Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-27
An Army Wife.
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
Copyrighted. asss by f Teessssa oSeE@.1
sYassapS4s

Copyrighted. tsssa by F. TeessEsa o<eeI1
s1asersfs %
Chapter I.-FanE9e AetaSa. q Seune
widow. is invited 90 viEie the 6raftona
at Fort sedgwieh Her saster tres to de
she had Tilted for ola aaGGaae9 anddlis briao
are stationed there
Chapter II.-FanEsie aaeLanes wedding
causes family feelil7g q fAp saeFthS later
she. while tr lveliRg Gtsfth her husean9,
meets Merriam, on ohf3 weSdieg trip.
Chapter III.-Some tsr9e eg6viev5 70 this
Merriam had gone oA Q government SIR
vey. fallen i'll, and ha5 Bee8 p9gSea By Mrs.
Tremaine and daughter B1ereseo a hasty
note from Mrs. McLaBei5 ssepson takes
him to the plains.
Chapter IV.-Young NoLane aietates to
to Parry "a young Chicago lawyer AID
brother-in-law of Mrs. MebaSeSs Reply
causes Merriam to swoon. He Is taken to
the Tremaine's; calls for Fferenoe.
Chapter V.--Engagement OF Florence
Tremaine ito Merriam Is arssouneeA; veed-
ding shortly follows.
q Chapter VI.-Mr. NeIane Is mysterious
Iy shot in San gr2neisee. Merriam is
greatly excited when he r@a9s account in
papers. While still in pevsrJng Mrs dc
Lane prepares to v8sie Eert Seagwiek.
Chapter VII.-MrS, NcEane arrives at
the fort. Merriam is startled at the news,
and he and his wife a4Seae themselves
from the formal HeA that evening.
Chapter VITI.|adss aea hrs. Merriam
pay their respects e che ~d0w an
evening when she weala Be sure to bave
returned Morria9 Is eeeqy, ana HIS wife
pleads Illness aa exegSe fer not seeing
her. Mrs. MsEsaas receives telegram: AR
rested. Chieases Yeur uneJe StrJeken-por-
alysis. You val Be snmIaepea. Secure
papers, otherwise 1ese SVer9 teiDs. C. N. .
She faints ana i9 revived With eaf1cvlty.
Chapter INa@g1rs4 MeLans aesiges te see
Merriam. Gfa8roa psrsu9aes biB1 to 60.
but the widow pesaeshes eAe Esseetisgo till
next noon.
Chapter x-E1@repes 1eayeso sJerriam
has been to se& affas meL1Ae. and in q
storm of passion wiz A@taJleRe htra to eE-
plain. Shortly after Merriam Is Intercepted
by Fannie McLane as he is passing through
Grafton's yard. Florence Witnesses the
meeting, which she IS sppp9ses heso been pre-
arranged. 20
Chapter XI.-Mrs. McLans hegs Merriam
for papers given him by her stepson, but
which he tells her were all forwarded to
Parry. Merriam is seriouslyo wounded in
fight with greasers.
Chapter XII.-Florence, in her deep dis
appointment, leaves her home in thenight
for her fathers house at the cantonment
Chapter XIII.-Three personal telegraph
messages come for Merriam from Parry.
Latter Is notified of MerriamS mfshap
miles from posts. A dispatch from her law
yer. on his way to the fort, together with
account of serious injuries to- Merriam
account of serious injuries to Merriam,
causes Mrs. McLape to faint.
Chapter XIV-Merriam Is brought in in
the ambulance. inquiries for Florence. but
gets only an evaSive answer. doctdr fear
Ing news OF her flight may prove fatal to
him.
Chapter Xv.-Just about noonp when the
hospital attendant was away at dinner.
Mrs. McLane steals in on Merriam. What
follows Is thus described:
CHAPTER XV.-CoNTINUED.
He was half asleep. half awake. in
mat helplessly lethargic state that
seems to possess most temperamsnts
after subsection to the influence of NOR
phine. He was conscious of no pain, no
soreness, conscious of nothing but that
longing for the coming of Florence and
a wondering as to the time of night or
day. He remembered half opening his
eyes and seeing Hop blinking in an easy
chair by the bedside. and then noticed
that it was in the spare room-the guest
room-he was lying. and he thought it
must be neardawn. for the shutters and
shades were drawn, yet dim light was
shining through. He thought F1orrie
must be in her room. the front room,
and he was just thinking of calling to
the servant and rousing him, when he
heard the swift pit-a-pat of light foot
steps in the hall. a swish Of skirts, and.
stretching out his arm, he called aloud:
Florence. darling!" and the next min
ute a woman's form was at his bedside
and he started up. rubbing his eyes.
amazed, startled. believing perhaps that
he was still dreaming. for there, with
trembling, outstretched hands. stood
Fanny McLane.
'W'hat-where is my wife2" he
gasped. "I thought-why. surely this
cannot be you'll"
eft is I. Randy" she quavered. 81 was
IN torment could not rest nor sleep.
I knew you were alone, with no one to
care for you."
..Alonel" he interrupted. "What do
you mean? Where is Florence. my
wife2"
"You don't mean-they haven't told
you?" she answered. "She has gone