Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-03

rid of him the chances were in his favor,
for the duty was perilous. But somehow
luck favored Blair. He came ScatheleSS
from scout after scout, lost much flesh,
but gained confidence, reputation and
the praise of General Lawton, a thing
worth having, for that hard fighting,
hard working soldier found need of an
additional officer on his staff and offered
the berth to Blair.
Then in her sisterly loyalty and jeal-
ousy Kate Logan did an unwise and
mischievous thing. She wrote to army
friends that Fred and Maudie We're en-
gagged, at least as good as engaged, and
big as was the distance the fib was big
ger, n bad news, you know, travels
fast even across trackless seas. Lieuten-
ant Blair had reason to hope, at least.
Maud Layton loved him when they
parted so hurriedly hat April night. He
rejoiced when his general spoke of send
ing him into Manila with dispatches
late in August, but later declined in
favor of a comrade h had been ailing,
for men showed him their home letters.
saying the engagement was announced.
They said. moreover. that Colonel Lay
ton would not deny it. The Logans a
wealth and position. Why should he?
And waiting hungrily in Manila for
word or sight of her bonny lover of the
forty days aboard ship, Maud Layton
IledIu vi MS having ndu the Cn0ilce TO
come ina most deserved chance, too,
and wouldn't take it, SO there they We're
at loggerheadS.
Now a good story might be made out
of this episode, old as is the situation,
but it is founded on fact and has to be
told as it told itself-which was in a
very queer way.
Mrs. Layton found Manila life unen-
urable. They We're huddled together, a
lot of army women. in very primitive
quarters in the Ermita suburb. with poor
attendance and a scant market. A bril-
liant member of their circle, who knew
whereof she spoke, suggested a move to
Nagasaki. A transport took five of
them thither, Maud and her mother in
elusive, and there We're they in clover
and chrysanthemums. There We're the
joined by Fred Logan just out from San
Francisco, and then came the climax.
He. of course, had not yet heard of
Blair's devotions. Kate had, but kept
them to hold over Maud in days to come.
Everything for the present had to be
done to smooth the road for Fred. for
the first thing Maud felt at sight of him
was wonder that she could ever have
thought him good looking. He landed
from the Doric, mis- sampan sculling him
straight for the big hotel. All he went
ashore for was a change from ship diet
and a chance to stretch his legs, ana
there on the broad veranda sat Maudie,
10y So LIZ thouSh ~ IlCSl Al VI
The Doric went on to Hong Kong with
out him, but before he could find how
he STOOD as he expressed it, the Scandal
steamed in with invalids and news,
Colonel Layton among the invalids-
Captain Blair among the news. The
latter had been shot through both thighs
in the dash on Bacolor the very day de-
served promotion reached him, and that
evening Maud did not come down to din
ner and later would not come down to
Logan.
So he wandered about disconsolate.
Finally, sitting in gloom and a shadowy
nook. looking out at the lights of that
wondrous land-locked bay, he heard two
women talking close at hand. Listeners
seldom hear good of themselves, but he
was amazed to hear i'll of Maud.
We'll, she gave him every encourage
ment anyhow. They We're inseparable
from the day we sighted the Azores and
all the time she must have been engaged
to this Mr.. Logan. I saw his sisters let
ter to Mrs. Brent"
And that said the other voice, twas
the reason Mr.. Blair wouldn't come into
Manila when he had the chance-went
out and got shot instead. Now she's cry
ing herself sick over it. Her mother as
much as told me so-an Engaged girl,
too!' The speaker betrayed all proper
and Womanly scorn of the girl who
would cry for one man when pledged to
another. Logan couldn't stand 1t.
You mentioned my name,'' aid he,
rising, "and may I ask if you are speak
ing of Miss Layton?"
Heavens, Mr.. Logan, We're you there?
I wouldn't for worlds have"
Il know you wouldn't, but all the same
you Id, and said She must have been en-
gagged to me all the time. She isn't
she wasn't"
We'll, your sister wrote so-and her
father wouldn't deny it." interposed the
angel in pink pima.
Possibly because he thought it no
body's business-as I do. Goodnight,
ladies. II you hear anybody else slam
dering Miss Layton in that same way,
say for me that she was never engaged
to Fred Logan And very heart sore,
very mad, Mr.. Logan went off to the
club, consumed a peg and an hour in
reflection, then penned a blizzard to his
sister, a line to Mau and another to
Blair. He had met him, liked him and
entertained him in Gotham before the
transport sailed. He had always him
self longed to be a soldier, but they
wouldn't take him because of weak
eyes. He had been deeply smitten by
Maud Layton's grace and beauty and
had a competence to back his aspira-
IONS, ,put from the m he set eyes
on her pretty face on the veranda the
day of his sudden advent at Nagasaki
he saw that a change had come and his
chance a gone.
what he wrote to his sister spoiled
her christmas; What he wrote to Maud
spoiled her breakfast and what he wrote
to Blair made the surgeon in charge of
the First Reserve" hospital at Manila
say unpublishable things about a patient
who would insist on finding his legs when
Still IN danger of losing them. Blair got
a months leave as soon as he could
toddle about on crutches and turned up
at Nagasaki before Colonel Layton
scented danger. Logan, meanwhile had
gone 10 Hong Kong and caught a p. & O..
liner for India and home. Foreign travel
had become a bore. The lady in pink
pima happened to be on the veranda
the evening Blair hobbled up from the
landing stage. She had been persona
lngrata with Maud ever since Logan
left, but here was her opportunity. Tap
ping at that damsel's door she blithely
paraphrased, very low
The captain on his clutches
Is waiting, dear, for thee."-