Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1900-01-26
Copyright. ,ses. BY F. Tennyson Nsely.l

tae nsd7y nnes were cast on and nauIed
swiftly in, the massive screw began
slowly to churn the waters at the stern,
and gently, almost imperceptibly at
first, the Queen slid noiselessly along
the edge of the dock, to the accompani-
ment of a little volley of flowers and
garlands tossed from eager hands, and
a cheer of godspeed from the warn of
upturned faces. And then there up
rose another shout, a shout of mingled
merriment, surprise and applause;
for all on a sudden there darted up the
stairway from the crowded promenade
deck to the sacred perch above, defiant
of the lettered warnings. Passengers
are not allowed upon the BRIDGE" q
dainty vision in flmy white, and all in
the next moment there appeared at the
generals side, smiling, bowling, blow
ing kisses, waving adieux, all sparkle,
animation. radiance and rejoicing, a be-
witching little figure, in the ARREST,
loveliest of summer toilets. The Red
Cross nurses on the deck below looked
at one another and gasped. Two brave
army girls, wives of wounded officers in
the Philippines, who by special dispen-
sation yer making the voyage on the
Queen, glanced quickly at each other
and said-nothing audible. The gen
eral, lifting his cap, but looking both
depreciation and embarrassment, fell
back and gave his place at the white
rail to the new arrival, and colored high
when she suddenly turned and took his
arm. The captain, trying not to see her
or to appear conscious of this infrac-
ton of a stringent rule and invasion of
his dignity, grew redder as he shouted
rapid orders and swung his big, beauti-
full ship we'll out into the stream. The
guns of the Bennington doomed a deaf
ening salute as the Queen turned her
sharp nose toward the open sea; and al
most the last thing Honolulu saw of
her human freight was the tiny, dainty,
winsome little figure in white, waving a
spotless kerchief in fond farewell.
Once clear of the narrow entrance the
big troopship headed westward toward
the setting sun shook free the reins, as
it were, and, followed by less favored
craft, sped swiftly on her way, Witchie
Garrison, the latest addition to the
passenger list, entirely at home, if not
actually in command.
Leaning on the generals arm an hour
later and deftly plotting that bewil-
dered veteran up and down the breezy
deck, she came, just as she had planned
to come, face to face once more with
Stanley Armstrong. Well she knew
rank she was safe from any possibility
of cross question or interference. Well
she knew that had he heard of her sud-
den determination to go to Honolulu
she could not have escaped stern inter-
rogation, possibly something worse;
and her heart failed her when she real
ICED that the man who had gagged her
shallow nature years before, nov held
a lash over her head in the shape of the
paper that mad vanity had prompted
her to write and send to the officer of
the guard the day that Stewart sailed.
What madness it was, indeed, yet how
could she have dreamed it would fall
into the hands of the man of all others
she feared and respected-the n man
who, had he but cared, could years ago
have had her love, the man who, be-
cause he cared not, had won her hatel
And, o that he held or had held this
paper-nothing less than a forged order
in her husbands name as ~aide-de-camp
to Gen. Drayton, she could have cow
cred at his feet in her terror of him,
yet braved him with smiles, sweetness
and gayety, with arch merriment and
joyous words, quitting for the moment
the generals arm that she might ex-
tend to him both her little white
gloved hands. Gravely he took the left
in his left while with the right he raised
his forage cap in combined salute to the
oma and to his superior officer.
Gravely and almost instantly he re-
leased it, and listened in helpless pa
thence to her torrent of playful words;
but his eyes were on the generals face
as though he would ask could he, the
general, know the true character of the
woman he had honorcd above all her
sisterhood on board, in thus taking her
to the bridge whereon neither officer
nor man o nurse nor army wife had
presumed to set foot in all the six DAYS.
run from San Francisco; as though he
would ASK IF the general knew just what
she was, this blithe, dainty, winsome
little thing that nestled so confidingly
indeed, so snugly-close to his bat
tered side, and who had virtually taken
possession of him in the face of an en-
vious and not too silent circle of her
W sex. Truth to tell, the chief would
rather have escaped. He was but an
Indifferent sailor, and the Queen'slong,
lazy roll over the ocean surges was ex-
citing in his inner consciousness a long
ing for cracked ice and champagne.
He had known her but the few days
the Queen remained in port, coaling and
preparing for the onward voyage across
tho broad Pacific; but q great function
ary OF the general government had told
him a pathetic tale the very day of his
first peep at the Royal Hawaiian hotel.
had given him a capital dinner at that
famous hostelry, whereat she appeared
In charming attire, and in a flow of