The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-08
CHAPTER K.

one of Colonel Frosts consuming am
Il billions was to be the head of his de-
81 paitment. with the rank of brigadieT
FL general, but he had strong rivals. and
N knew it. Wealth he had in abundance.
81 1T was rank and power that he craved.
NJ -Four men-all with better war records
II and more eNper1ence-Stood between
him and that coveted star, and two OF
the four were popular and beloved men.
Frost was cold, selfish, intensely self
n w.lled. indomitably persevering, and
thonsh ''close-fiSted' to the scale of a
Scotch landlord as a rule, he would
81 soose his purse strings and pay well for
services he considered essential When
n Frost had consuming desire he let no
v money consideration stand in the way,
4 and for Mia Terriss he stood ready to
spend a small fortune. Everybody knew
Mrs Frank Garrison could never dress
q and adorn herself as she did on poor
Frank Garrison's pay, and when she
appeared with q dazzling necklace and
n superb new gown at the garrison
ball no. long after Frost and ms
4 shrinking bride left for their honey
moon. people looked at her and then
\ at each other. Mia TeTrisS was sold
to lack" Frost, was the verdict, and
her shfewd elder sister was the dealer.
4 Mrs. Frank knew what people were
thinking and saving just as wei as
though they had said it to her, yet
4 smiled sweetness and bliss on every
side Frankly she looked up into the
faces of her sisters in arms: i know
YOU like my necklace. Isn't it lovely?
H Colonel Frost's wedding present, you
know. de said j shouldn't give Mia
away without some recompense, and
this is it,
But that could have been only a part
Of it. said the garrison. An honorarlum
in solid cash, it was believed, was Tar
Tbs. greater portion of the consideration
which the elder sister accepted for hav-
\ ing successfully borne Mia away from
the dangers and fascinations of the
Point-having guarded her, dropping
;ud languii. against the advances OF
uaod-looxing soldier lads at headQuar-
fer.s. and finally having, by dint of
hears of argument, persuasion and
skill. delivered her into the arms or the
elderly but well preserved groom. All
he demanded to know was that she was
fancy -free-that there was no previous
attachment, and on this point Mrs
F'ranlx had solemnly aVerred there was
nonp The child had had a foolish
fancy for a cadet beau, but it amount
ed to absolutely nothing There mao
been no vows, no pledge, no promise Oh
any kind. and she was actually Tree as
hair. So Frost was satisfied.
They MADE an odd-looFdng pair. Frost
xvas ..pony built but sturdy, and Mia
seemed like faiTy--indeed, as unsub-
sfsr,tial as a wisp Of Vapor, as she
came down the aisle on bis arm. They
ve1s so far to the south on this honey
rrnpa Trim as almost to feel the shock
and conclusion when the Maine was
blo1rn to a mass of wreckage- Lney
were in Washington when The congress
9 Hssf ffa-f
Gnair and Colonel Frost was told his
ieavt was cut short-that he must re-
slirn 10 his station at once. Going first
ID the Arlington and hurriedly entering
she roorn he almost stumbled over the
hodv Of his wife. lying close to the door
sr a swooa. from which it took some
time and the efforts of the house ply
stefan and the maids TO restore her.
Questioned later as to the cause she
Went historically and wrung her hands.
She didn't know. She had gone to the
door to answer a knock and got dizzy
and remembered nothing more. What
became of the knockeT? She didn't
know. Frost inquired at the office. A
helihov was found who said he had /
taken up a card in an envelope given !
him by a young Teller who seemed |
kind o. sick. Mrs. Frost took il and |
Topped" and a chambermaid ran in TO |
ssEVhat became of the letter or note or |
card % asked Frost, with suspicion and |
jealousy IN his heart Two women, |
mistress and maid. and the bellboy |
swore they didn't know, but the maid |
did know. With the quick intuition of /
her sex and class she had seen that I
there was or had been a young lover. |
and sympathy for Nita and a dislike !
Tor Frost, who gave no tips. prompted /
her to hide il until she could slip it |
safely into Nita's hand, Nita who read, ]
shuddered. tore it into minute scraps, /
and wept more, face downward, on the /
bed. They had reached their winter |
station before the cable flashed the |
stirring tidings of Dewey's great VIC I
tory in Manila bay. and within half
week came Geographic orders for Colo
mel Frost to proceed at once to San
Francisco; there to await Instructions
The first expedition was organizing
when he arrived. his pallid little wife
by his side. and there were his instruc-
tons to proceed TO Manila as chief Of
his Department. Independent posi-
ton. and yet il was a horrid blow. But
there was no recourse Mia begged
fh5t she might stay with her sister.
She could not bear the idea OF going.
Frost knew thar no women could ac-
company the expedition, and. shipping
his chest ard desks by the transport.
he had secured passage for himself and
wife % Honglcong on one of the splen-
did steamers of the English line from
Vancouver. and so informed her 1t
dashed Nita's last hope. They were
occupying fine rooms at the Palace ho-
tel The city was thronged with Off