Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-02-18


to be allowed except such as should be
filtered through him or his accredited
staff officer.
Come into my den, captain, he ex-
claimed, therefore. "You interest me
greatly, and I want to hear all about
it"
"I'll come quick enough said the
captain briefly, latter I've seen Loring.
I want to shake hands with him, say,
before | do anything else. Where'll l
find him?'' And with most depressing
disregard of the generals greatness, the
sailor would have turned his back on
the entire party in order to find his in
iured friend, but the chief was strate-
gist.
"Ah, go to Mr. Loring, captain, .
said be to a ready staff officer, land say
to him that I desire he should come to
my room a momentr' And the aidde-
camp was off like a shot, SO the seaman
could only wait The general led the
way into his comfortable room and sig
nailed to one or two to follow, and pres
emily back came his messenger and
moment after him-grave, composed,
but freezingIy formal-there at the door
stood the engineer. His eyes frightened
up the instant he laid them on the
Idaho's sturdy commander, but etiquette
demanded that he should first address
the general.
'You sent for me, STRIP
81 did, Mr.. Loring. Our good friend,
Captain Moreland, has been telling Us Of
your praiseworthy conduct
the night of the disaster. We ALL | wish
to assure you, are-er-gratlfied to hear
of this. And now it has occurred to me
that Captain Moreland might be able to
throw some light on the very unpleas
ant matter which we had to bring to
your attention few weeks since. Sure
ly he must know something of these
er-people who were your accusers.
The general was seated at his big
desk He was fanked by the adjutant
general and backed by brace of aids.
Moreland, the mariner, was standing at
the table and started forward as Loring
entered as though to grasp his hand.
The general still considered it essential
to observe certain air of Formally in
speaking. 1t was as though he had be-
gun to believe Loring an injured man,
and therefore he himself must be an ag-
grieved one, for surely the lieutenant
should have spared the general the
modification of being placed in the
wrong.
But to this tentative remark Mr..
Loring made no reply. He stood calmly
before the department commander, look
ing straight into his face, but did not
open his lips.
81 say repeated the general in
louder tone, "the captain appears to
know and may be able to tell US some
thing about the people who were your
accusers. "
POSSIBLY, SIR" said Loring. finding
that he was expected to say something,
but with an Indifference Of manner
most cuIpable in one SO far inferior in
rank.
81 was in hopes, Mr.. Loring," said
the general, evidently nettled, THAT
you would appreciate the evident desire
of myself and confidential officers to
see you relieved of these-er-asper
sions For that reason | urged Captain
Moreland to make his statement pub
lie
And still looking straight at the de-
partment commander, whose f1orid face
was turning purple, LOring was silent.
Perhaps after month of accusation,
real or implied, on the part of the gen
eral and the confidential officers he
found it difficult to account for the sud
den manifestation of desire to acquit
He was thinking, too, Of a tear stained
little letter that had come to him only
few days earlier-the last from Pancba
Hofo ho Iy
at the school of the good gray sisters.
He was wondering if she at Is were
really more alone in her little world
than he in the broad and liberal sphere
of soldier life. Then the sight of More
lands weather beaten face, perturbed
and aggrieved, gave him a sense of
sympathy that through all the weeks Of
his virtual ostracism had been lacking.
He had other letters too, worth more
than dollar apiece, which was what
their carriage cost him, bidding him
have no fear; documents of weight were
coming that would teach the authorities
of the Pacific coast the error Of their
views and ways, but of these he did not
care to speak. He choose to wait the
coming of the documents themselves.
The silence, however, was oppressive.
and the sailor spoke.
''If the only accusers this gentleman
has are Escalantes, or associates of the
Escalantes, you'd better beg his pardon
and have done with it, said he, and
thereby put the matter in it's most luck
less way.
Angrily the general turned to the
aid-de-camp fidgeting on his left
"Do you know whether the Escalan-
tes are the sole accusers, captain?' said
he deliberately.
81 regret to say that they are not, y
was the answer "And Mr.. Loring has