The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-08-03

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said Georgia; land here he comes for
me now"
Burton was safe on the target range,
over behind the barracks. Miss Miyart
and Greyille went In the other dlrec-
tiOn. by the back OF the officers row,
over In the foothills across the creek.
| Greville nailed the top Of a big red
pastebOard box 10 the trunk Of tree,
and Miss Mivart hit 1t once out OF
sixteen times-whcn she was aiming
at the head Of "A prairie dog at least
twenty feet away 10 the right The
other fifteen shots were scattered
among the foothills.
Then her shoulder hurt her so that
she was ready TO cry. Grevllle would
have liked to have her cry upon his
own shoulder, but, as she didn't, he
did some fancy shooting TO distract
her. He found a mushroom-can, and
threw II into the air and filed IL full
Of holes. She had seen Burton do
the same thing that morning with n
tomato tin. In fact, FROM where she
sat now, on n llchen-covcred rock, she
could see the mutilated can glittcring
In the sun, over beyond the arroyo.
So she thrsted for freshcr sensations.
"I'll tell you" she said TO Grevillc,
as he held up the mushroom-can for
made with FIVE shots, "let me toss up
your hat. and you make hole through
the trademark In the crowL."
It was nice. new straw hat Gre
vile had sent East for IL and II had
come by stage the day before. II had
cost him, express paid four dollars
and seventy-hve cents. This. too, at
time when anything he had left af-
ter settling his mess and suffers and
tallor's bills, went into stick pins and
candy and books and music and riding
whips for Miss Mivart. But he took
off the hat and gave II TO her without
even lingering glance at that high
priced trademark within. And he felt
that II was worth four times four dol
lars and sevcnty-ilve cents when she
picked up the tattcrcd remains, at last,
and asked II she might have them to
hang In her room.
Then she looked down at her grimy
Nhand and considered the first finger,
crooking II open and shut. II think
It's going TO swell" she poutcd. THAT
Is n perfectly awful trigger to pull"
Grcville did what any man might
have been expected to do. He caught
| the hand and kissed II. Miss Mivart
looked absolutely unconscious of IT,
She might have been ten miles away
herself. Grevillc, therefore, thought
that she was angry, and his heart was
llled with contrltion Yet he was old
and wise enough TO be first licuten-
ant. He walked beside her back to
the post In state of humble detection
she could not understand.
The next morning IL was Burton's
turn. Grevlllc was over on the range
now. valnly trying to bring his record
up to where Burton's was. This time
Miss Mivnrt fred at white paste
board box cover, and hit It three times
out Of twenty. She was jubilant, and
so was Burton. because she was max
ing such progress under his tuition.
That's an easy carbne TO shoot,
isn't IT," she asked rs they wandered
home; 1t isn't hard to pull the trig-
ger"
Burton glanced at her. and she met
his eyes innoccntly. "It's.just like any
other trigger" he told her.
"Yes, of course. And is that the
very same carbine YOU use In the com
pctition--thc one you shot with yes
tcrday. and will use this afternoon
when you finish up?"
He told her that IL was.
We'll" she said, complaccntly, 81
think I'm doing very nicely, don't
you? hit the target three times and
my first finger doesn't hurt bit-this
morning"
That afternoon the competition came
to an end, with Burton n good many
points ahead Of Grevillc. And that
night there was the big hop. IL had
been understood from the ;irst that the
man who won was to take Miss Mi
vart to the hop. So she went over
with Burton. and gaze him onc-thlrd
of her dances. Grcville had another
third. and the rest were open TO the
post ut large.
Grcville did not look happy at all.
IL was not the target record he mind.
cd. lie never thought about that II
was having TO go down the board walk
to the hop room behind Burton. and to
watch Miss Mivart leaning on his arm
and looking up iato his face from un.
der the white miss OF her lace hood.
He was not consolcd at all when she
looked up into his own face even
more sweetly at the beginning OF the
second dance. and whispered that she
was $50 sorry"
Now. rs the second dance had been
Grcville's. the third was Burton's.
That was the way IL had been ar
ranged. AS the band began the waltz,
Miss Mivart stood beside Grcville i'm
the centre of quite a group. Thc'com-
mandlng officer was I'm the group. so
was Burtcn's captain. ana So also some
women. Miss Mivart may have chosen
that position. or IL may have simply
happened so.
Any way. Just rs the waltz started.
Burton. light-hoartcd and light.footcd
came slipping and sliding over the
candle-waxed floor. and pushed his
way into the midst ours" he said
triumphantly.
But Miss Mivart did not heed him
at once She was telling them al
how she had learned TO shoot n car
bine ms well rs any one. and they. the
men. M any rate. were hanging on hel