Daily camera., 1901-08-09
An Army Wife.
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
fCopyrichted. 1906. by r. Tennyson Eeely.l
rNyN,nrldfSS

n.
suade her, as Randolph Merriam twhon
she had jiltod for old McLancl ard his bride
are stationed there.
Chaptcr u.-Fannie McLane's wedding
causes family feeling. A few months latel
she. while travelling, with her husband
meets Merriam. on his wedding trip.
Chapter lII.-Some time previous to this
Merriam had gone on government sur
vey. fallen Ill. and had been nursed by Mrs
Tromaine and daughter Florence y hasty
note from Mrs. McLane's stepSon takes
him to the plains.
Chapter IV.-Young McLane dictates tc
Merriam n dying message. which is sent
to Parry "a young Chicago lawyer and
causes Merriam to swoon. He is taken &c
Tremaine; calls for Florence.
Chapter Enlargement OF Florence
Tremainc to Merriam is announced: we'd
ding shortly follows.
Chapter VI.-Mr. McLane is mysterious
ly shot in San Francisco, Merriam is
greatly excited when he reads account In
papers While still In mourning Mrs. Nc
Lane prepares to visit Fort Sedgwiek.
Chapter NII.-Mrs. McLane arrives at
the fort. Merriam is startled at the news.
and he and his wife absent themselves
from the formal hop that evening.
Chapter VIII,-Mr and Mrs. Merriam
pay their respects to the widow on an
evening when she would be sure to have
many other callers. When the call is
pleads illness as excuse for not seeing
and faints.
Chapter IN.-Mrs. McLane desires to see
Merriam. Grafton persuades him to go.
but the widow postpones the meeting I'LL
next noon.
Chapter X.-Florence learns MerrIaU
has been to see Mrs. McLane. and In II
storm OF passion will not allow him
to explain. Shortly after Merriam is In
tercepted by Fannie McLane as he Is pass
Ing through Grafton's yard. Florence wilt
nesses 'the meeting. which she supposes
has been prearranged.
Chapter XI-Mrs. McLane begs Merriam
for papers given him by his stepson. but
which he tells her We're all forwarded to
Parry. Merriam is seriously wounded in
fight with greascrs.
Chapter NII.-Florencc, In her deep dis.
appointment. leaves her home In the night
for her fathers at the cantonment.
Harriet Grafton was greatly shocked
when told her husbands fears, and did
not altogether meekly accept his eau
tion to keep the secret from Fanny,
who still slept the sleep of the innocent
and vir:uous and clear of conscience.
Hop Ling had been told to go indoors,
put all the rooms to rights, have the
breakfast table set, and breakfast pre-
pared as usual, and he wondered but
obeyed. Mrs. Hayne was speedily
aroused by the announcement that Mrs.
Grafton was below, and was well aware
that something extraordinary had oc-
Cured 10 warrant call at so early an
hour. Even the children. wearicd after
last nights vigil. were still asleep. Don
ming n wrapper, she FASTENED out on the
landing and softly called over the bal
listers: II know you have news for me,
Mrs. Grafton, please come up.v
And in the telling of her tidings, was ii
any wonder that the younger matron
burst into tears?
I'VE must try to make it seem that
she has ridden off at dawn in hopes of
meeting Randy on his return with the
prisoners" WINS Mrs. Haynes decision.
after she had recovered from the shock
and had heard the whole story; and
this commended itself TO Grafton as
wise when his wife came back TO him
and he had returned from the never-to-
be-neg!ected morning stables" And
this too was what they intended at first
to say 10 Merriam when he should come
in. ravenous for breakfast and aston
ished al not finding his wife. Rut high
noon came and brought no Randy. In
the words of the acting adjutant, high
noon brought only high jirks.
Crane. officer of the day, and a dozen
other officers had seen Hop Ling's
frantic charge across the parade at
rcveille, and numbers OF men had heard
his announcement OF the general hegira
at Merriam's. Before guard mounting
it was known that Mignon's trail led
straight away to the upper forIs of the
Santa Clara-far from the direction in
which Randy had gone. At ten herds
man came in who said he 'reckoned the
lady must have dropped this" He saw
her riding like the wind the short cut
for Jose's ranch on the old Navajo trail,
and he handed over. poor Florrie's little
travelling bag. which she had evidently
strapped to her saddle, never calculat-
ing-perhaps never caring-what the
strain might be, never missing it when
it was gone. They sent il to Mrs. Hayne,
who could no longer keep up her brave
face, but sobbed over it as would moth
er over some priced relic of lost and
beloved child,
Then Bux ordered out three of his
swiftest trailers and riders and the best
light wagon at the post. With the wag-
on went the post surgeon and Mrs.
Hayne, who left her brood toa neighbor's
care. They took with them such drugs
and rcstoratiyeS rs seemed necessary,
and at noon they were across the Santa
Clara on the road to the cantonment, eN-
pecting to reach Jose's by nightfall and
find their runaway darling there, ex-
hausted by her long hours in saddle and
compelled to stay under that friendly
shelter. as sometimes with her father
and twice at least with Randy she had
stayed on her journeys to and fro.
There she would have to remain over
night until Mignon should be able to
go on again with the rise Of the morning
star. ...
Meantime tlc wires from Cimarron
Junction had been hot with news, and
McGrath, the operator, lived the day OF
his life, for hours the most important
man at the post. The rioters had got
wind of the coming of troops and had
sought to block the way by wrecking
4 freight caboose in Calamas Gorge.
The Rihers swarmed out and had things
in shape within the hour, and went
Whistling on again. Everyone knew
trouble would end the moment they got
to the scene of the strike, but what
might not happen meantime?
Something had happened. On one of
the passenger trains blockaded beyond
Cimarron was a Chicago lawyer OF
most active mind and being, Chicago
an of no little experience with scenes of
the kind, and this gentleman had fired
message after message to Lieut.. Ran
io!ph Merriam, at Sedgwick, and finally
demanded reason for that officers si=
lence.
rWhat1l do with this here, sir?"
said McGrath, coming finally into the
adjutant's office. There's three mes
sages here for Mr.. Merriam, urgent
ones, too, and finally the sender asks
why he don't reDly"