Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-05-23

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He began patroIlfag his 1one1ypost.
all. Parents he had lost in early boy
hood. Brothers and sisters he had none.
Sweethearts-two. One--the first-his
senior by at least four years, and now a
staid wife and mother. The second
might or might not be wearing coronet
by this time. His grace of Lancaster
was on his last, legs, and his eldest hope,
Lord Lunemonth, on his last lung,
when Gray left Switzerland in April.
That Amy, shallow hearted" had,
welded Rokeby by this time was posi-
BILE, if not probable. There were New
York papers in the post library, but
Hunter had seen none, would see none.
In his stern remuneration of the
world, the flesh and the devil of his
old life Trooper Hunter would admit,
no interest in the doings of Gotham.
The one thing that bound him to the
old life was the knowledge that up to
October at least his fond old uncle was
still in the land of the living. A stroke
Of some kind had FRUSTRATED him before
Gray's return from abroad. Physicians
had prescribed long sea voyage. Mr..
and Mrs. Darcy Hunter had sailed for
North Cape-had gone thence to some
German spa. His health was shattered,
his mind almost blank She was still
in the prime of life. He, said the last
news Darcy had of him before starting
for the wide west, hardly recognized
his attendants. She bore her sorrows
with the patient resignation of the
Christian who knows there's life for
her beyond the graye-of departed
husband
OF the remnant Of his fortune Gray
had still few thousand dollars banked
where it would be safe until sorely
needed. Under an humble roof within
the limits Of Butte were stored certain.
trunks containing civilian clothing and
things he valued. Here at barracks he.
had only his soldier outfit Of uniform,
with the addition of better underwear
and shoes than were issued by Unole
Sam. One poor fellow and his suffering
wife at least were. the better for the
strange coming Of this eccentric. The
Starving tramp who boarded the train
that night at Willow Springs had now
roof over his head and hers, and food,
fire and clothing. She was sufficiently
recovered to take in washing, for China
men were unpopular if not Improbable
servants just then in Wyoming, and he,
the starveling of that night on the train,
was once more carpenter, his tools
out OF pawn and he no longer out of
work. That mans actual misery and
suffering, all for the lack of few dol
lars, no more than he, Hunter Gray,
had been accustomed to throw away on
cigars or sundries in the course Of
month"; had opened the eyes of the
world weary traveller and given him
food fnr thought and spur to action.
One anxiety had oppressed him since
his voluntary entrance upon the task of
training Stella, a duty which need have
occupied but few days had it not been
for that untoward mishap. She fought
shy OF the bar for several lessons there
after, connecting it and the tapping
blanket unerringly with her violent fall.
Hunters anxiety was that any after
noon when SO occupied he might find
Mrs. Mainwaring and her niece among
the lockers on, and he shrank from rec
ognition. He had even sought to get his
captain to change the hour to morning,
but there had been fine, open weather,
and Atherton lost no opportunities for
battalion drills. Hunter took to these,
despite the crowding and squeezing
when in line, like duck to the water,
but all the same he would have prefer
red giving Stella her lesson when he
knew Miss Leroy to be engaged at the
hospital, for the fame of that benevo-
lent young lady's work had spread
throughout the barracks as we'll as the
quarters,
And it was of her and that odd intro
duction he was thinking now, as he
briskly tramped up and down, peering
among the haystacks and stables. Just
before the midnight call his post had
been visited by the sergeant of the
guard, who inquired as to his orders
and babe him look out any moment for
Captain Blake or Lieutenant Brady.
The midnight call of the sentries went
round in rather slipshod fashion, thanks
to the wind, but no sooner had Hunter
shouted the prolonged All'swell' than
he wished he could recallit. Not sus.
picious sight or sound had he noted aft.
er the sergeant went his way, but now,
before he could realize or dodge, some
thing came spinning through rnidair,
over his head settled down on his shoul.
ders with q jerk; then o blanket was
whirlsd about his face, and. with his