The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-04-06

big troopship headed westward toward |
the setting sun, shook free the reins, as |
il were, and, followed by less favored |
craft, sped swiftly on her way, Witchie |
Garrison, the latest addition to the |
passenger list, entirely at home, If not
actually in command.
Leaning on the generals arm an hour
later and deftly plotting that bewii- |
dered veteran up and down the breezy |
deck, she came, just as she had planned |
to come, face to face once more with
Stanley Armstrong. Well she knew
that under the escort of that exalted
rank she was safe from any possibility
of cross question or interference. We'll
she knew that had he heard of her sud
den determination to go to Honolulu
she could not have escaped stern inter
rogation, possibly something worse;
and her heart failed her when she real
lied that the man who had gagged her
shallow nature years before, now held
lash over her head in the shape of the
paper that mad vanity had prompted
her to write and send to the officer of
the guard the day that Stewart sailed.
w nav lllaAAuNSo ~ Nh9s ilhNNhs y - INV
could she have dreamed II would fall
into the hands of the man Of all others
she feared and respected-the one man
who, had he but cared, could years ago
have had her love, the man who, be
cause he cared not, had won her hate!
And. now that he held or had held this
paper-nothing less than forged order
in her husbands name as aide-de-camp
60 Gen. Drayton, she could have cow
cred at his feet in her terror of him.
yet braved him with smiles, sweetness
and gayety, with arch merriment and
joyous words, quitting for the moment
the generals arm that she might eX.
tend TO him both her little white.
gloved hands. Gravely he took the LETT
in his left while with the right he raised
his forage cap in combined salute to tho
woman and to his superior officer.
Gravcly and almost instantly he re
leased II, and listened in helpless pa
thence to her torrent Of playful words;
but his eyes were on the generals face
as though he would ask could he, the
general. know the true character Of the
woman he had honorcd above all her
sisterhood on board, in thus taking her
TO the bridge vhcreon neither officer
nor man nor nurse nor army wife had
! presumed TO set foot in all the six days
run from San Francisco; as though he
would ask if the general knew just what
she was, this blithe, dainty, winsome
! little thing that nestled so conGdinglN
indeed, so snugly-close TO his bat.
! tered side. and who had virtually taken
| possession of him in the face of an en-
| vious and not too silent circle Of her
| own sex. Truth to tell. the chief would
rather have escaped. He was but ar
! indifferent sailor, and the Queens long
lazy roll over the ocean surges was eX-
citing In his inner consciousness a long
ing for cracked ice and champagne.
He had known her but the few days
The Queen remained in port, coaling and
preparing for the onward voyage across
the broad Pacific; but great function
AIRY of the general government had told
MIN pathetic tale the very day of his
first peep at the Royal Hawaiian hotel
had given him capital dinner at that
famous hosiery, whereat she appeared
in charming attire, and in flow of
spirits simply irresistible. Her sallies
of wit had made him roar with delight;
her mimicry of one ortwo conscientious
but acidulated danes who had come
over on the Queen, bound as nurses for
Manila, had ticklcd him to the verge
of apopleXy; but when later she backed
him into the coolest corner of the
lanai" with the plasb of fountain close
at hand, and the sweet music of Ber-
gers famous band floating softly on the
evening air, and told him how her
father had loved to talk of his, the gen
erals, dash and daring in the great
days of the great war, and led him on
to tell Of his campaigns in the Shenan-
doah and the west, listening with di-
lated eyes and parted lips, the cam.
paigncr himself was captiyated, and
she had her will. A great senator had
told him how she had come thither 20
nurse Il gallant young officer in her
husbands regiment, how she bad
pulled the boy through the perils of
brain fever until he was now couyal-
escent and going on to reioin his COM
radcs in Manila. and she, she was pining
to reach her husband now serving on
Gen. Drayton's STAFF. Other women
were aboard the Queen; could not Gen.
Crabb find room for her? 1t is hard
for soldier to refuse pretty woman
or prominent member of the commit
tee on military affairs. There was not a
vacant stateroom on the ship, Officers
were sleeping three or four in room
so were the Red Cross nurses; and the
two army wives already aboard had
been assigned Il little cubbyhole of q
cabin in which only one could dress al
time. There were only two apart
ments on the big craft that were not
filled to their capacity-the room occu
pied by that sea monarch, the captain
and that which, from having been the
"ladies boudoir," had been fitted VI
for the accommodation of the general
! 1, ID n.1,.