Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-12-15
copyright. 1890. by F. rennyson Neely.l

to one another by unusual ties. 1t was
the hardest society for fellow to get
into in any one of the seven colleges
whereat it fourished, and It's mystic
bonds were not shaken off with the
silken gown and mortar board" of
undergraduate days, but followed its
membership through many maturer
year. 1t was society most college men
might ask to join in vain. Money, So
cial station, influence were powerless.
Not until student had been under OBJ
servation two whole years and was
thoroughly known could he hope for
IBID" to become Delta Sig" Not
until another six months of probation
could he sport Its colors, and not until
he formally withdrew from Its fold,
in post graduation years, could he con-
slider himself absolved from its mild
obligations. But the boast of the "Del-
ia Sig" had ever been that no one of
Its membership had ever turned deaf
ear to fellow in need of aid. Who of
its originators ever dreamed of such
thing as its drifting into and becoming
factor in the affairs of the regular
army?
No wonder Gray stood for moment,
the paper still in his hands, irresolute,
even disturbed. Not to answer the APP
peal meant to run counter to all the ten
cts of his fraternity. To answer might
mean arrest and court-martial for de-
liberate disobedience of orders. Canker
has no more mercy than an Indian. 1t
was barely 4S hours since he had been
publicly warned by an experienced old
captain that he would find no guard.
ian angel in Squeers. 1t would Sc
riously mar his prospects to start now
with Squeers down on him." and as
that lynx-eyed commander was ever on
watch for infractions Of orders, Billy
well knew that he could not hope to see
and talk with the prisoner and Canker
not hear of it. To ask permission of
Canker would only make matters worse
he was sure to refuse and then re-
emphasize his orders and redouble his
vigilance. To ask the consent of the
officer of the day or the connivance of
the officer of the guard was to invite
them to court arrest and trial on their
own account. He couldn't do that even
to oblige brother Delft. II only Ned
Craven We're officer of The guard some
thing might be done-he was college
man, too, and though not "Delt," but
rather of a rival set, he ''would UNDER
stand" and possibly help. Guard mount
was held toward dusk, and that was
four hours away, ut least. The prison.
er's note and tone were urgent. An idea
occurred to Billy: What if he could
get Gordon to let him Ego on" this
very evening? 1t wasn't his tour. He
had "marched off" only two days be-
fore, as he well remembered, for Canker
chad roughed" him up and down about
that little error in copying the list of
prisoners from the report of the pre-
vious day. Moreover, he had counted
on going to town right after retreat"
dining at the Palace, an extravaganza
not to be thought Of at other times,
so as to be on hand when the Primes
and Amy Lawrence came down to din
ncr. He had planned it all--evcn to the
amount of surprise he was to exhibit
when he should discover about when
he had finished his own dinner that
they were just beginning theirs, and
the extent and degree of plcasurable
emotion he might venture on showing
as he FASTENED over to greet them,
and accepted their offer to be seated
with them, even if he had been SO un-
kind as to dine beforehand, instead of
with them. lie had set his heart on
having n chat with Miss Lawrence as
part recompense for all he had lost
that morning, and all this he was think
OF while still fumbling over that dis
turbing note. Time was getting short.
too; there was no telling how much
longer they might stay. Mr.. Prime
had brought his only daughter all that
long journey across the continent on
the assurance that the boy he loved,
with whom he had quarreled, and
whom, in his anger, he had sorely re-
buked, had enlisted there in San Fran
cisco and was serving in regiment Mt
the great camp west of the city. lie
had come full of hope and confidence;
he had found the young soldier de-
scribed, and, In his bitter disappoint-
ment, he declared there was no re-
semblance to justify the report sent him
by the boys own uncle, who vowed he
had met him with comrades on the
main street Of the city, that the recog-
milton was mutual, for the boy had dart
ed around the first corner and escaped.
His companions were scattered by the
time Mr.. Lawrence turned to the spot,
after brief, fruitless search, but pri-
vate detectives had taken 1t up and ''lo-
Gated" young Prime and telegraphed
the father in the distant east.
Now, Mr.. Lawrence was away on
business Of his own. Written assur-
ances that he couldn't be mistaken lost
weight, and Mr.. Prime, disheartened,
was merely waiting the report Of an
agent who thought he had traced the
boy to Tampa. In "a hours he might
spirit his daughter away on another
chase, and then there would be no fur
Their warrant for Miss Lawrence's re-
naming in the city. She would return
to her lovely home in one of the loveliest
of California valleys, miles away from
the raw fogs and chills Of the Golden
Gate, and would be no more seen among
the camps. That, said Billy Gray to
himself, would take every bit of sun
shine from his life.
All this detail, or much Of it, he had
learned from the fair lips of Miss Law
renee herself, for Mr.. Prime and his
daughter seemed to shrink from speak