Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1900-01-19

And Gordon went away very low in
his mind. He liked that boy. He loved
a keen, alert, snappy soldier on drill,
and Billy had no superior in the bat
talon when it came to handling squad
Dr. company. The adjutant plainly saw
the peril of his position, and further
consultation with his brother officers
confirmed him in his fears. Schuyler,
the brigade commissary, being much
with the -teenth-messing with them,
in fact, when he was not dancing at
tendance on Miss Prime-heard all this
camp talk and told her. Thus it hap
pened that the very next day when
he drove with the cousins (Mr. Prime
being the while in conference with the
detectives still securing the city for the
young deserter, who the father now felt
confident was his missing boy), Miss
Lawrence looked the captain full in
the face with her clear, searching eyes
and pumped at him the point-blank
question:
capt. Schuyler, do Mr.. Gray's broth
er officers really consider him in dan
ger of dismissal?"
miss Lawrence, I grieve to say that
not one has any other opinion now"
There could be no doubt of it. Amy
Lawrence turned very pale and her
beautiful eyes filled.
cit is a shame!" she said, after a
moments struggle to conquer the
trembling of her lips. "Has-is there
no one-infuential enough-or with
brains enough (this with returning
COLOR to take up his case and clear
him?"
They were whirling through the
beautiful drive of the Golden Gate
park, passing company after company
at drill. Even as Amy spoke Schuyler
lifted his cap and Miss Prime bowed
and smiled. A group of regimental Of
ficers, four in number, stood, apparent
ly supervising the work, and as Miss
Lawrence quickly turned to see who
they might be, her eyes met those of
Col. Armstrong. Five minutes later the
carriage returning drew up. as though
by some order from its occupants, at
that very spot. Armstrong and his adj
| jutant were still there and promptly
joined them.
Long weeks afterward that morning
lived in Stanley Armstrong; memory.
1t was one of those rare August days
when the wind blew from the south
east, beat back the drenching Pacific
fogs and let the warm sun pour upon
the brilliant verdure of that wonderful
park. Earth and air, distant sea and
dazzling sky. all seemed clarifying their
Creator. Bright-hued birds flashed
through the foliage and thrilled the
ear with their caroling. The plash of
fountain fell softly on the breeze, min
gled with the rustling of the luxuriant
growth of leaf and flower close at hand.
It was not chance that brought the
stalwart soldier instantly to Amy's
side. Her gaze was upon him before
the carriage stopped, and irresistibly
drew him. The man of mature years,
the hero Of sharp combats and stirring
! campaigns with a fierce and savage foe,
the commander Of hundreds of eager
and gallant men, obeyed without
thought of demur the unspoken sum-
mons of a girl yet in her teens. There
was a new light in her clear and beau
tiful eyes, a flush upon her soft and
rounded cheek, a little f%lutter, possibly,
in her kind and loyal heart. Heaven
knows his heart beat high with an emo
ton he could not subdue, though his
bearing was grave and courteous as
ever, but about that sweet and flushing
face there shone the halo of a woman's
brave determination, and no soone had
ing toward him, she spoke. Mildred
Prime could not repress a little gasp of
amaze.
"Col. Armstrong, will you kindly
open the carriage door? I want to talk
with you a moment"
Without a word he wrenched the
handle and threw wide the door. Light
as a bird she sprang to the ground, her
fingers just touching the extended
hand. Side by side they strolled away
across the sunlit lawn, he so strong,
v%irile, erect, she so lissome and grace
full. Full of her purpose, yet fearful
that with delay might come timidity,
she looked up in his face:
"Col. Armstrong, I have heard only
to-day thatMr. Gray is in really serious
danger. Will you tell me-the TRUTH"
Just what Armstrong expected it
might be hard to say. The light that
had leaped to his eyes faded slowly and
his face lost something of the flush of
robust health. There was a brief pause
before he spoke as though he wished
time to weigh his words.
II fear it is true," he gravely said.
Then in a moment: "Miss Lawrence,
will you not take my arm?" And he
felt her hand tremble as she placed it
there. It was a moment before she be-
gan again.
"They tell me he should have counsel,
but will not heed. I have not seen him
to-day. There is no one in his battalion,
it seems, whom he really looks up to.
He is headstrong and self-confdent.
Do you think he should-that he needs
one?" And %anxiously the brave eyes
sought the strong, soldierly face.