The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-07-15


heaekaeexx face. for she was as pretty
as a spring beauty, and though she
was perverse and pouty when she
wanted to be she was ordinarily as
sweet as a violet.
Betty lived in the summer time at
Lowland Glen, not many miles re-
moved from Fort Sherman, big gar
rison with enough young officers on
duty to fill the ranks Of company had
they been forced to drop the sword
and shoulder the krag-Jorgensen.
Betty loved the military y what girl
doesn't?-and if the truth be told Bet
tvs heart was set on marrying into the
soldiery, but she had made up her mind
secretly that she couldn't think Of look
ing at anything less than colonel. and
when she thought of 1t she sighed. for
the colonels in Uncle Sans regulars
were all so dreadfully old, and Betty
was only nineteen, mind you.
There was young Roy Lanyard sta
Hioned at Fort Sherman. he was
mighty good looking, Betty admitted
this to herself, and it wouldn't be bit
hard to love him, but Roy was only a
captain, and nothing but a colonel
would do. Captain Lanyard, to get
Into the middle of things at once. was
Just as desperately in love with Betty
as a young soldier just old enough to
know his own mind can be. He didn't
care a rap about Betty's bank account:
in fact, he never gave it thought. 1t
was just pretty Betty herself that he
wanted, but he didn't dare say so.
Now Betty had another failing. not
uncommon among American girls not
old enough to thoroughly understand
that Yankee husbands are the best IN
the world, and that was firm belief
that the ideal condition in married life
would be that which would come from
q husband who was a combination of
Englishman and English army officer.
''The colonels are younger over there"
said Betty to herself. land they are all
of aristocratic family, and, oh. we'll,
Englishmen are just too lovely for
anything"
The summer colony at Lowland Glen
was unsually large that season. There
were punches of swell doings. as the
slangy Yale cousin of Betty would put
1t. The army officers from Fort Sher-
man We're much in evidence. and one
young captain in particular was very
much in evidence in the vicinity Of
Miss Betty Rawlins. Betty saw the
evidence clearly, and how she did wish
that the President would retire some
few hundreds of superior officers so
that Roy Lanyard could tack the alb
brevfation "Col." to the front part Of
his name.
- One day there was excitement at
Lowland Glen. Mrs. Calumet had in
Vited two Englishmen. one Of them an
army officer, to spend the month with
them at their summer home The news
reached Betty the morning after the
arrival Of the Calumet's two guests.
Twenty young women had told her
about it. Let the girls alone for
spreading news Of this kind. "And
Betty" said one Of her informants,
zone cf the Englishmen is a colonel in
His Majesty's service, and young and
good looking at that"
Betty's heart gave thump. "At
last" she murmured to herself.
The next afternoon Betty met the
Englishman at the Dexter Country
Club. Her heart 1uttered q little as
the younger Of the two men-the other
was old and out Of the running-was
introduced to her. Colonel Reginald
Southcote was his name. 1t fairly
rang of aristocracy and militarism.
Betty knew that he was simon-pure
Englishman all right enough because
of his name, his accent and his clothes
which didn't fit.
For the next week Colonel Reginald
Southcote was Betty Rawlin's shadow.
Captain Roy Lanyard looked on and
was miserable. Betty gave him two
dances and about three words during
the entire week.
"No show for one Of Uncle Sans
poor artillerymen when there's one OF
king Edwards men with drawl and
a monocle about" sighed poor Captain
Roy.
Colonel Reginald Southcote was not
long in finding out that Betty Rawlins
lad pot Of money and that she
adored the military. Betty asked him
one day what his regiment was. ant
he replied promptly: Il am the colone
ot the Royal Yorickshire Regiment
he said.
Betty had heard tales about English
men pretending to be what they were
not, but the colonel looked honest
enough, and the girl was half ashamed
of herself when she went to a library
In the city and took down a British
military gazette from the shelf ant
looked for Royal Yorickshire Regiment
She found it all right, and the name o.
Reginald Southcote set down as th'
colonel thereof.
, From that time Betty was very cor
dial to the colonel. She turned the con
yersation occasionally on the Boer war
expecting to hear some deeds of DARN;
modestly told, but the colonel wa
strangely silent on the subject of fell
service, and Betty put it down to
brave mans reticence when it came t
speaking of his own acts on the fell
of battle. Betty might not have like
# had she known that when she wa
looking I'D the coloneps regiment b