they were silent, ohservant
ard unusually aSStemious To say that
Nevins had astonished every body by an
exhibition OF feeling and an excess of
conscience woald be putting it mildly
But the fact was indisputable. He him
self, after adjournment, exhibited to the
interrogative major two long letters ra-
Gently received from San Francisco. in
graceful feminine hand and signed.
Your sad but devoted wife, Naomi. y
One of these referred to- Lieutenant Lor-
ing, "whom Geraldine met at West
Point and saw frequently the summer
and fall that followed his graduation.
There were members of the court who
sought to hear what Loring had to say
on the subject, but he proved unap-
proachable All men noted the amaze
indeed, the shock-that resulted from
Nevins' public and somewhat abrupt
mention of the sisters name. The
judge advocate sat for moment as
though stricken dumb, his eyes fixed
and staring, his face pallid, the muscles
of his compressed lips twitching per
ceptibly, his hand clinched and bearing
hard upon the table,
There were few army women at Camp
Cooke in those days-only two or three
veteran campeigrers and one misguided
bride-but had the post been full of
them there could hardly have been Curl
osity more lively than was exhibited by
most OF the court all that long after
noon and evening. Conjecture, com
ment and suggestion passed from lip to
lip. One Or two men even went SO far
as to drop in at the tent assigned to the
lonely accused, and, after expressing in
terest and sympathy and desire to see
that he got fair play and fresh
o Mt
ins knew why Mr.. Loring had been SO
much astonished, if not overcome, by
the mention Of tie name Of Nevins' sis
ter-ln law
Nevlns didn't know. but at that mo-
ment he would have given his hopes of
mercy to find out He was writing to
his wife when his visitors came, de
handing explanation He could think
OF several possibilities, any of which in
his unenlightened mind might give him
claim, even hold, on the hitherto
intractable West Pointer. Why, why
had he not heard or dreamed Before this
long trial came to it's dramatic close
that there was some strong and mystic
rlons connection between him and Lor-
cused? The one plausible theory was
that Loring and Geraldine were or had
been afiianced
FIom all his wife had told him in
their few days of moderate content and
apparent bliss he knew Geraldine to be
beautiful, gifted and attractive to any
man despite her poverty That she had
been petted and spoiled, that she was
selfish to the core, grasping and ambi-
tlous, be had never heard, yet might
have inferred from Naomi's faltering
pleas Oh her sisters behalf early in the
days of their welded life In his eager
ness to learn something Of the truth he
sent messenger during the afternoon,
after the final adjournment, and begged
that Mr. Loring should come to see
him. The reply was that Mr. Loring
would do SO later Only two men sue
ceeded IN seeing Loring that afternoon
and evening-the post commander, Ma
jor Starke. at whose quarters he was
housed. and the veteran president of the
court. On the plea Of being very busy
writing the record of the weeks ses-
sion he had excused himself to every.
body else.
There had been something of scene
before the adjournment that morning.
The court was ordered to try "such
other prisoners as might properly be
brought before it," and it was under
stood that two deserters, captured at
Tucson, had announced their intention
Of pleading guilty and throwing them
selves on the mercy of the court. Hig-
gins had been sent to Fort Yuma. It
would take long weeks to get the evil
dence in his case from New Orleans,
but the two victims at Coos knew we'll
that their case was clear There was no
use in fighting. The sooner they were
tried the shorter terms would they serve
as prisoners. Nevins finished at 10
O'Clock. Loring's brief stupefaction was
conquered not without evident effort.
Vouchsafing no response to the plea Of
the accused for mercy, he announced
that he submitted the case without re-
rly <bo