Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-07-12


this grewsome story. trembled in hel
terror. For a time. in dread of this new
peril. Mia Frost almost forgot the
other; but not so Margaret She
scoffed ara secuted the rumor of Fill
ipino outbreak. She laughed al Frost
who all too evidently believed in il and
was in hourly trepidatiou. He begged
that the guard at his quarters might be
doubled. ana was totally unuerved
when told it might even have 10 be re-
duced. Not so Mrs. Frank She IT de
friends with the stalwart sergeant
commanding; always had hot coffee
and sandwiches ready for the midnight
relief made it a point to learn the
name Of each successive non-commis-
stoned officer in charge, and had a win
some smile and word for the sentries as
she passed. 1t wasn't Filipino aggres-
sion that she feared The men won
dered why she should so urgently bid
them see that no rangers-Americans
were allowed within the massive
gates. There were tramps, even in Ma
Mia, she said. When the sisters drove,
their natty little Filipino team flashed
through the lanes and streets at top
speed, the springy victoria founding
at their heels to the imminent peril of
the cockaded hats of the dusky coach
and footman, if not even to the seats of
those trim, white-coated. big-buttoned,
top-booted, impassive little Spanish
bred servitors. The carriage stopped
only at certain designated points, and
only then when a group of officers stood
ready to greet them. Not once had they
been menaced by anyone nor APP
preached by any man even family re-
sembling poor Latrobe; and Witchie
Garrison was beginning to take heart
and look upon that threatening letter
as mad piece Of bluff when one day
the unexpected happened.
The men of the house, Frost and
| Garrison, were accustomed, when the
latter was at home, to breakfast to-
gether quite early. Then the colonel
would drive off to the Ayuntamiento
in the walled city. and Frank would
mount his pony and ride away to his
| long DAYS duties. Later the sisters
would have their leisurely breakfast,
secure in the protection OF the guard.
would give their Chinaman chef his
orders for the day, and send him off to
make such purchases as were possible
in the now scanty market. Then read
ing writing, receiving callers of their
own sex would fill up the morning.
There would be a brief siesta after
luncheon, an hour or so on the broad
veranda overlooking the sparkling bay
then dress and the inevitable drive
OF Armstrong they had seen nothing,
heard next to nothing. He was busy
with his men over toward East Paco
Of Billy Gray of late they had seen
rather too much. On one preteXt after
another he was now forever coming
to the house, and Witchie was begin
ming to wish that Canker had had his
way; but Canker had failed dismally
The witnesses he counted on proved
dumb or departed, and it had pleased
the general-in-chief to send him with
regiment of infantry and brace of
guns TO garrison an important point
on an adjacent island, and to tell him
that in view of the impossibillty of his
substantiating his charges against
Gray the youngster had some shadow
of excuse for his violent outbreak.
Rather than bring up a scandal it was
best to drop the matter entirely. Gray
had been sent to duty with the -teenth
before he was thoroughly well. and
good hearted battalion commander,
taking pity OH his Obvious change for
the worse, had found occasion after the
first ten days at the front to send him
back TO quarters III Malate. instead of
necessarily on duty along the threat
ened line toward Sincalon church; and
while he seldom came III the evening
when numbers of visitors We're pres
ent, the boy had a way of dropping in
between three and four, when he could
| generally count on a few moments, at
least. alone with Mrs. Frank. She had
nursed him well in his slow Gonzales
cence, had made deep impression on
! his boyish heart. lacerated as he con-
ceived il by disappointment at home.
She had won him TO her service, as she
thought. until she felt sure he was
ready to DO almost anything for her
sake. then She had put him to the test,
and he had failed her. Believing, as
she did, that the boy well knew the
whereabouts of the alleged deserter,
Morton. and his friend. Nita's reckless
lover, she had counted on him TO wiring
from them the letters poor Latrobe de-
clared he still possessed; but the three
weeks had passed without sign, and
il was becoming evident TO her that
Gray had lost track of them entirely.
One brilliant afternoon. as she lay
on the broad. cane-bottomed bedstead
with its overhanging canopy of filmy
netting. she drowsiiy heard the cor
poral posting the new sentinel in the
marbled corridor below. and then
marching the relief to the rear gate
opening 10 the beach. Mia was already
up and moving about in her room. Mar
garet heard the rustic of her skirts
and the light patter Of her tiny feet
as she sped over the hardwood floor
of the main salon. She heard her
| tbrnNViptr hack thp SligiDr shutters that