Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-04-06
CHAPTER XVII.


OF it. Mr.. Loring, reticent as ever, had
gone straight to his rooms, which were
FAR from the Office and not very far from
the convent of the good gray sisters
He had no thought of INSTRUMENTATION
IN wiring as he did to Washington. He
considered 1T was his paramount duty
to make every effort in his power to sail
by the first steamer. Letters of instruc-
ton that had reached him had informed
MIN that new post was to be built
along the Big Horn range in Wyoming,
and that the moment he arrived a board
of officers, of which he would serve as
Junior, would be sent out to select the
site There was urgent need of his serv,
ices therefore and no time to be lost
He felt that this sudden and summary
arrest was wrong to him personally
and professionally, but the lessons Of
obedience and discipline taught in the
four long years at West Point were
fresh in his mind and whatever should
be the result of his detention the re
sponsibility now lay with the depart.
ment commander.
Arrived at his quarters Loripg calmly
wrote dispatch to the assistant in the
office of the chief of engineers at Wash
lngton, saying in SO many words;
Placed in close arrest because Of
previouR kilograms. Cannot sail tomor-
row.
This and note to the lady superior
at the convent, saying he would be un-
able to come to say goodby to Pancha,
and would probably be detained, he
sent by his servant, bidding the man go
first to the telegraph office. and then to
stop at headquarters Tor certain DOCKS,
and then to deliver the note at the con.
vent on his homeward way.
Dennis was a retired dragon who
had found such employment with the
officers on duty in San Francisco for
several years past, and was endowed
with the Irishman's almost pathetic
sense of fealty to his commander, as
he insisted on speaking of his employer.
Master was word he could not toler-
ate because of its implication of servi-
tude. But even while rebelling at tho
term he yielded to the fact degree of
devotion to Loring's interests far ex-
ceeding that usually accorded by the
body servant of tradition, and this
calm, deliberate, methodical, silent
young soldier was, in spite of himself
and the proverb, "a hero in the eyes of
his valet de chambre. -
Dennis had packed his boxes with
blinking eyes and saddened heart He
had "wurrked he said, ''for twinty
gintlemin, most av thin foine men. but
the looten mt was the best av all f" Den
mis- had his wife and brood in a little
shanty near the sand lots and could not
follow Loring to the east He would
have howled with delight to hear the
order countermanded that was to take
the lieutenant away, but when he heard
at headquarters, from his fellow coun-
trymen, the janitor and the guard, that
such countermand had been issued in
the shape of an arrest he swore with
wrath
A good Catholic was Dennis, and
many job had been given to him and
his lusty helpmate at the gray sisters,
and warm friend had they in the lady
superior, to whom he presently bore the
note and the tale of his hero's unjusti-
fable treatment. Then went he on his
way, and came in upon Loring just in
time to hear the closing words of what
had been probably brief and frigid
conversation between the engineer and
the generals assiduous aid-de-camp,
Captain Petty. Frigid as it sounded,
the captain looked hot enough as he
took his leave and colIided with Dennis
at the door, cursed him for being there,
then whirled about for parting shot.
"I'll report your exact language to
the general, sir. said he, with anger
in his tone.
"ss,ry to, at least" said Loring point
eddy.
"l didn't come here to be insulted,
STRIP said Petty fiercely.
mo, sir. You came here to insult, y
was the cool reply.
The aid went down the stairs with
laundering heels and raging heart.
Such oontemptuous sang froid on part
of an officer four years his junior in
service was something unheard of,
something not to be tolerated, and as
Loring refused to bulge from his posi-
ton Of calm superiority the only thing
left for Petty was to leave. So far from
going to Yuma, he had progressed only
to Monterey, and there spent two or
three days poking about the resorts
around the plaza in search of gossip
that was rumored to be in circulation
at Loring's expense. He found the Cos
sipers easily enough, but had great
difficulty in reaching their authorities.
1t proved disheartening work, for the
farther he went the less he learned,
each talebearer having apparently add
ed to the pile Of his informant, as Petty
should have had sense enough to know
would be the case.
But at last he ''lit' Oh something
tangible The hardy giant who led the
rush the night of the wreck was now
well enough to be hobbling about town
and breathing his tale of woe and wrong
to all listening ears, and, the officers
being gone and no one present to con-
tradict, he had SO frequently repeated
his version of the wreck Of the Idaho
az to make sinner Of his memory and