Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-04-08
THE VICTOR'S SPOILS

Miss Terrence. going down the line
watched the girl who was coming to.
ward her. There were three men with
the girl, and only Lancaster was with
Miss Terrence. However, as he was
all the world to her, Helena-iike, she
lacked not words of company. The
six met on the walk In front of Captain
Lansing's quarters.
Lansing was a cynic who observed
his kind and told the result of his OBJ
servations. Such are deservedly IN
popular. but command appreciative an.
dience that are the envy of the good
hearted. 1t was 10 an audience of tho
sort that he recounted the meeting the
same afternoon when the band had
stopped playing and the invading hosts
from the town had scattered and left
the post to its rightful owners.
Dorothy Terrence" he began, laying
his saber across his knees and settling
back to the temporary repose which
alone can fall to the lot of the officer
OF the day; Dorothy Terrence came up
the walk. She had Lancaster with her,
and she was looking happy. Miss
Leeds-the bankers daughter, you
know-came down the walk. She be-
slowed n sweet and transitory smile
upon Miss Terrence, but Lancaster is
not the best-looking fellow in the Pre-
sido for nothing. IL any Of you hap
pen to share my good fortune of know
ing her. you will understand what in
the nature of things and of men, hap
pened when she turned her eyes upon
him with a trick she has of seeming to
look into ones very soul.
She has the most beautiful voice
outside of the heavenly choir. and she
brought il into play also. Dorothy
stood il az long as she could, and then
she tried 10 get him away. He never
even heard her If Miss Leeds had not
gazed soul searchingly at him and told
him that she must be going, but would
see him ut the hop, he doubtless would
be standing there still with Dorothy
anxiously watching him. 1t will be
<yorth going to the hop TO see things
happen.
Lancaster stood Mt the door of the
s1rrssing-room and watched Miss Leeds
while nu waited for Dorothy. He saw
her throw back her gorgeous cloak and
drop it from her with the careless dis
dain Of celestial creature disearding
some temporary earthly garment. That
it fell on a chair and crushed other less
splendid wrappings beneath it was
detail which escaped hip. He watched
Aher as the budding feminine mass
made way for her at the mirror, and
she stood unchallenged, leisurely touch
ing her glimmering brown hair and
-in-i~~ great white rose upon her
oShouldef,
Dorothy waited at his side for fully
five minutes before he saw her Then
she laughed mockihgly mp into his
face and wished that her laughter
might have been a blow.
AS soon as he could leave her he
went running and sliding across the
floor to where Miss Leeds stood at bay
before besieging group. She was
backed against the wall, and sun
burst of sables was just above her
head.
"There are only 20 dances" she kept
repeating, land | never divide
Lancaster took two of his fellow Of
ficers by the shoulders and put them
out of his way. Miss Leeds looked in
to his eyes and smiled as, it seemed to
him, no woman had ever smiled before
She put her card into his hand.
THE two with the crosses are the
ones | promised you" she said. and as
she had promised and he had asked
umph.
Not that il was a case of love at first
sight. He was in love with Dorothy.
But the most faithful of men may pay
the court she expects to a belle and
and may allow himself TO be fiattered
by her marked favors.
He could honestly, then and for sew
eral weeks afterward, give Dorothy
the comfort she sorely needed and say
that he did not even think Miss Leeds
beautiful. "She has style and charm, -
he passed judgment. but not beauty,
And she is a flirt." He meant that Miss
Torrance should understand how en-
tirely he abhorred that.
Did she try to flirt when you called
upon herf
He had made a point of confessing
the call directly it was made, and he
thought it tactless of Dorothy to insist
upon it. He shrugged his shoulders
''She does that with every man."
1t was a truth which he fully APP
preciated. but its feeble light no longer
fell upon the path of duty when the
time came that the sun of Miss Leeds
countenance shed its glow upon the
highway of inclination. And yet she
did her best to make il clear to him.
tell YOU" she said to him. She SCI
down her teacup and leaned toward
him. with her elbows upon her knees
and her chin between her soft, pinl
palms. Her eyes were looking straight
into his and they filed his heart witt
anticipation. Do you think that this
is risky game we are playing, ant
that we have been playing it for al
its worth that last fortnight or soy
Lancaster knit his brows.
st is not worth while to pretend yol
don't understand. We both know ex
actly what | mean. But / want to b,
sure we both know that it is only
game am not in earnest, and yol
must not be-"
He gaZed at her speeches..
II suppose you are thinking that tn
suggestion of serious intentions nigh
come first from you" she said ''Tha