Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-08-04

| nave liked 10 nave ner cry upon his
own shoulder, but, as she didn't, he
did some fancy shooting to distract
her. He found mushroom can, and
threw 1t into the air and filled 1t full
Of holes. She had seen Burton do
the same thing that morning with n
tomato tin. In fact, from where she
sat now, on a lichcn-cOvercd rock, she
could see the mutilated can glittering
in the sun, over beyond the arroyo.
SO she thirsted for fresher sensations.
I'm tell you," she said to Greville,
az he held up the mushroom-can for
her to inspect the eight holes he had
made with five shots, 'let me toss Up
your hat, and You make a hole through
the trade mark in the crown"
| 1t was nice. new straw hat. Gre
vile had sent East for it and 1t had
come by stage the day before. 1t had
cost him, express paid, four dollars
and seventy-tive cents. This, too at
Il time when anything he had left af-
ter settling his mess and suffers and
tailors bills, went into stick pins and
candy and books and music and riding
whips for Miss Mivart. But he took
off the hat and gave It to her without
even lingering glance at that high
priced trademark within. And he felt
that 1t was worth four times four dol
lars and seventy cents when she
picked up the tattered remains, at last,
and asked If she might have them to
hang in her room.
Then she looked down at her grimy
hand and considered the first finger,
crooking it open and shut. Il think
it's going to swell" she pouted. "rhat
is a perfectly awful trigger to pull"
Greville did what any man might
have been expected to do. He caught
the hand and kissed it. Miss Mivart
looked absolutely unconscious Of it.
She might have been ten miles away
herself. Greville, therefore. thought
that she was angry, and his heart was
filled with cOntritiOn. Yet he was old
and wise enough to be n first-lieuten-
ant. He walked beside her back to
the post in a state of humble detection
she could not understand.
The next morning it was Burton's
turn. Greville was over on the range
now, vainly trying to bring his record
up to where Buttons was. This time
Miss Mivart fired Mt n white paste
board box cover, and hit 1t three times
out of twenty. She was jubilant, and
so was Burton, because she was max
ing such progress under. his tuition.
THAT'S an easy carbine to shoot,
isn't it," she asked as they wandered
home; it isn't hard to pull the trig-
ger"
Burton glanced Mt her, and she met
his eyes innocently. "It's just like any
other trigger" he told her.
Yes, of course. And is that the
very same carbine you use in the COM
petition-the one you shot with yes
terday, and will use this afternoon
when you finish up?'
He told her that it was
"Well," she said. complacently, II
think I'm doing very nicely, don't
you? l hit the target three times and
my first finger doesn't hurt bit-this
morning"
That afternoon the competition came
to an end, with Burton good many
points ahead Of Greville. And that
night there was the big hop. 1t had
been understood from the first that the
man who won was to take Miss Mi.
vart to the hop. So she went over
with Burton, and gaze him One-thifd
Of her dances. Greville had another
third, and the rest were open to the
post ut large
Greville did not look happy at all.
1t was not the target record he mind
ed. He never thought about that. 1t
was having to go down the board walk
watch Miss Mivart leaning on his arm
and looking up into his face from I'M
der the white mis- . of her lace hood.
He was not consoled at all when she
looked up into his own face even
more swcetly Mt the beginning Of the
second dance, and whispered that she
was $50 sorry"
Now, rs the second dance had been
Grcville's, the third was Burton's.
That was the way it had been ar
ranged. AS the band began the waltz,
Miss Mivart stood beside Greville in
the centre Of quite a group. The COM
manding officer was In the group, SO
was Buttons captain, and so also some
women. Miss Mivart may have chosen
that position, or it may have simply
happened so.
Any way, Just as the waltz started,
Burton, light-hearted and light-footed,
came slipping and sliding over the
candle-waXed floor and pushed his
way into the midst. "Ours," he said,
triumphantly.
But Miss Mivart did not heed him
Mt once. She was telling them all
how she had learned to shoot q car
bine as well as any one. and they, the
men, at any rate, We're hanging on her
words.
"Mr. Grcvillc taught me-" she said,
land so did Mr.. Burton" This was
the first either had known Of the 9th
er's part in it, and they exchanged a
look.) "They taught me with their
ones they used themselves in the COM
petition. But l shot best with Mr..
Burton's carbine. He must have fixed
his trigger to pull more easily; 1t was
almost like, what do you call 1t, a
hair.trigger?"
She looked about for an answer, and
saw on their faces n stare Of stony
horror and surprise. They had moved
little way from Burton. and the
commanding officers steely eyes were
on his face. The face had turned
white, even with the sunburn, and
Burton's voice was just trifle un-
steady as he spoke.
"This Is our dance, I think, Miss
Mivart," he said.
The innocent. round. blue orbs looked
just little coldly into his. NO." she
told him. II think you are mistaken.
1t Is Mr.. Greville's dance" And she
laid her hand on Greville's arm.-San