Willmar tribune., 1900-05-16

doctors are sconfident of hia arecove-yln
course Of time. :
Armstrong read these pages twies
over before he looked up.
How did this letter come % he asked
''.By the Salvador yesterday
"And the next mail for Honolulu"
1ueried Armstrong, rising from hi.
chair and handing back the folded let
ter. = 3 =. y: =.
"The next mail closed an hour ago,
man. The China sails at two. No other
boat for a week. Where are you going
now?"
ITO camp for ten minutes, then to
! the Presidio."
swell, hold on. What am I to say
to the general as to Gray, and those let
ters?" asked the staff officer, intent
upon the subject uppermost in his mind
at the moment. ...
"You can't say anything that will
reach him before he returns. You have
just told me no other boat would start
for week. By that time he'll be COM
let himself out and strobe to the ele-
vator, leaving his friend to cogitate
on the question over his luncheon. 1t
was decidedly that officers opinion that
Armstrong knew much more than he
would tell.
But Armstrong knew much less than
he himself believed. fastening back
to camp and ordering his horse, he was
soon speeding up the slope to the wind
swept heights overlooking the Golden
Gate. The morning had opened fine
as silk, but by noon the sky was hid
den in clouds and the breath of the sea
blew in salt and strong. The white.
caps were leaping on the crest of the
surges driving in through the straits
and the surf bursting high on the
jagged rocks at the base of the cliffs. A
little coast steamer from Santa Bar
bara way came pitching and plunging 6
in from sea, and one or two venture
some craft, heeling far to leeward,
tore through the billows and tossed
far astern a frothing wake. With
names and tails streaming in the stiff
gale, the troop horses of the Fourth
cavalry were cropping at the scanty
herbage. down the northward slope,
and the herd guard nearest the road
lost his grip on his drab campaign hat
as he essayed salute and gailoped off
on a stern chase down the long ravine
to the east, as the colonel trotted brisk
ly by. One keen glance over the bay
beyond rocky Alcatraz had told him
the China was not yet away from her
pier. He might have to send dispatch
by that swift steamer, and even then
it would be six days getting to Hawaii.
He wondered what Canker's grounds
could be for saddling so foul a suspi-
cion on the boys good name. He Won
dered how long that poor lad would
have to struggle with this attack of
fever and remain, perhaps happily, un-
conscious of this latest indignity. He
wondered if Amy Lawrence yet knew
of that serious seizure, and, if she did
what would be her sensations. Down
the winding, sloping read he urged his
way, Glencoe, his pet charger, marvel
ing at the unusual gait. The cape of
the sentry's overcoat whirled over the
sentry's head and swished his cap Off
as he presented arms to the tall soldier
squirting past the guardhouse. II envy
no one who has to put to sea this day."
said Armstrong to himself, as he turned
to the right and reined up in front of
a little brown cottage peeping out from
a mass of vines and roses, shivering
in the wet wind. Half dozen strides
took him across the narrow walk and
| ho 81 lo,
phasis he changed the little gong bell
| screwed to the back of the door and
waited impatient of the servants COM
ing. There was no answer. He rang
again and still again, and no one came.
A glance at the windows told that the
white lace curtains hung there draped
as prettily as ever. Fresh flowers stood
on the window sill. A shawl and a
pillow, the latter indented as by hui
man head, lay in the lounging chair
on the little porch. Another chair
stood but q few feet away. There was
even fab, though fans in a 'FYisco
summer are less needed than furs; but
nowhere saw he other sign of the tenn
porary mistress of the house. He went
| d.
No answer. Then he turned to the
walk again, and, taking the reins, bade
the orderly inquire next door if Mrs.
Garrison could be found. Yes, was
the answer; she went driving to Golden
! Gate Park with Mrs. Stockman an hour
ago, and Mrs. Stockman was to leave
for Los Angeles that night. Odd! ,- II
| To -
Park the easiest and best way was that
along which he came, and he had met
no carriage. In fact, not since that
night at the Palace had he set eyes on
Mrs. Garrison, or until the coming of
this sorrowful news about Gray had he
cared to. From all that he heard Mrs.
Frank was enjoying herself at the
Preside. Cherry having gone one way
and her devotee another, Mrs. Frank
speedily summoned chum of old gar
rison days to come and keep house with
her for awhile, and Mrs. Stockman,
whose lord had left her at the call of
duty, and gone to Manila with his men,
right gladly accepted and much en-
joyed the fun and fro}ic that went or
night after night in Mrs. Franks cozy
parlor, or the mild Irritation, possibly,
in the .recesses of Mrs. Franks en-
powered porch. The last expedition
had borne off almost all the Irregular"
element at the post, but had not left it
poor, for, fast as camp grounds could
be made ready for them, vastly to the
disgust Of the saloon keepers and street
car magnates who had reaped rich
harvest from Camp Merritt, regiment