Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-06-01

correspondence, OF their engagement
to be married on his graduation, which
in strict confidence he had impaired
to his roommate, who kept it inyiolate
until after her sudden union with Col.
Frost, and poor Pats" equally sudden
disappearance. Everybody, Frost in
cluded, knew that the young man who
had accosted her must be Latrobe, and
Frost by this time knew that il must
have been he who caused her shock at
the Arlington. He ragged in his jeal GUS
heart. He employed detectives to find
the fellow, swearing he would have
him arrested. He became morose and
gloomy, for all the arts by which Mrs.
Garrison persuaded him that Nita
looked up to him with admiration and
reverence, that would speedily develop
into wifely love, were now proved to
be Vaccinations. He knew that Nita
feared him shrank from him and was
very far from loving him, and he be-
lieved that despite her denials and
tears and protestations she loved young
Latrobe. He wrote angrily, reproach-
fully &c Margaret, who, now that her
fish was hooked, did not greatly exert
herself TO soothe or reassure him.
That he could ever use violence to one
so sweet and fragile as Mia she would
not believe for an instant. Their the
nurse, still retained, heard bitter words
from the colonel as one morning she
came TO the door with Mrs. Frost's
breakfast, and while she paused, uncer-
tain about entering at such a time, he
rushed angrily forth and nearly col
lided with her. Mrs. Frost was in
tears when the nurse finally entered,
and the breakfast was left untouched.
Late that afternoon, just after the
various trunks and boxes of the Frosts
that were to go by the transport were
packed and ready, and Mrs. Frost, look
ing stronger at last, though still frag-
| lie, almost ethereal, was returning from
drive with one of her friends, the at
tention of the two ladies was drawn 10 a
crowd gathering rapidly on the side
walk not far from the Baldwin hotel.
There was no shouting, no commotion,
nothing but the idle curiosity of men
and boys, for young soldier, hand
some, slender, dark-eyed, darkroom
plexioned fellow of 81 or %, had been
arrested by patrol and there they
stood, the sergeant and his two sol
diers fully armed and equipped, the
hapless captive with his arms half filled
with bundles, and over the heads of
the little throng the ladies could see
that he was pleading earnestly with
nd
though looking sympathetic and far
from unkind, was shaking his head.
Mrs. Frost, listless and little fatigued,
had witnessed too many such scenes in
former days of garrison life to take any
interest in the proceeding. How
stupid these people are!" she irritably
exclaimed; running like mad and
blockading the streets to see a soldier
arrested for absence from camp with
out pass. Shan't we drive on?"
"Oh-just one moment, please, Mrs.
Frost. He has such a nice face-a gen.
tleman's face, and he seems so troubled. !
Do look at it,"
Languidly and with something very
like pout, Mrs. Frost turned her face |
time the sergeant had linked an arm
in that of the young soldier and had |
led him pace or two away, so that |
his back was now toward the carriage. |
He was still pleading, and the crowd |
had begun to back him up, and was ex-
postulating, too.
Awe, take him where he says, SER
lot .
Don't be hard on him, man. II he's
taking care of a sick friend, give'm a
chance"
Then the sergeant tried to explain
matters. II can't help myself, gentle
men," said he; "orders are orders, and
mine are TO find this recruit and fetch
him back to camp. He's two days over
time now"
"Oh, l wish / knew what it meantl"
anxiously exclaimed Mrs. Frost's COM
panion. I'm sure he needs help" Then
with sudden JOY in her eyes: "Oh, good!
There goes Col. Crosby. He'll see what's
amiss," and as she spoke a tall man in
the Iaugue uniform or an officer OF In
fantry shouldered his way through the
crowd, and reached the blue-coated
quartetts in the center. Up went the
hands 10 the shouldered rifles in salute,
and the young soldier, the cause Of the
gathering which the police were now
trying 10 disperse, whirled quickly, and
with something suspiciously like tears
in his fine dark eyes, was seen to be
eagerly speaking to the veteran officer.
There was a brief colloquy, and then
the colonel said something to the SER
geant at which the crowd set up cheer.
The sergeant looked pleased, the young
soldier most grateful, and away went
the four along the sidewalk, many of
the throng following.
AID than the colonel caught aiohf of