The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-14

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I'LL stiii, followed after. Not until he
had mounted the steps at the coionel's
did thu young officer turn again. Then
Z, with pplifted hand and arm be stood
dwarhing her back Something in the
attitude, something In the stern, quiv.
ering, white face seemed at last to bring
to her the realization Of the force Of
his 'unspoken denunciation.
Harry Harryp' she cried. "Oh,
come and let me tell you'll You don't
understand! ! meant no wrongl I was
only going for q ride. Not with him,
not with him, Harryi' and so, plead
ing, weeping she followed almost to
the colonel's gate before the door was
opened from within and VIM was
swallowed up in the darkness of tho
hall.
By this time some inkling Of the
trouble had been borne to Collabone,
ever an early riser. As he came hastily
forth from his quarters, the first thing
he saw was the dropping form Of Mrs.
VIM weeping at the oolonel's gate
Selling her arm with scant ceremony,
he whirled her about and bore her
homsward. she sobbing out her story as
they sped along, he listening with
clouded, anxious face.
go back to your room, Mrs. Winn,"
be said, 90 solsmnly and warningly she
could not but heed. "Go to yodr baby.
I'll 60 first next door, then I'll find
your husband" She shrank within the
hallway and threw herself, weeping
mjserably, upon the sofa in the pretty
parlor-the parlor where she had so
fascinated Hodge There the sound Of
her baby's wailing reached her in an
interval of her own, and she called to
the nurse to do something to comfort
that child. There was no answer.
"Miss Purdy," with gathering tongue
and eager eyes and ears and half q
dozen aympathizing neighbors was out
In rear Of the house, deaf to demands
of either mother or child. There Cola
bone found her and sent her scurrying
within before the fury Of his wrath.
'Now, this will not do, Mrs Winn,"
be said, as following he lifted the moan
ing woman from the sofa. "You must
60 to your room-to your child, as l
told you. Captain Barclay will soon be
all right. He has lost much blood. but
the hemorrhsge is checked. Now will
60 for Mr.. VIM. It's bad business,
but don't make it worse by any more
nonsense. With that he not too gen.
thy pushed her up the first few stairs,
then turned abruptly and FASTENED
away to Frazier's.
In the hall he found that gray hair
ed, gray faced veteran listening stupid.
~ to VIM.
~ don't understand, SIR" he was
saying. "You struck him-with what?"
II dom know" said Vim. "They
say I've killed him. Ihave come to sur
render myself. His eyes were as dull
and leaden as his heart.
TITS not SO bad" burst in the doc
tor. Barclay fell or was knocked over
chair, and the jar reopened his
wound He tainted from loss Of blood,
but it's checked now"
"But-how-why?" the colonel was
stammering. Over the balustrade aloft
popped one head nightcapped, and two
with tousled hair, and blanched faces
were framed in all three, and gasping
words were heard, and whisperings as
of awestricken, news craving souls.
where did this OCCUR and when did
you return sir?''
''On the back porch Of my-of our
quarters, oolonel-when l got back,
just before gun fire. -
"And what possible excuse or expla-
nation have you, sir? What could war
rant such-such conduct?' demanded
Frazier, as though at loss for suitable
words Yet, even as he asked, his
wife's predictions reasserted them
selves, and he glanced uneasily aloft.
"Come into this parlor, colonel, i'm
plored Collsbone. "Say no more here.
Let me explain. It's all q wretched
mistake, :" and half pushing, half pull
ing, but all impelling, the doctor sue.
ceeded in hustling the post commander |
and the inert, unresisting subaltern
within the parlor. Then, to the infinite
disgust of the oolonel's wife, he shut
yes, slammed-the door.
A quarter Of an hour later, in close
arrest, Lieutenant VIM returned to
his own roof and locked himself in his
den. Mrs Vim, kneeling at the key
hole, pleaded ten minutes for admis-
sion, all in vain. Then she sent her
maid for DR.. Collabone and Mrs. Faulk-
ner and went straightway to bed.