The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-04-04
admit nothing.

Yet it was Of thisvery matter the en-
gineer was thinking one soft, still even-N
ing soon after his return to department.
headquarters. His boxes had just arriv-
ed. He had found fairly comfortable
room away from the turbulent section
Of the new and bustling town, and
equally distant from the domicile OF
Stone and his particular set. Loring
never ambled and took little interest
in cards. He was still "taking his ra-
! tions' at tho hotel, but much disliked
/ it, and was seriously thinking of seek
ing board in some private family. The
barracks were too far out and the roads
, deep in mud, or he would have lived
and messed" out there The few
boarding houses were crowded, and
with an unoongenial lot as rule. Pri
yate families that took two or three ia
BILE hoarders were very few, but some
one suggested his going to see the rector
of the new parish, himself a recent ar
rival.
The sun had gone down behind the
high bluffs at the back of the struggling
frontier town. The plank sidewalks
/
the hotel with picturesque loungers as
the young officer made his way west
ward and soon reached the outlying, I'M
paved, deep rutted cross streets. He
readily found the rector, a kindly, gen.
tie hammered widower, whose sister
had come to keep house for him. and
never before had either Of them lived
i'll community SO utterly primitive. II
not uncouth. 1t was plain to be seen
! that he was southerner, and in the
Joy OLA few minutes conversation with
a young man, whose language and man
ners bespoke the gentleman, Mr.. Lam
bert speedily made known to him that
his health had suffered in New Orleans
and his physicians had insisted on total
change of climate, and the great north
west was new, untrodden field for the
sons of the cross, of his sect at least.
He had read with admiration of the
missionary work accomplished among
the savage Indians by the church of
Rome, but there were heather rather
4 more intractable than they, said he,
with nigh. Mr.. Loring was sympa
thetic.. hat already informed on that
point. What he wished to learn was
did the rector know of any family
among his parishioners at whose table
he could find his daily bread for rea-
sonable consideration? Loring, as has
been seen, was man to whom the con-
verse of his fellow men, as found upon
our frontier, was neither edifying nor
improving He preferred the society Of
L; 4 kl1H
neral Colonel Newcome, it will be re-.
membered, always accorded the head Of
column to the church), the adjutant
general Of the new department and one
solitary subaltern of cavalry were the
only men he had met since reporting at
Omaha whom he found really con-
genial. But, then, it must be remem-
bered that it was the early summer and
the troops were all afield.
The rector brought the tips of his fin-
gers together and bowed his gray head,
his characteristic attitude in reflection
and repose. Yes, he knew Of one, a
woman widowed but year ago, who
was striving to keep her home by TAX
ing boarders and who perhaps could.
find room for him at her table, Already
she had given shelter to most estima..
BILE woman, widow like herself, a
woman of many sorrows whom he had
we'll known during the troublous days
in New Orleans, gentlewoman, be
might say, whose birth and breeding
were apparent to the most casual OBJ
server, a Mrs. Fletcher, who had come
to him for advice, and who, through
his recommendation gladly given, had
recently gone to a good position-a
lucrative posi5ion-and home at Gate
City.
Loring was politely interested. But
could the rector direct him to the
house? He would call at once and make
inquiries. The rector could of course,
but he was aging, and he loved listen
Ell. He hated to let bearer go. Might
he ask it Mr.. Loring was any connec-
ton of the general of that name so con-
spicuous in the service of the south in
the defense Of their beloved old creole
city before the hapless days Of Butler,
though he must concede to General But
Ter that his vigorous administration of
municipal affairs had cleansed and
| duAA"htAACu ehc CitS DIS Uu6y udu never
! seen it done before? The similarity Of
name had suggested the
None whatever that know of, ,"
said Lo1ine, finding it necessary to in
terpose "And where is Mrs. Fletch-
"Ah, to be sure! Mrs. Fletcher is the
name of the lady who boarded there
awhile. but she has gone to Gate City.
Mrs. Burton it is-a worthy soul. Per-
haps indeed ] think breath of air will
do me good. l might walk around there
with you
So despite the circumstances in his
sisters eyes and Loring's respectful
protest the rector got his hat and linked
his arm in that of the young athlete on
his left and led forth into the cleaning,
prattling all the way. Soon they reached
the CROSS street that led northward, par
allel with the bluff line at the west,
and against the twilight of the month