Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1900-03-02

utterly crushed her7" asked iry, when
the. colonel had once mere extended his
hand.
1.-THE evidences Of her own forgery,
her own guilt" said Armstrong, grave
". "One wa the order she wrote in
excellent imitation Of her husbands
hand and aignature, authorizing the
changing of guard arrangements on the
wharf the evening Stewart sailed. The
other was q note in pencil, also purport-
ing to come from him, directing old
Keeny-Jou remember the generals
Irish orderly-to search for . packet Of
letters that had como. by mail, and
must be In the generate tent either
about his desk OF o~vercoat, and to
bring them at once to room number 70
and 90 at the palace. OF course, neither
the general Garrison was there
when he arrived with them; but she
wa, and with all her destinations. She
got tho Inshman half drunk, and told
him . piteous story and made him
swear he'd ' tell tho general OF
anybody. If questioned he could plead
he had gone out, and got a little full
with the boys She gave him money
a big bit, too; and he got more than
full. The very vehemence of his de-
malls made me suspect him." said ARM
strong; but he was firm when exam
ined. The general never required him
to remain at the tent at night. He
could go to town any evening he
wished; and to cover his appearing at
the Palace where the general long had
a room, and where he vas well known,
he could say he was only in to have a
word with one Of the housemaids, and
to give Mrs. Garrison q handkerchief
one of the ladies must have dropped.
But one thing she failed Injecting the
letter back. Keeny had left It at camp
in the pocket of his old blouse, and
when he sobered up and all the ques-
tions were asked he hung onto it In
case the truth came out, in order that
he might save himself from punish
ment. But it broke him-he got to
drinking oftener. and the general had
to send him to his regiment; and then
when he heard OF Canker's charge
against you, I saw the way to wiring
tho truth out Of him. He worshiped
your father. as did every Irish dragoon
that ever rode under him; and I told
him you were to be brought to trial
for the crime. Then he broke down
and gave tho truth-and her penciled
order-to me-"
In the silence that followed the sol
der Of 40 and the lad Of only 21 sat
looking gravely into each others face.
It was Armstrong who spoke again:
"Gray, it was manly in you to tell
me your story and your trouble. I
could help you here; but-who car help
you when you have to tell it-next
timer"
Next time?-father, do you mean? ?"
queried Gray, a puzzled look in his blue
eyes. II hadn't thought, do you know,
to worry dear old dad-unless he
asked"
Armstrong; grave face grew dark.
You ought to know what I mean,
Gray. This story may come up when
least you think for, and-would you
have it told Miss Lawrence before she
hears 1t from your"
miss Lawrence" answered Billy,
flushing, isn't in the least interested"
DO you mean that you are not-that
you were not engaged to her?" The
colonel had been gazing out over the
swirling river; but now, with curious
contraction of brows, with a strong
light in his eyes, he had turned full on
the young officer.
Engaged to herl Do you suppose
could have been-been such an ass II
she would have had me? No! She
she had too much sense"
It was full a minute before Arm
strong spoke again. For a few seconds
he sat m~otionless, gazing steadily into
Gray's handsome, blushing face; then
he turned once more and looked out
over the Pasig and the SCARED level of
the rice fields beyond. And the long
slant of the sunshine on distant towers
and neighboring roofs and copse and
wall, and the unlovely landscape
seemed all tinged with purple haze and
tipped with gold. The blare of a bugle
summoning the men to supper seemed
softened by distance, or some new,
strange intonation, and gave to the ug-
hest Of all our service calls the effect
of soft, sweet melody; and there was
sympathy and genuine feeling in the
deep voice as he once again held out
his hand to Billy.
Forgive me, lad, for I judged you
more harshly than you deserved"
One lovely summer-like evening some
five weeks later, in long, heaving surges
the deep blue waves of the Pacific came
lazily rolling toward the palm-bordered
beach at Waikiki, bursting into snowy
foam on the pebbly strand, and, softly
kissing, swept like 1eecy mantle up the