Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-02-21
some smile and word for the sentries a.

some smile and word for the sentries a
she passed. 1t wasn't Filipino aggres-
sion that she feared. The men won
dered why she should 30 urgently bid
them see that no strangers-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 bounding
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 of 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 brief siesta after
luncheon, an hour OF 30 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 Pace.
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 Carker 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
q 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 impossibility of his
substaniating his charges against
Gray the youngster had some shadow
of excuse for his violent outbreak.
Rather than bring up scandal it was
best to drop the matter entirely. Gray
had been sent to duty with the-teenth
before he was thoroughly well, and
a good-hearted battalion commander,
taking pity on his obvious change for
| the worse, had found occasion after the
first ten days at the front to send him
back to quarters in Malate. instead of
necessarily on duty along the threat
ened line toward Singalon church; and
while he seldom came in the evening
when numbers of visitors were pres
emit, the boy had way of dropping in
between three and four, when he could
generally count on 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 it 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 we'll 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
it 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 drowsily heard the cor
poral posting the new sentinel in the
marbled corridor below, and then
marching the relief to- the rear gate
opening to 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
throwing back the sliding shutters that
kept out the glare of the sun in the
morning hours, and knew that she
was gazing out over the tree-dotted
lawn toward the gate where the guard
lounged through the warm afternoon.
All of a sudden, quick and stirring, a
bugle sounded over on the Gale Nueva,
where the North Dakotas had strong
| detachment. The call was repeated,
and, army woman though she was, she
did not recognize it. She could not
remember ever having heard it before.
Then up the street, from the engineer
barrack, there came thrilling echo, and
there was a sound of movement and ex-
citement along the dusty thorough
fare. She heard Mia calling her name,
and then the chSd's quick, nervous step
along the hallway toward the stairs.
Then came sudden stop, gasping,
wailing cry, and, springing from her
bed and to the door, Margaret found
her sister covering before tall slender
man in the rough dress and field equip
ment of a private soldier. With a lit
tie packet-letters, apparently-held
forth in one hand, while the other
grasped her wrist, Rollin Latrobe stood
sternly gazing at the girl shrinking
at his feet.
The tableau was over in another sec
ond. Springing up the broad marble
stairs came Billy Gray, the corporal OF
the guard at his heels, and Latrobe saw
his danger in flash. Throwing little
Gray aside as he would terrier, the
young athlete whirled on the stalwart
regular. There was the sound of a
crashing blow, followed by heavy fall.
The corporal went rolling down the
stems with IatrObe boundinp over the