Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-10-11

nagS at half-maSt all over the capital the
echoing words Of the funeral grafton, had
shown him to her in a new light.
CHAPTER XXI.
The afternoons mail was in, and the
proprietor Of the Cartersbrook store was
pursuing his ayocation of postmaster.
The porch was filled with negroes and
whites from the fiat woods. Crazy sui
kies and wagons stood here and there in
the shade. Some sad-eyed, droop-eared
mules under the saddle hung their weary
heads beneath the rack to the length of
their bride refns. Here and there a ne
gro held riding horse, the property Of
some river planter, it's owner sitting at
ease inside and dangling his spurred heels
over the counter. In the slanting sun
shine in front of the store Mamie Taze-
well sat on a clean-limbed, impatien.
horse, the brown of her sun-tanned face
bringing out the blue Of her eyes. The
hand on the bride reins was brown like
the face. Her riding skirt Of jeans was
faded by the sun, and patch on the knee
showed a brighter color than the rest.
Several planters spoke a few words to
her as they rode up and dismounted, but
it was evident their acquaintance with
her was only slight There was look
on her face not unlike her fathers, as
she sat there alone, giving scant atten-
ton to her neighbors' comings and go
ings.
| The postmaster came out with a sheaf
of letters and papers and handed them
up to her. I'D like that yer Philipian
stamp" he said pointing with grimy fin
ger to the green stamp crossed with its
| black letters.
Miss Tazewell pulled the letter from
the bunch and glanced at it. Her eyes
fell upon some words in the left-hand
corner: SOLDIERS letter. Return to Hugh
Darlington. Lieut.. I'd U. s. Cavalry"
She tore off the stamp nervously and can
tered away. 1t was the first letter she
had ever received from him, and she
thrust it into the bosom Of her dress and
! waited until she had put half mile be-
tween herself and the store before she
opened it. With the bride reins knotted
around her wrist and her horse checked
into an impatient walk, she read little
way until the words became blur before
her eyes; then thrust the letter back into
her bosom and put her horse into a gal
lop. She would read it in her own room,
out of sight of a chance curious eye. Of
ten she felt for the letter as her horse
bounded along and each time her fingers
touched the paper her pulse went faster.
She had felt so alone in the world until
the letter came. She rode around to the
back of the house, gave her horse to Jo-
siah, went up to her room and locked the
door. Drawing a chair to the window,
she read the long letter, read it with
| - %nc IL
window, as the written words brought
Darlington wildly back to her. Her long
overstrained nerves gave away when she
had finished the letter; she dropped her
head on it, and sobbed wretchedly.
Service with the army of occupation in
the Philippines had not brought to Car
rington the distraction and excitement he
had hoped for. He wrote humorously Of
his position as lord of a small island a
couple of hundred miles from Manila
with nothing in the world to do. He had
been in one brush with the insurgents;
but there had been less danger in the en-
counter than in following Maude cross
country at home. His letter began light
y, but the idleness and purposelessness
of his life, the heavy, lonesome hours
showed as dark background to the pic
ture the letter sketched. His tone was
that Of q man who was failure.
Voices came to Mamie from the porch
below, and a servant knocked at her door
to tell her a gentleman wished to see her,
She made no answer, and still sat there
looking out, with her hands crossed in her
lap Mr.. Henry's cheerful voice and a
loud laugh now and then from her broth
er Jared on the current Of her thoughts,
and she left the window and lay down on
the bed, her eyes open, and so remained
for long time.
Major Bob, on the porch, was rapidly
forgetting the pain of an old wound in his
leg; for exuberance of good spirits over
flowed from his visitor. There was Il
gala day appearance to Henry. more in
manner than in dress. Still his clothes
were uncommonly well made, and he
wore them with an air.
Il declare" said Tazewell, "you are
a younger man than when / first lost a
ten-dollar bill to you, twenty years ago.
Explain yourself. Here l am getting old
4 am old! Going to get married, or at
tend funeral in all that dike?"
Henry rubbed his hands together and
laughed. Like the suit, do you? Well,
| picked out the SWEETEST tailor in New
York, and 1 said, DO your best He
said, My dear sir, it will cost you a PEN
NY and cast his eyes over the ten-dollar
ready made bought OF Eichman at East
over. said, Let me pay you now"
Major Bob stared. Have you teen