Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-01-05

al just then, distinguished division
commander asked that the recently pro-
NOTED lieutenant colonel be assigned to
him for staff duty, and the war score
tary was pleased to say "Aye." The
summer at Sea Girt had been of benefit
to both Mrs. Barry and Nathalie espe-
cially the latter, who was beginning to
look wondrously we'll again, wrote Mrs
Barry, and shyly, sweetly happy. "You
must come and see for yourself. Mr.
Ronald Maynard, she wrote, and that
was something the bronzed and wiry
warrior meant to do the moment the
summers work was done and he could
get the longed for leave of absence.
Very sad and touching, but grateful,
were the letters that came to him from
the sorrowing household-Henry Will
liams' kindred, in the placid New Eng
land vlllage-yet even those letters
breathed something like relief from a
long threatened shame. 1t was as though
the final taking off of that reckless, sin
stained wanderer had lifted from their
hearts load of anxiety and dread
Then there were Grace's letters, SO
changed from all the old possessive, ad
visory, not to say mandatory, missives
that used to come to him Grace felt
her fall from grace far more keenly than
her stubborn pride would ever let her
| show Grace maintained, to herself at
least, that her course was justified by
the circumstances and would ultimately
/ no hon Erl
but for Gertrudes utterly unlocked for
and incomprehensible detection Had
she but renamed faithful to her school
girl fondness for Ronald he would have
been in honor bound, and over the re-
sultant dovecot would Grace have how
cred, its self appointed, self sufficient
guardian angel. But with Gertrude the
first to bolt there was an end to any
semblance of obligation on Ronald S
part.
She had faced him unflinchingly
when at last brought to hay and told
that she had concealed from him the
fact of Gertrudes engagement She adj
mitted it and declared that it was her
wrath at Gertrude that prompted it
She felt that purely out of pique be-
cause OF Ronald's indifference the girl
had temporarily taken up with another
admirer, but THAT it was nothing more
than fancy from which Grace could
wean her when once again she resumed
her sway at home. But Grace had been
away too long. The young man had
come to stay, and another of her former
vassals had declared Independence
And so, with both her former subjects
in revolt, Grace's home life seemed
grown even narrower, sadder than ever
With her loved father gone she had lit
tie to do but brood over the past and be-
wall the present. People, good, church.
going nelghbors, began to speak Of her
as imbittered and morbid and to up
braid her in all kindness of spirit be-
cause she became lax in attendance at
prayer meetings and the like, and all
the time the poor woman was asking
herself what would Ronald say if he
ever learned that she had actually join
ed forces with that empty headed,
frivolous creature at Fort Russell in
war against the good name of Nathalie
Baird.
Anger blazed in his eyes when he
wrung from her the admission that she
had told Nathalie Baird that he was
virtually engaged to Gertrude Bonner,
but it was anger too deep for words. He
would have no scene under the roof that
so long and until so recently had shei-
tered his fathers patient spirit, but he
turned from her in silence that told
her far more than any outburst of re-
proaches how utterly in his estimation
she had fallen.
He never even wrote to her the par
ticulars of Williams death. He bundled
u newspaper into wrapper and sent it
without comment of any kind. and she
read it, little caring what confession he
had made to Ray and Maynard. She
heard Gertrude's clear young voice
caroling like the lark in the joy Of her
love day after day, and the contrast of
more and more heavily upon her. AS
the summer waned and the boughs of
the fruit trees began to droop with the
weight of their ripening load she retired
more and more from public view, rarely
appearing as of old OH the village street
or speaking masterfully at the church
societies. She was aging fast and grow
ing ill., and at last it was her aunt who
wrote and babe Ronald not to be slow
in coming to them.
He showed the letter to Atherton with
an awed look in his grave young face.
Sister Grace had ever seemed so strong.