Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1899-02-04
even mi, horse hardly had 10 sprine

he has to exert himself bit;" and she
did, and no other one Of the girls dared
attempt II. Then she asked to have
her saddle removed and rode her horse
over the hurdles bareback, and when
he was going ut an easy canter about
the ring amazed the class by leaping
lightly of and on again. her slim.
strong young hands grasping the name,
yet never dragging upon the rein. This
made her envied. but hardly enviable,
for the erstwhile champions Of the
school gave II out that she had been
"child wonder" In some far-western
circus. It wasn't until Flo's second
year at st. Anne's that she began to
And either friends or appreciation there.
When she left at the close Of that sec
ond year, there WINS one set at least
among whose members she was we'll
nigh worshiped. She had not finished
the course. She needed ut least one
more year, said the teachers, but II
couldn't be. Tremaine had listened to
the tempter, invested his scant savings
In a Colorado mine that for one yeai
gave dividends galore, and then-gave
out. There could be no separate es.
tablishment maintained on the pay OF
a captain OF infantry, who was keeping
up heavy life insurance. Florence and
her mother were recalled to the Riflers,
and, to still further promote the econ
omy demanded by their misfortune,
Capt. Tremaine begged TO be allowed
to go to the cantonment on the Gaia.
mount, relieving with his company a
like force that had been there In exile
over year. People at regimental head
quarters thought II absolutely heart
less In him to take Mrs. Tremaine and
dear Florence to such desert, SO near
the Navajos to the north, and so ex-
posed to danger from predatory bands
of Apaches from across the Arizona line.
But neither Mrs. Tremaine nor Florence
shared their views. Floy was to have
her books. her birds, her horse; her
mother could direct her reading. and,
as for companionship. there was Mrs.
Lee, the wife of their first lieutenant;
she was barely 25. and charming young
matron; and Jimmy Crofton. their
junior sub. was engaged and would
soon bring his bride out to join. She
didn't doubt that they would have a
perfectly lovely time. hunting. fishing,
exploring In the mountains, and rid
ing races down the Catamount. Flor
ence's face would glow with enthnsi.
asm; II would become TRANSPORTED,
radinnt-.yes. almost pretty. said some
OF the ladies-so proud did she seem
to feel at sharing her fathers lot. So,
though few agreed that Florence was
beauty. all decreed that she was
trump, n fond and dutiful daughter,
sweet, sunny-natured child, who would
make lovely woman and wife one Of
these days. "0nly," said Mrs. Hayne,
with a world OF tenderness in her tone
-"only hope It may be the right man.
Girls with those big brown eyes love SO
deeply"
The cantonment turned out to be
something Of an Eden rs IN army post.
Four companies had once been sta
toned there. so there was lots Of room,
but after the last lot Of Apache ma
rauders had been translated to the
shores OF the Atlantic, matters nborig-
inal quoted down in Arizona and west
ern New Mexico. The cavalry were
needed elsewhere, and could not easily
be supplied at so isolated post; SO the
two troops We're marched back to the
valley of the Bravo, and then, soon after
Tremaine moved thither, II was decided
to recall one Of the two infantry COM
mands maintained there; that sent
Capt. Thompson back to headquarters,
and left only the Tremaines. the Lees
and DIR. Wells, for Jimmy Crofton's
fiancee's father had got him away on
detached service; and this was tho
commissioned society left at Catamount
when Randy Merriam. borne in litter,
delirious and wearing the willow for
Fanny McLane, was brought in to be
nursed and coddled back to health
again, and Tremaine made ready for
him big, airy room under his own
roof.
Not for six weeks WINS Randy able to
ride again, and states have been lost
and won in less. There is little need of
dwelling on the progressive stages Of
the unprecedented siege. Billy Whit
taker got there comparatively early in
the game, when convalescence had just
begun to be assured-when Florence,
shy and soft Of voice, WINS just begin
ming the daily readings aloud to her pa
tient-readings which, rs such, began
soon to shorten, though reader and au-
dience remained long and longer in
each others presence. BY and by the
book was but superfiuity. 1t lay un-
opened in her lap, Us she sat, with
downcast eyes and flushing cheeks, be-
side the hammock wherein her hero pa
tient lay, and the anxious mother noted
how, little by little, the girls soft, sill
very tones would become hushed-how
his voice, deep and strong again, yet
tender and subdued, would take up the
thread Of some old, old story; and one
day in alarm she fed to her husbands
study. for Florence was weeping in her
room.
do not interfere by look or word"
said that wise man. "He will be well
enough to rejoin his fellows in the field
next week, and they'll soon get over 1t.
If they don't-they cah get married.
That will put IN end to it."
"Dut think" persisted his better half,
ats Florence I'm troubled about. It's
she who may not soon get over it. Hers
IL q deep"
But here the captain arose and
amazed his wife by taking her in his
.,,,,,,, ood snaal,ino With n chokin0 Sob