The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-03-08

q Mcclellan tree two sizes too big for
him, lifted his cap and strove to smile;
he had ridden nothing. harder than a
park back before that day). "Frank
says I talk of nothing else. But where's
Mr.. Gray? Surely / thought he would
be with you" This for Armstrong;
benefit in case he We're in the least in
terested in either damsel.
"Mr. Gray was detained by some du-
ties in camp" explained Miss Prime,
with just a trace of reserve that was lost
upon neither their new companion nor
the colonel. It settled a matter the
placid officer was revolving in his mind.
Pardon us, Mrs. Garrison" he said,
briefly. 1--WE must hurry. Go on,
driver"
ooh, lean keep up" was the indomit-
able answer, "even on this creature"
And Mrs. Garrison proved her words by
whipping her steed into a lunging can-
ter, and, sitting him admirably, rode
CALAMITY alongside, and just where Mr..
Prime could not but see and admire,
since Col. Armstrong would not look
at all. He had entered into an explana-
ton of the ceremony by that time well
under way, and Miss Lawrence's great
! soft brown eyes were fixed upon him
! attentively when, perhaps, she should
have been gazing at the maneuvers.
Like those latter, possibly, her thoughts
were changing direction.
Not ten minutes later occurred the
| collision between the hack and the
heels that resulted in the demolition of
one and Decentralization" of the rider
of the victor. While the latter was LED
away by the obedient Mr.. Ellis lest the
sight of him should bring on another
nervous attack, Mrs. Garrison was suf-
fering herself to be comforted. Her
nerves were gone, but she had not lost
her head. Lots of Preside danes and
damsels were up on the heights that
day in such vehicles as the post afford
ed. None appeared in anything so
stylish and elegant as the carriage of
the Prime party. She was a new and
comparative stranger there, and it
would vastly enhance her social
prestige, she argued, to be seen in such
swell" surroundings. With a little
tact and management she might even
arrange matters SO that, willy nilly, her
friends would drive her thither instead
of taking Col. Armstrong back to
camp. That would be a stroke worth
playing. She owed Stanley Armstrong
q bitter grudge, and had nursed it long.
She, had known,him t~enyearssand hated
him nine of them. Where they metand
x,bon - roo11y pofforc MI Tn %ba srx,o VI
people meet and part in a hundred
places when they never expected to
meet again. She had married Frank
Garrison in a hand gallop, said the gar
rison chronicles, before she had known
him two months" said the men, "before
he knew her at all" said the women.
She was four years his senior, if the
chaplain could be believed, and five
months his junior if she could. What
ever might have been the discrepancy
in their ages at the time of the cere.
mony no one would suspect the truth
who saw them now. 1t was be who
looked aged and W and
harassed, and she who preserved her
youthful bloom and vivacity.
And now, as she reclined as though
still too weak and shaken to leave the
carriage and return to saddle, her quick
wits were planning the scheme that
should result in her retaining, and his
losing, the coveted seat. There was lit
tie time to lose. Most of the crowd hac
scattered, and she we'll knew that hi
was only waiting for her to leave be-
fore he would return. Almost at til,
instant her opportunity came. A GOV
cred wagon refined suddenly alongside
and kind and sympathetic voices hailee
her: "Do let us drive you home, Mrs
Garrison; you must have been terribl,
shaken" She recognized at once tn
wife and daughter of a prominent off
Ger of the post.
ooh, how kind you are" she cried. g.
was hoping some M would come. In
deed, I did get a little wrench" Ant
then, as she moved, with a sudden gasl
of pain, she clasped Miss Lawrence'i
extended hand.
Indeed, you must not move, Mrs
Garrison" said that young lady. "W,
will drive you home at once" Mis-
Prime and her father were adding thei1
pleas. She looked up, smiling family
Il fear I must trouble you," sh,
faltered. ooh, how stupid of me! Blu
about Stanley Armstrong; haven
even thanked him. All, well-he knows
We've been-such good friends fol-
years-dear old fellow!" .
ITO Be Continued