The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-04-14
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less treachery to two helpless women.
one of whom was Nevins' wife, the
other the officers own deserted and bro
ken hearted betrothed.
Then came Petty, ordered to join his
company in the field and eager as ever
to seek some loophole of escape. Report
ing to pay his homage to the temporary
commander at headquarters, he soon
got an inkling of what was going on,
aud all at once there flashed upon him
the magnificence of his opportunity.
Here he could at one and the same
time feed fat his ancient grudge against
Loring and make himself Indispensable
to the aging commander of the depart
ment, perhaps even secure another staff
billet, certainly at least succeed in being
kept there on duty and away from the
perils of the field until after the court,
and meantime what would friends be
worth if they could not move the pow
ers at Washington?
Day after day he was closeted with
old Stevens, adding fuel to the flame of
that ingenious veterans suspicious.
But it is doubtful if even Petty dreamed
of the depth of Neyins' sooundrelism.
Burleigb, whom the ex-captain had
"bled" and blackmai!ed, had passed
beyond the bar OF human arraignment,
"dying like a gentleman" even while
captive in the hands of the authorities,
and SO did Nevins impress his uncon-,
tradicted tale of loyal service to the
state on the old weakling in command
that Stevens had declared that there
was no evidence on which to hold him,
had ordered his release from custody on
parole, unless the civil authorities de-
sired to prosecute him for 'personating
an officer, /" and had written to the di-
vision commander, praising Nevins
conduct and urging that the sentence of
imprisonment be set aside.
And then he never could tell Just
who brought this about, whether it was
Mrs. Burton or Miss Allyn, with their
tears and tribulations; whether it was
Nevins, with his bold accusations, or
Petty, with his insidious tales, but be-
tween them all the old colonel was in
duced to send his adjutant and acting
aid to examine certain baggage of Lor-
ing's stored at the hotel. Never having
given up his room when hurrying off
to Gate City, expecting to be back
within week and merely to pay room
rent when absent, as was the arrange
ment of the day, Loring had left his
4 trunks and desk securely locked.
Two officers and the protesting hotel
clerk were present at the opening. The
locksfnith even seemed to hate his job /;
the adJatant had never meaner one
but Petty was eager. Fresh from an in
terview with Geraldine, he was the di-
recting spirit. 1t was his hand that ex-
tracted from deep down under the pack
ed clothing in the trunk small tin
box, wrapped in silk handkerchief.
Within the box, when opened, were
certain letters in woman's hand, Ger.
aldine Allyn s-letters written to Lor-
ing in the days Of their brief engage.
insnt, letters long since returned to her
under his hand and seal, and with them,
In closely folded wraps of tissue paper,
inclosed in stout envelope, valuable
solitaire and as valuable a ring. The
regimental aijutant it was who opened
the box and who made these discoveries.
Half an hour later they were identified
by Nevins, in the presence of old Peck.
sniff, as the diamonds intrusted to Lor.
ing's care in Arizona, and Nevins pro.
fessed to be disappointed because the
watch, too, was not found with them.
Not until late July did Loring learn
OF the action taken in his enforced alb
sence and of the resulting developments
Not word would he vouchsafe in ex
PLANTATION when old Pscksniff, whiting
under the criticisms of his superiors
sent his adjutant to "invite remarks .
The court has been ordered" saic
Loring. with GOODNESS described as con
temptuous. "L'll make my remarks
there. -
But long before that court could meet
the colonel, as has been said, went bach
to his post. The new commander ar
rived ard ordered Nevins to an Iowa
prison to serve out the year awarded
him, sent Captain Petty summarily tt
Laramie, and babe Mrs. Burton &c
about her business when that lachry
NOSE person came to urge that he should
do something "to make Lieutenant Lor
ing settle" She had lost her lovely
boarder, too, for no sooner had "Mrs
Fletcher" heard of the new accusations
against Loring than she appeared al
Omaha and whiaked her sister away,
no one at Omaha knew where, but in.
dignant old John Folsom could perhaps
have told. He cut Pecksniff dead when
that officer returned to Emory and re-
fused to go near the fort. He threw
open his doors and his heart to Lorine
when the convalescing engineer wal
brought in from the ranch. The new
general actually came, ostensibly to in
spect the post, but spent IL hours a,
Folsom's by Loring's side to the one
devoted to Stevens, and every body fell
that there was storm brewing thai
would break when finally the witnesses
for the defense arrived and the Lorine
court could meet.
But who would have dreamed there