The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1900-03-29


world than that Of conveying 10 him
an Idea Of her sorrow, her sympathy,
her perhaps pardonablc and exsgger-
ated indignation at what she deemed
an act Of tyranny ON the part Of his com
mander, with only an instant In which
20 convey Il all--hcr sweet face flushed
and her eyes famed with the light Of
her girlish enthusiasm--in that instant
she had kissed her hand TO him, and
then Col. Armstrong, turning sudden.
ly and sharply 20 see who could be the
object Of interest 30 absorbing, caught
one fitting glimpse Of BILLY Gray lift
ing his cap In quick acknowledgment,
and the words that were on the tip
Of Armstrong; tongue the moment be.
fore were withheld for a more auspi.
cious occasion---and u did not come too
soon.
II was only four days after that In
itiai meeting In the generals tent the
foggy evening OF the girls first visit
TO camp, but both In city and on the
tented field there had been several oc.
casions on which the colonel had been
In conference with Mr.. Prime and In
company with the young ladies'.
Junior officers hnd monopolizcd the
time and attention Of the latter, but
Armstrong was u close observer and o
man who loved all that was strong.
high-minded and true In his own sex,
aud that was pure and sweet and win.
some In woman. A keen soldier, he had
spent many years in active service, most
of them In the hardy, evcntful and Wig.
orous life on the Indian frontier. lie
had been conspicuous In more than one
stirring campaign against the red war.
riors Of the plains, had won his medal
of honor before his first promotion,
and his cnptaincy by brevct for daring
conduct In action long antedatcd the
right to wear the double bars Of that
grade. He had seen much of the world,
at home and abroad; had travelled
much, read much, thought much. but
these were things OF less concern TO
many woman In our much married
| army than the question as to whether
he had ever loved much. Certnin'it was
he had never married, but that didn't
| settle II. Many man loves. said they
without getting married. forgetful OF
the other side OF the proposition al
vanced by horrid rcgimental cynics
that mary men marry without getting
| loved. Armstrong would not have
proved an easy man to question on that
or indeed on any other subject which
he considered personal to himself
Even In his own regiment in the reg
ular service he had long been looked
| upon as an exclusive sort of fellow
u man who had no intimates and not
many companions. yet, officers and sol
dicrs, he held the respect and esteem
OF the entire command. even OF thos,
whom he kept ut n distance, and few
are the regiments In which there ar,
not one or two characters who are not
best seen and studied through binoc
ular. without being sympathetic, SAID
his critics, Armstrong was square
but his critics had scant means Of know
ing whether he was sympathetic oi
not. lie was a stealfast fellow, an un
swerving. uncompromising sort Of man
u man who would never have done for {
diplomat, and could never have beer
elected to Office. Hut he was truthful
just. and ms the English officer rcluci
nntly said OF Lucan. whom he hated
Yes damn him-hc IL brave" Tn,
men whom he did no, seem to like In III,
army and who dislikcd him according
| ly. were compelled 10 admit, To them
selves at least, that their reasons wcr,
| comprised in the aboyc-rccortctl. re
| grcttable, but unnistakablc fact--h,
didn't like them. Another trait, unpop
ular. was that he knew when and how
10 say no. lie smoked too much, per
haps, and talked too little for thos,
who would use his words MS wltnessc,
against him. lie never gambled. h,
rarely drank, he never lent nor Dor
rowed. lie was u bachelor. yet woult
never join u mess" but kept hous,
himself and usually had some favored
comradc living with him. lie was Il
and did not look %. lie was tall. erect
athletic, hardy and graceful In build
! ard his face was one Of the best To u,
seen in many IA line of officers nj parade
His eyes were steel gray and clear an,
penetrating, his features clcar-cut. nj
most too delicately cut, thought son,
of the best friends he had among III,
mcr. His hair WAS brown. sprinklct
literally with silver; his mouth, an nd
mirable mouth in every way, wa,
| shaded and half.hiddcn by u long
dropping mustachc 10 which. some mer
thought and some women shid. his
tapering white fingers paid too inuci
attention, but doubt 10 n knowledge O
this criticism would have led to tn,
faintcst alteration in the habit. Gen
orally the expression Of Armstrong;
face was grave. and, on duty n triil'
stern; and not ten people in the worl,
were aware what humor could twinkl,
In the clear. keen eyes. or twiich abou
the corners OF that mobile mouth
| There were no five who knew the ten
derncss that lay In hiding there, fol
Armstrong had few living kindred nn6
they were men. There lived not, as h,
drove this glorious August morning tC
the breezy uplands beyond the camps
one woman who could say she had seer
those eyes OF Armstrong; melt an,
glow with love. As for Amy Lawrence
she was not dreaming Of such thing
She was not even looking at him. Hel
thoughts at the moment were drifting
back to that usually light-hearted bo,
who stood gazing so disconsolatel,
after them ms they drove away, her eye,
were intent upon an approaching grouI
that presently reclaimed her wandering
thoughts.