Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-06-28

white a4t tremb.e, as Mrs. .toeEmau
saw and told, and then shat herself up
III hCr room All entire Gay. Nov0@o or
nearly i fortnight The l6Yely guest lad
Been daily limiting that She sally must
60 home. dear Witche' was surely
tired ri her; and Witchie a'Sclaimed
and protested and vowed she could nS4
live without her devoted friend. Bat
then lad come that letter 4Ad with It
a change Oh tone and tactics. Witche
ceased to demonstrate or reprove Mrs
Stockinan. and the latter felt that she
must -. ana Witchie consented with
out demur.
III no pleasant mood Armstrong
mounted and trotted for the east gate.
The road was lined with camps and vol
unteers at drill. Vehicles were fire.
quently moving to and fro; but the
sentry at the entrance had kept track
of them, and in response to question
answered promptly and positively Mrs.
Garrisons carriage had not come that
way But said he, The wagon with
the lady's baggage did. l saw the name
on the trunks
The colonel turned in saddle and
coolly surveyed him. DO you mean
| Mrs. Stockman's name?" he asked, in
quiet tone. How many trunks were
! there?"
"Oh, some of them might have had
/ Mrs. Stockman's name, sir; but the two
or three that saw were marked NJ. &"
This was unlooked-for news. To her
next-door neighbor Mrs. Garrison had
said nothing about going away with
Mrs. Stockman, and Armstrong had
grave need to see her and to see her at
once. The train for Los Angeles did not
leave until evening. Possibly they were
lunching somewhere = spending the
afternoon with friends in town. He
rode direct to headquarters. Some of
the staff might be able to tell, was his
theory; and one of them justified it.
Did happen to meet Mrs. Garrison?
Yes, just saw her aboard the China
aboard the China!" exclaimed Arm
strong, with sudden thrill of excite
ment. "Dyou mean she is going?"
Didn't ask her. They were hustling
everybody ashore, and l had only time
to give dispatches TO the purser; but
she was on deck with friends when /
came away"
People wondered that day at the
speed with which the tall officer, fol-
lowed by his orderly, clattered away
down Market street. In less than ten
minutes Armstrong was at the crowd
ed pier and pushing through the throng
to the China's stage. Too late! Al
ready it was swung aloft, the lines were
east loose. and the huge black mass
was just beginning to back slowly from
its moorings. The rail of the prom
enade deck swarmed with faces, some
radiant, some fearful. Words of adieu,
tluttering kerchiefs, waving hands,
tossing flowers were there on every
side. Two officers. Honolulu bound,
shouted Armstrong; name. and a
CHEEKY good-by; but he did not seem TO
hear. \ gentle voice, the voice OF all
others he most longed to hear, repeat
ed the name and strove to call atten-
ton to his gesticulating comrades on
the upper deck; but he was deaf to
both Eagerly, anXiously, incredulous-
~ he was searching along that crowded
rail, and all on a sudden he saw her.
Yes, there she stood, all gayetX, grace
and animation, stylishly gowned and
fairly burdened with roses; and it was
right at him She was gazing, nodding,
smiling. all sweetness. all contiding,
trusting JOY; with just little of tri-
umph. too, and a tinge of sentimental
sorrow in the parting. Apparently, it
was all for him; for her blue eyes never
faltered till they fixed his gaze, and
then. kiss after kiss she threw to him
with the daintilv ploved little hand,
and. leaning far down over the rail,
lowering il toward him as much as pos
sihlc. She finally tossed TO him. stand
inc there stern and spellbouud
from her corsage. Ii fell almost at lis
feet. Tor ~ ms astohlshmeht ana re-