Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1899-01-28
CHAPTER II.

'T own I never thought of her marry
ing In the army" said Aunt Charlotte,
rs do other aunts and mothers after
their girls have been campaigning ut
the Point.
"What income, II any, have You out
side your pny?" was Uncle Mellen's
more-to-the-point Interrogation.
"Nothing, sir"
swell, neither has she. That Is, what
she has Is so small 1t wouldn't keep that
extravagant child in gloves. You two
had better be sensible and think II
over"
Randy Merriam did think II over, but
all to no purpose. The more he thought,
the more he declared himself hopelessly
and irrevocably in love, and rs Miss
Fan took kindly to his protestations,
and Parry and Charlotte took kindly
to him and sympathized with the SOL
dierly felloy, who was evidently much
OF q gentleman and so much In love.
II resulted in his being made welcome
at Parry's club, received quite rs Parry
was at the Mellens-since not oftener
than once a week could he get away
from his duties at the Point, and when
Ned and Charlotte were married, as
they were In state and style early in
the winter, Merriam had many good
reason for believing that. despite his
poverty, the next wedding reception
held at the Mellen's beautiful home
would be one in which he would be
vitality interested.
Well, he was; but not in the way or
manner expected. In fact, he did not
attend the ceremony or the reception;
indeed, he was not hidden. A very dis
agreeable thing happened to him with
in q month after the Parry-Hayward
wedding. one that overwhelmed him
with modification and distress, and
caused no little indignation among his
comrades.
Everybody knew Randy Merriam was
In debt. He made no secret Of 1t. lie
was extravagnnt in his tastes, had in
CURED obligations before going on duty
ut the Point, and found 1t impossible
to "catch up" there. There were three
or four accounts he had been asked to
settle, as they had been running some
time, but he put them off from month
to month, hoping that he might soon
be able to obtain possession Of small
sum OF money left him by the will of
relative two years before. II was only
q few thousand dollars, yet even that
had been contested, together with o
number Of similar requests, and the
legal complications had been rs ex-
asperating as the laws delay could
make them. One day, soon after Char
lotte's wedding, Merriam was sum-
moned to the presence Of the SUPER
intendent and was regretfully told that
four OF his creditors had united in an
appeal to the war department, and the
matter had been referred TO him us
post commander. Merriam was con-
founded. He had seen and talked with
one Of them only few weeks before,
and no such action had even been limited
at. Nor did he know that any one Of
their number was aware Of his indebt-
edness TO the others. Frankly he had
told Miss Fan of these matters before
he told her Of his love. but il made, ap-
parently, no impression on her. "Let
them watt" she said. you'll soon be
able to pay them ten times over"
Frankly he had talked Of It to one or
two Of his intimates. and later TO Parry,
who had grown TO like him, and who,
as a lawyer, thought his little Inherit
ance could not be much longer with
held. II would free him; II would very
prettily furnish their quarters and still
leave a few hundreds to the fore. lie
remembered, too. that Uncle Mellen had
made some inquiries of him, and that
in perfect frankness he had replied.
And now, just at the moment when he
was full Of hope and happiness, came
this cruel modification. Such action
on the part of his creditors was unac-
countable, but, as the superintendent
said, 1t was a solemn fact. Deeply cha
grined, he told the colonel the whole
story, and the colonel was full Of SYM
patty, but us full Of sense.
'I'm sorry, Merriam" said he, "but
there's only one thing for you to do.
There's no telling when you'll ever get
that inheritance. When lawyers once
get hold OF IN estate it's dollars to-
dimes nobody else ever does, and by the
time judgment Is awarded in your ia
vor 1t will be eaten up in fees and in
Vulnerable charges. You cannot count
OH q cent Of It. You cannot save any
thing to speak of here. Just capitalize
thosedebts Of yours; borrow the money
from some business man on reasonable
time and interest, get your life insured
in his favor, and go out and join our
troop. We can have you relieved Us ut
your own request, and once out on the
frontier you can save SO much month,
and little by little pull yourself out"
And leaving his pretty sweetheart,
his chosen friends and pleasant sur
roundings, this was exnctly what
Randy Merriam did. Ned Parry, with
q puzzled look on his face, had listened
to his mournful recital, had promptly
offered his services and his bank nc
count, and made but one stipulation:
"Don't you go near those fellows, Mer-
rinm. Let me have the bills and I'll
send you the receipts" for Parry had a
theory of his own.
6edgwick was rs dreary post, SO far
ns surroundings were concerned, Us
could be found in the west. II stood
on o pebbly mesa, fat and barren, over
looking the narrow, tortuous, shallow
canyon through which rippled the
waters OF the San Mateo. Across the
western horizon hung O low, Jagged
curtain Of distant blue mountains. Far
away TO the northwest q snow peak
a Il