Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-11-09
CHAPTER XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII.
To say that Mr.. Rays abrupt an
nouncement was a surprise to the
dense throng of listeners is putting
it mildly. To say that it was re-
ceived with incredulity by part of the
soldiery, and concern, if not keen ap-
prehension, by old friends of Sandy's
father who were present, is but a
faint description of the effect of the
lads emphatic statement.
To nine out of ten among the assem-
bly, the young officer was total
stranger. To moro than nine out Of
ten the Identification of the dead as
Walter Foster, Maidie Rays luckless
lover, was already com plete, and
many men who have made up their
minds are incensed at those who dare
to differ from them.
True, Mr.. Stuyvesant had said that
the sentry, No. 6, did not remind him
except in stature, form, and posi-
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-marshafs department,
the officer who conducted most of the
examination with much of the man
ner of prosecuting attorney, Mr..
Steuyvesant admitted that he had
only seen Foster once to speak tea
and that was at night in the dim light
of the Sacramento station on what
1o Io 49, ,I Of ho
train, where the shadows were heavy,
and while the face of the young SOL
der was partially covered with
bandage. Yet Vinton attached i'm
portance to his aide-de-camp's opin-
ion, and when Ray came out fiat
footed, as it were, in support of Stuy-
vesant's views, the general was Wis
IDLY gratifed.
But, except for these very few, Ray
had spoken to unbelieving ears.
Sternly the military lawyer took him
in hand and began to probe. No
need to enter into details. In ten
minutes the Indignant young gentle
man, who never in his life had told a 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 a few silently observant
officers, threatening or at least inim-
ica1.
Claiming first that he knew Walter
Foster well (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 Fort 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 OBJ
served him closely at all. He didn't
want to-exactly." They first met, i.
seems, in saddle. The winter wealth
| er was glorious at Averill. They had
fine pack of hounds; coursing for
JdCh doD1U was CdC1I 1dfol1tS SPOl u
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 sutton 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
| the boy had no use for. He and Maidie
| rode as though born to the saddle.
| He had seen Foster in an English rid
ing suit and English saddle and an
attempt at the English seat, but de-
cidedly without the deft 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,
J 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 this isn't Foster"
Questioned as to whether, if the de-
ceased were again to have the color
and action-the life that Foster had
year ago-might not the resem-
blance to Foster be complete ?-Sandy
simply couldn't tell'
ITO Be Continued