Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1899-06-02
THE VICTOR'S SPOILS

| "iSS itTTtHCe, HOlnE uOWn tne line,
watched the girl who was coming to-
ward her. There We're three men with
the girl, and only Lancaster was with
Miss Terrence. However, ms he was
all the world to her, Helena like, she
lacked not words of company. The
six met on the walk in front of Captain
Lansing's quarters.
Lansing was cynic who observed
his kind and told the result of his OBJ
servatOns. Such are descrvedly I'M
popular, but command apprcciative au-
dience that are tn" envy of the good
hearted. 1t was To an audience of the
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 hia 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-camp down the walk She be-
slowed sweet and transitory smile
upon Miss Terrence. but Lancaster il
not the est-looking fellow In the Pre-
sidiO for nothing. If 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 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 1t into play also. Dorothy
stood 1t as long as she could. and then
she tried TO get him away. He never
even heard her. If Miss Leeds had not
gaZed soul searchingly at him and told
him that she must hc going. but would
see him AT the hop. he doubtless would
be standing there still with Dorothy
anxiously watching him. 1t will he
worth going to the hop to see things
happen.
Lancaster stood at the door OF the
dressing room and watched Miss Leeds
while he waited for Dorothy. He saw
her throw back her gorgeous cloak and
drop II from her with the careless dis
dain Of a celestial creature discarding
some temporary earthly garment. That
1t fell on chair and crushed other less
splendid wrappings beneath 1t was
detail which escaped him He watched
her rs the budding feminine mass
made way for her at the mirror, and
she stood unchallcnged, leisurcly touch
Ing her glimmcring brown hair and
pinning great white rose upon her
shoulder.
Dorothy waited at his side for fully
five minutes before he saw her. Then
she laughed mockingly up into his
q.
might have been blow.
As soon as he could leave her he
went running and sliding across the
floor to where Miss Leeds stood ut bay
before a bcsicglng group. She was
backed against the wall. and sun
burst OF sablcs was Just above her
head
"There are only 20 Dances" she kept
repeating, "and never divide"
Lancaster took two Of his fellow Of
fcers 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
nothing his heart beat high with trI-
umph.
Not that II was case OF love Mt first
sight He was in love with Dorothy.
But the most faithful of men may pay
the court she expects to belle and
and may allow himself TO be hattered
by her marked fnvors.
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 IL n nlrt." He meant that Miss
Torrance should understand how en-
tirely he abhorrcd that.
"Did she try to hirt when you called
upon her"
lie had made n point OF contrasting
the cnll directly II was made, and he
thought II tactless OF Dorothy TO insist
upon II. He shrugged his shoulders.
"She does that with every man"
1t was n truth which he fully ap-
preciated, but It's feeble light no longer
fell upon the path of duty when the
time came that the sun OF Miss Leeds
countenAnce shed lts glow upon the
highway Of inclination. And yet she
did her best 10 make II clear to him.
,ou 80 U",, '' shn s.Id 70 ILL.,, n u 10
49, ~, ,n' ~ i nun one se.
ht,n With hor oIho,ya unnr TO- "mnru
and bar chtn het,yoo, boz ~, An ",r,'
naI,os uor evns yyoro IonLtno ,,a p,aa
,nto his ma tbev eIIod bic hoo n." ,',t,,'
'.Io1,i n 49,, u'r WIN
ia a riskv oome we ore nj. vima , ams
TINT we have heen nlaving i, e. " ~,
its worth that last roriniebt ar 80"
Lancaster knit his brows
al ia moi worth while IN nre,end von
don't understand, We both know ay
actIy what | mean. But I want IN ho
sure we both know that Il IL onIv a
game. I am not In eurnest and Won.
must not be-"
He gazed at her speechless.