Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-06-27
A SOLDIERS DAUGHTER.

Philip Lansing, lately promoted to a
captatncy in the sixth infantry sat
alone in his quarters The hour was
late and he was indulging in a revcry
as he slowly smoked his cigar. His
recent promotion had brought him
from special duty in an Eastern city,
where he had passed a delightful win
ter, to this isolated post in the Wind
river valley, at the foot of a spur of
the Rocky mountains. The garri-
son consisted of his own company and
two troops Of cavalry, the latter
strange to him. The young subalterns
of that arm Of the service. as well
as of his own company, had just left
him. Their talk had been largely of
the excellent hunting and fishing the
region afforded, desultOry sketches Of
the cavalry captains, their deeds and
peculiarities, eliminating in enthusi-
astic praises of Captain TraYers
beauty, a fearless horsewoman, and a
crack shot, whose education if such
it could be called was derived from
her father, a product of the war of the
rebellion, who had joined his regiment
a widower with a little girl of s.,
and garrison whenever practicable, en-
couraging her to ride, fish, hunt, and
shoot. To Lansing, graduate of the
military academy, fastidious, Of
wealthy and aristocratic lineage such
rearing was abhorrenl. He dctested
horsey young women. In his opinion
no girl, unless educated accomplished,
and above all with that indesCribable
air of high breeding, was worth think
ing about. He had smiled when
Thurston his friend and the first
lieutenant of his company, remarked
that the ladies OF Captain Travers'
regiment had chTistened her the fair
barbarian"
He thought about this as he sat
there. Then his mind reverted to the
young girls he had met during the last
season, dwelling upon one, Maud King
ston, VINO seemed to him to combine
all the qualities which go to the max
ing of perfect womanhood, yet had
failed to inspire him with a grand pas
sion. Still he often asked himself If
life would not be better worth living
with such a companion if he could
win her; for, with all his endowments,
ne was not vain. He found himself
contrasting her grace Of speech and
delicate attractiveness with this ro-
bust, uncultured Diana to whose
praises he had just listened. He felt
a kind Of repulsion at thought Of this
girl, upon whom he must call and
doubtless frequently meet.
Infantry officer though Lansing was,
he always owned one or two Kentucky
horses, and passed much of his time
in the saddle, delighting in the exer-
else At present his horses were
kept in Travers' stables. When he
visited them next morning, according
to daily custom, his attention was
attracted to a remarkably fine chest
nut mare a cayalryman was grooming.
In all his experience he had never
seen a more perfect animal. He in
quired who was the owner. Miss
Travers, sir answered the groom,
Lansing expressed admiration Of the
high spirited creature and such just
appreciation Of her fine points that the
soldier grew loquacious.
She's a beauty" he said, and swift
as an antelope Few ladies would
dare mount her but Miss Travers can
ride anything. Nobody knows what
she cost, but nothing could be too
nigh-priced for the captains daugh.