Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-06-28


induced to speak OF him), Ray was
forced to admit that he had met him
only twice or thrice during brief
and hurried visit to Fort Averill to see
his loved ones before they moved to
Fort Leavenworth, and then he owned
he paid but little attention to the.
signing swain. Questioned as to his
opportunities Of studying and observ-
ing Foster, Sandy had been con-
strained to soy that he hadn't OBJ.
served him closely at all. He. didn't
want to-exactly." They first met, i.
seems, in saddle. The winter wealth
er was glorious at Averill. They had
hne pack of hounds; coursing for
jack rabbit was their favorite sport,
and, despite the fact that Foster had a
beautiful and speedy horse, "his seat
was SO poor and his hand SO jerky he
never managed to get up to the 'front.'"
said Sandy.
It was not brought ont in evidence,
but the fact was that Sandy could
never be got to look on Foster with
the faintest favor as a sutton for his
sisters hand. A fellow who could
neither ride, shoot nor spar-whose
accomplishments were solely Of the
carpet and perhaps the tennis court
the boy had no use for. He and Maidie
rode as though born to the saddle.
He had seen Foster in an English rid
ing suit and English saddle and an
attempt at the English seat, but de-
cidedly without the deft English hand
on his fretting hunters mouth the one
day that they appeared in the field
together, and the sight was too much
for Sandy. That night at dinner, and
the later dance. Fosters perfection Of
dress and manner only partially re-
deemed him in Sandy's eyes, and
well-really, that was about ali he
had ever seen of Foster.
Questioned as to his recollection of
Fosters features, stature, etc., Sandy
did his best, and only succeeded in
portraying the deceased almost to the
life. Except, he said. Foster had long.
thick, curying eyelashes, and "this
man hasn't"-but it was remembered
that brows and lashes both were
singed off in the fire, SO that point
failed. Questioned as to whether he
realized that his description tailed
closely with the appearance of the
deceased. Sandy said that that all
might be, but still this isn't Foster"
Questioned as to whether, if the de-
ceased were again to have the color
and action-the life that Foster had
year ago-might not the resem-
blance to Foster be complete SANDY
simply couldn't tell"
Nearly an hour was consumed in
trying to convince him he must or at
least might be mistaken, but to no
purpose. He mentioned card photo
graph of Foster in ranch costume that
would convince the gentlemen, he
thought, that there was no such yery
strong resemblance, and q note was
written to Miss Porter asking her TO
ind and send the picture in question.
1t came, cabinet photo Of tall, slen-
der, well-built young fellow with dark
eyes and brows and thick, curyine
lashes, and oval, attractive face.
despite its boyishness, and nine men
out of ten who saw and compared it
with the face of the dead declared 1t
looked as though it had been taken
for the latter perhaps a year or SO
agone. Ray had hurt his own case,
and, when excused to return to his
sisters side. went forth into the gath.
ering twilight stricken with the con-
seriousness that he was believed to
have lied in hopes of averting scandal
from that sisters name.
And on the morrow With that post
norton, SO insisted on by Brick, no
longer delayed, the dead again lay
mutely awaiting the final action OF the
civil-military authorities, and to the
surprise of the officers and guards,
before going to the daily routine that
kept him from early morn till late at
night in his beleaguered Office, Dray-
ton came and bowed! his gray head and
gazed with somber eyes into the sleep
ing features now before him.
A pinched and tired look was COM
ing over the waxen face that had been
so calm and placid, It's though in utter
WEAKNESS over this senseless delay.
Drayton had been told of young Rays
almost astounding declaration, and
officers of the law half expected him
to make some adverse comment there
on, but he did not. Alert correspond
ents, amazed to see the corps COM
mander at such a place and SO far from
the Ayuntamiento, surrounded him as
he would have retaken his seat in his
carriage, and clamored for something
as coming from him in the way of an
expression of opinion. which, with
grave courtesy, the general declined
to give, but could not prevent appear
ing o week later in thousand papers
in dozen different forms-ferried
over to Hong-Kong by the Shotgun or
some other ship, and cabled thence to
waiting Christendom.
Drayton had his own reasons for
wishing to see the remains, then Vim
ton, and later Ray. and as his move
ments We're closely followed, the wits
OF the correspondents were sorely
taxed. But the examination was to be
resumed at nine. A rumor was run
ming wild that Miss Ray herself was
to be summoned to appear, and Dray-
ton had to be dropped in favor of
more promising sensation.
1t began with dreary surgical tech
nicalities. The heavy bullet had
traversed the ascending aorta near
its bifurcation," said Brick, who
though only an autopsical adjunct,
was permitted to speak for his as
sociates. Death, said he, had resulted
from shock and was probably instan-
taneous. No other cause could be at
tributed. No other wound was dis
coyered No marLs Of ccnfla axnanf