Willmar tribune., 1900-05-16
CHAPTER XII.-CoNr1N11rn

And Canker came and listened. 1t
was admitted that Gray had had a
long talk with the prisoner, took him
his overcoat, newspapers, etc., but, in
extenuation, they were members of the
same college society and their social
standing was, outside the army, on the
same plane. Gray deserved reprimand
and caution-nothing more. AS to the
carriage, he had nothing to do with the
one. that drove to camp that night. A
man in the uniform of commissary
sergeant giving the name of Foley chow
Canker winced) had ordered it at the
stable and taught the driver ''Killar-
ney." Gray had 'phoned for carriage
Tor himself, hoping to get the officer of
the days permission to be absent two
hours to tell his story in person to the
general, who was dining with the: de-
partment commander. He never got
the permission, and the carriage went
to the wrong camp. Lieut.. w. T. Gray
was released from arrest and returned
to duty.
II shall never be able to thank you
enough" said he, sentimentally,'t to Miss
Lawrence, at the Palace that evening
They were strolling up and down the
corridor, waiting, as was Schuyler, for
Mildred to come down for the theater.
Gray's curly head was inclined toward
the dark locks of his fair partner. His
eyes were fastened on her family flush
ing face. They made very pretty pic
ture. said people who looked on know
ingly, and so thought the officer in the
uniform of colonel of infantry, who,
while talking calmly to Mr.. Prime full
30 yards away, watched them with eyes
that were full of sadness. How could
he see at that distance that her eyes,
clear and radiant, were seldom uplifted
to the ardent gaze of her escort, and
were at the moment looking straight
at him? How could he hear at that dis
tance the prompt response, given with
an inclination of the bonny head to
indicate her meaning?
"There's where your thanks are due,
Mr.. Gray"
Quite gathering of army folks was
at the Palace that night. So many
wives or sweethearts were going home,
so many soldiers abroad, and Mrs.
Frank Garrison, gay and gracious,
passed them time and again, leaning
on the arm of Capt. Mcdonald, a new
devotee, while poor Cherry, with an
enamored swain from the Preside,
languished in dim, secluded corner.
She had been recalled by parental au-
thority and was to start for Denver
under q matronly wing on the morrow.
Mrs. Frank had been bidden, and ex-
authority was merely martial. Up to
this time not one army wife had been
permitted to accompany her husband
on any of the transports to Manila,
though one heroine managed to get
carried away and to share her liege
lords stateroom as far as Honolulu.
The general and his staff, with big
regiment of volunteers, were to sail on
the morrow, the other regiments as fast
as transports could be coaled and made
ready.
Something in Mrs. Garrison's gay,
triumphant manner prompted sore
hearted woman, suffering herself at
the coming parting, to turn and say:
''Well, Mrs. Garrison, I suppose that
after your husband sails you'll have to
follow the rest of us into grass-widow-
hood"
One thing that made women hate
Margaret Garrison was that she ''could
never be taken down." and the answer
came cuttingly, as it was meant to go,
even though a merry laugh went
with it.
"Not1 When the ship want is ready,
I go with it'll"
But as she turned triumphantly
away, the color suddenly left her cheek
and there was an instants falter. AS
though he had heard her words, Stan
ley Armstrong too had suddenly turned
and stood looking sternly into her eyes.