Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-01
Ecopyrightsd. 1900. by J. B. Lippineott Col
 CHAPTER XVIII.

To say that MT. Rays abrupt an nouncement was a surprise to the dense throng of listeners is putting 1t mildly. To say that it was re ceived with ineredulity by part of the soldiery, and concern, if not keen ap. prshsnsion, by old friends of Sandy's father who were present, is but . faint description of the effect of the lads emphatic statement.
 To nine out of ten among the assem- ply the young officer was a total stranger. To more than nine out of ten the identification of the dead as Walter Foster, Maidie Rays luckless many men who have made up their minds are incensed at those who dare to differ from them.
 True, MT. Stuyvesant had said that the sentry, No. 6, did not remind him except in stature, form, and Possi- bly in features, of the recruit he knew as Foster on the train. He did not speak like him. But, when close ly questioned by the legal adviser of the provost-marshaPs department, the officer who conducted most of the examination with much of the man ner of a prosecuting attorney, Mir. Steuyvesant admitted that he had only seen Foster once to speak to, and that was at night in the dim light of the Sacramento station on what might be called the off-side of the train, where the shadows were heavy, and while the face of the young sol- dier was partially covered with a bandage.y Yet Vinton attached inn portance- to his aide-de-camp's opin- ion, and when Ray came out fat footed, as it were, in support of Stuy- yesant's views, the general was vis- ibly gratified.
 But, except for these very few, Ray had spoken to unbelievingj ears. Sternly the military lawyer took him need to enter into details. In ten minutes the indignant young gentle man, who never his life had told lie, found himself the target of ten score of hostile eyes, some wrathful, some scornful, some contemptuous, some insolent, some only derisive, but all, save those of few silently observant officers, threatening or at least inim- ical.
 Claiming first that he knew Walter Foster we'll (and, indeed, it seemed to him he did, for his mothers letters to the Big Horn ranch had much to say of Maidie's civilian admirer, though Maidie herself could rarely be induced to speak of him), Ray was forced to admit that he had met him only twice or thrice during a brief and hurried visit to Tort Averin 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 say that he hadn't ob- served him closely at all. He didn't want to-exact1y." They first met, i. seems, in saddle. The winter wealth CT was glorious at AYerill. They had 3 fine pack of hounds;N 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.
 1t was not brought out in evidence, but the fact was that Sandy could never be got to look on Foster with the faintest favor as a suitor 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 ha f,r.xf n o1 r1oo fDr ETo so rode as though born to the saddle. He had seen Poster in an English rid ing suit and English saddle and an attempt at the English seat, but de cidedly without the delft 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 all 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, curving 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 'tthis isn't Foster Questioned as to whether, if the de- ceased were again to have the color and action--the life that Foster had Q 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 a card photo graph of Foster in ranch costume that would convince the gentlemen, he thought, that there was no such very strong resemblance, and note was written to Miss Porter asking her to find 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, curving lashes, and oval, attractive face. despite it's boyishness, and nine men out of ten who saw and compared it with the fare of the dead decIarad If