Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1902-07-31

to come, face to face once more with
Stanley Armstrong. Well she knew
that under the escort of that exalted
, rank she was safe from any possibility
of cross question or interference. Well
she knew that had he heard of her sud-
den determination to go to Honolulu
she could not have escaped stern inter-
rogation, possibly something worse;
and her heart failed her when she real
lied that the man who had gagged her
| shallow nature years before, now held
a lash over her head in the shape of the
paper that mad vanity had prompted
her to write and send to the officer of
the guard the day that Stewart sailed.
What madness it was, indeed, yet how
could she have dreamed it would fall
into the hands of the man Of all others
she feared and respected-the one man
who, had he but cared, could years ago
have had her love, the man who, be-
cause he cared not, had won her bate!
| And, now that he held or had held this
paper-nothing less than forged order
in her husbands name as aide-de-camp
to Gen. prayton, she could have cow
cred at his feet in her terror of him,
yet braved him with smiles, sweetness
and gayety, with arch merriment and
Joyous words, quitting for the moment
the generals arm that she might eX-
tend to him both her little white
gloved hands. Gravely he took the left
in his left while with the right he raised
his forage cap in combined salute to the
woman and to his superior officer.
Gravely and almost instantly he re-
leased it, and listened in helpless pa
thence to her torrent of playful words
but his eyes were on the generals face
as though he would ask could he, the
general, know the true character of the
woman he had honored above all her
sisterhood on board, in thus taking her
to the bridge whereon neither officer
nor man nor nurse nor army wife had
presumed to set foot in all the six days
run from San Francisco; as though he
would ask if the general knew just what
she was, this blithe, dainty, winsome
little thing that rl/tled so confidingly
indeed, SO snugly-close to his bat
tered side, and who had virtually taken
possession of him in the face of an en-
vious and not too silent circle of her
own sex. Truth to tell, the chief would
rather have escaped. He was but an
Indifferent sailor, and the Queens long,
lazy roll over the ocean surges was ex-
citing in his inner consciousness long
ing for cracked ice and champagne.
He had known her but the few days
the Queen remained in port, coaling and
preparing for the onward voyage across
the broad Pacific; but a great function
airy of the general government had told
him pathetic tale the very day of his
first peep at the Royal Hawaiian hotel
had given him capital dinner at that
famous hostelry, whereat she appeared
in charming attire, and in flow OF
spirits simply irresistible. Her sallies
of wit had made him roar with delight;
her mimicry of one or two conscientious
but calculated DANES who had come
over on the Queen, bound as nurses fol
Manila, had tickled him to the verge
of apopleNy; but when later she backed
him into the coolest corner of the
lanai" with the plash of fountain close
: at hand, and the sweet music of Der
gers famous band floating softly on the
evening air, and told him how hel
father had loved to talk of his. the gen
erals. dash and daring in the grea
days of the great war, and led him OF
to tell of his campaigns in the Shenan
doah and the west, listening with di
lated eyes and parted lips, the cam
paigner himself was captivated, anC
she had her will. \ great senator hat
told him how she had come thither t,
nurse n gallant young officer in he
husbands regiment, how she ha,
pulled the boy through the perils o
brain fever until he was now conval
escent and going on to rejoin his com
rades in Manila, and she, she was pinins
to reach her husband now serving OF
Gen. Drayton's staff. Other womel
were aboard the Queen; could not Gen
Crabb find room for her? 1t is har,
for a soldier to refuse a pretty woman
l or Appointment member of the commit
; tee on military affairs. There was not
vacant stateroom on the ship. Officer
: were sleeping three or four in a room
so were the Red Cross nurses; and tn
two army wives already aboard hat
; been assigned a little cubbyhole of
4 cabin in which only one could dress a
a time. There were only two apart
:. ments on the big craft that were no
y filled to their capacity-the room occu
pied by that sea monarch, the captain
r and that which, from having been tn
: ladies boudoir." had been fitted u