The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1900-05-11
CHAPTER IX.-CONTINUED.

And so began the second period of
Gouverneur Primes thralldom. "A
young civilian at fhe5 Point has few
opportunities at any time, but when
the lady of his love is belle in the
corps, he would much better take
Ong ocean voyage than be where he
could hear and see, and live in daily
torment. One comfort came to him
when he could not be with Mrs. Gar
rison fwho naively explained that
'"Gov" was such dear boy and they
we're s1ich stnnch friends, real COM
rades, you know. He had early made
the acquaintance of Pat Latrobe, and
there was a bond of sympathy between
them which was none the less strong
because, on Primes side, it could Meth
er be admitted nor alluded tc-that
. they were desperately in love with the
sisters, andsit was not long before it
began to dawn on Prime that pretty
Nita was playing double game-that
even while assuring her guardian sister
Latrobe, she was really losing or had
lost lfer heart to him, and in every way
in her power was striving to conceal
the fact from Margaret, and yet meet
her lover at hours when she thought it
possible to do so without discovery.
As the friendship strengthened be-
tweeR himself and Latrobe they began
using him as Cupid's postman, and
many little notes and some big ones
found theiS way to and from the Fourth
division of cadet barracks. Mrs. Frank
was only moderately kind to her civil
ian adorer then, granting him only one
dance at each hop. and going much
with other men, but that dance was
worth seeing. Primes was the only
black "claw-hammer'' in the room. and
therefore conspicuous, and cadets-who
know good thing when they see it
and many pretty girl partner would
draw aside to watch the perfection of
their step and the exquisite ease with
which they seemed to float Through
space, circling and reversing and wind
ing among the other dangers, he ever
alert, watchful, quick as n cat and
1.-THE and strong as pansher-she all
yielding, lissome, airy grace. That dance
was "Gov" Primes reward. and almost
only reward. for hours of impatient
waiting. Other women, charming and
pretty and better women. would glad
~ have been his partners. Some two
or three whom he met at the hotel even
intimated as much. But not until Lady
Garrison told him he must-to protect
her from Scandal-did he ask another
to dance. AT last came the end Of the
summers encampmeht. the return of
the corps toe barracks and studies. one
blissful week in which he was enabled
to spend several uninterrupted hours
each day at her side, ard then
cataclysm. A letter intended only for
Nita's hands fell into those of her9sis-
ter. II was bulky. 1t vSas from La
trobe. She hesitated only moment,
then, with determination in her eyes.
opened and readVall. Two days after
Nita was whisked away to New York.
and within another week, leaving two
most disconsolate swains on the Hud-
son, the sisters, one of them bathed in
tears, went spinning away to the west,
where Frank Garrison was on duty at
department headquarters. Prime was
permitted to write once fortnight Che
sent volume), and Latrobe forbidden,
but already the poor boy owned thick
packet of precious missives, all breath
ing fond love and promisingeutter con-
stancy though she had to wait for him
for years. For a month Nita would
hardly SPEAK to her sister, but in Oc-
tober there were lovely drives, picnics
and gayeties of all kinds. There were
attractive young officers and assidu-
ems old ones, and among these latter