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


'hent cor4:si'v Forward in welcome, but
her quick c.',s had recognized the
fourth occupant by this time, and there
was little less of assurance in her
manner from that instant.
GLOW perfectly dclicious!" she cried
II feared from what You said yesterday
you weren't coming, and so never or
dered the carriage, but came out in sad
dle-l can't stay on horseback with
such wreck as this, but every decent
horse in the Preside had to go out with
the generals and staffs, you know, and
l had to take what l could get-both
horse and escort" she added, in a conf
dental tone. "Oh!-N1ay present Mr..
Ellis? He knows you all by name al
ready" (The youth in attendance and
Mcclellan tree two sizes too big for
him, lifted his cap and strove to smile;
he had ridden nothing harder than a
park back before that day.. frank
says talk of nothing else. But where's
Mr.. Gray? Surely 1 thought he would
be with you" This for Armstrong;
benefit in case he were in the least in
terested in either damsel.
Mr.. Gray was detained by some du-
ties in camp" explained Miss Prime,
with just q trace of reserve that was lost
upon neither their new companion nor
the colonel. 1t settled matter the
placid officer was revolving in his mind.
pardon us, Mrs. Garrison" he said,
| briefly. eve must hurry, Go on,
driver"
''oh, I can keep up" was the indomit-
nble answer, "even on this creature"
And Mrs. Garrison proved her words by
whipping her steed into lunging can
ter, and, sitting him admirably, rode
| gallantly alongside, and just where Mr..
Prime could not but see ard admire,
since Col. Armstrong would not look
at all. He had entered into an explana-
ton Of the ceremony by that time well
under way, and Miss I.awrence's great
soft brown eyes were fixed upon him
attentively when, perhaps, she should
have been gazing at the maneuvers.
Like those latter, possibly, her thoughts
were changing direction.
Not ten minutes later occurred the
collision between the hack and the
heels that resulted in the demolition of
one and Decentralization" of the rider
of the victor. While the latter was led
away by the obedient Mr.. Ellis lest the
sight of him should bring on another
nervous attack, Mrs. Garrison was SUI
fering herself to be comforted. Her
nerves We're gone, but she had not lost
her head. Lots of Preside danes and
damsels were up on the heights that
day in such vehicles as the post afford,
ed. None appeared in anything sc
stylish and elegant as the carriage Of
the Prime party. She was new and
comparative stranger there, and II
would vastly enhance her socia,
prestige, she argued, to be seen in sucl
"swell' surroundings. With a little
tact and management she might ever
arrange matters so that, willy nilly, hel
friends would drive her thither instead
of taking Col. Armstrong back t
camp. That would be stroke worth
playing. She owed Stanley Armstrong
bitter grudge, and had nursed it long
She had known him ten years and hated
him nine of them. Where they met ant
when it really matters not. In the arm.
people meet and part in a hundred
places when they never expected t.
meet again. She had married Franl
Garrison in hand gallop, said the gar
rison chronicles, before she had know
him two months" said the men, "befor
he knew her at ALL" said the women
She was four years his senior, 1t TIL
chaplain could be believed, and fiv
months his junior if she could What
ever might have been the discrepanc,
in their ages at the time of the cere
mony no one would suspect the trut.
who saw them now. 1t was he VIII
looked aged and careworn an
harassed, and she who preserved he
youthful bloom and vivacity.
And now, as she reclined as thong
still too weak and shaken to leave tn
carriage and return to saddle, her quic
wits were planning the scheme tina
. should result in her retaining, and hi
,, losing, the coveted seat. There was Iii
tie time to lose. Most of the crowd ha
scattered, and she we'll knew that
: was only waiting for her to leave be
!, fore he would return. Almost at tn
instant her opportunity came. A CO,
cred wagon refined suddenly alongsid
and kind and sympathetic voices halle
her: do let us drive you home, Mr.
Garrison; you must have been terribl
= shaken" She recognized at once til
. wife and daughter of prominent of
Ger of the post.
), ooh, how kind you are" she cried.
was hoping some one would come. Ii
deed, did get little wrench" An
> then, as she moved, with sudden gas
= of pain, she clasped Miss Lawrence
extended hand
: Indeed, you must not move, Mr.
Garrison" said that young lady. "W
o ~sea,
!; q 81 a. q