Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-08

erous high minded, brave-a man who pre-
ferred to be Of and with his subordinates
rather than above them-to rule through
affection and regard rather than the stern
standard of command. He was gentle and
courteous alike to officers and the rank and
file. though he feared no man on the face
OF the globe. He was awkward bungling
and Overwhelmingly. lavishly, kind and
thoughtful in his dealings with the women
folk Of the garrison, for he stood in awe
of the entire SisteIhood. He could ride like
centaur: he couldt dance worth cent
He could snuff candle with his Colt at
twenty PAGES and couldn't hit croquet ball
to save his soul His deep-set gray eyes,
under their tangled thatch of brown, gazed
straight into the face of every man on the
Platte. soldier. cowboy. Indian or half
breed. but felt abashed If a laundress
looked at him. Billy Ray, captain of the
sorrel troop and the best light rider in Wy
omng, was the only man he ever allowed
to straddle beautiful thoroughbred mare
he had bought In Kentucky, but, bad hands
or good. there wasn't a riding woman at
Frayne who hadn't backed Lorna time and
again. because to a woman the major SIM
ply couldn't say no.
And though his favorite comrades at the
post were captains like Blake and Billy
Ray, married men both whose wives he
Worsh1ped, the majors rugged heart went
out especially to Beverly Field, his boy adj
1utant, a lad who came to them from West
Point only three years before the autumn
this story opens, young fellow full of
high health, pluck and principle--a tip-top
soldier, said everybody from the start. IN
til, as Gregg and other GROWERS began to
declaim, the major completely spoiled him.
Here. three years only out of military lead
mgStr1ngS, he was a young cock ~of the
walk, too dam Independent for a second
lieutenant" said the officers club element
of the command, men like Gregg, Wilkins
Crane and few of their following. 1.-The
keenest young trooper in the regiment"
said Blake and Ray, who were among it's
keeneSt captains, and never a cloud had
sailed across the serene sky of their friend
ship and esteem until this glorious Septem-
Der Of 1SS-, when Nanette Flower, q bril-
liant, beautiful brunette, came visitor to
old Fort Frayne.
And it was on her account the major
would. could he have seen the way, said no
to the adjutant's request to be absent
again. On her account and that of one
other, for that request meant another long
morning in saddle with Miss Flower, an
other long morning in which "the sweetest
girl in the garrison, SO said they all
would go about her daily duties with an
aching heart. There was no woman at
Fort Frayne who did not know that Esther
Dade thought all the world of Beverly
Field. There was only one man who APP
parentiy had no inkiing Of it-Beverly Field
himself
She was the only daughter of a veteran
officer, a captain of infantry. who at the
age of fifty. after having held a high COM
mand In the volunteers during the civil
war. was still meekly doing duty as COM
pany officer of regulars nearly two decades
after. She had been carefully reared by q
most loving and thoughtful mother, even In
the crude old days of the army, when Its
fighting force was scattered in small de-
stachments all over the wide frontier. and
men-and women, t0o-lived on soldier ra-
lions, eked out with game and dweit In
tents or ramshackle. one-storied huts, ..built