Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-12
DAILY SHORT STORY
A REPUTATION SAVED.
IOrig.nall

once seen enough Of one another. 30
thought pretty Mrs. GessnOr, the young
wife OF Lieutenant Earl Gessnor, and
when il was announced that her hus-
bands chum at West Point was com
ing to join them she was greatly
pleased.
For week after Whites arrival
he and his friend Gessnor We're in
separable; then GessnOr was ordered
away on special duty 10 be gone
several weeks He told White that his
wife. who was city bred, found 1t dull
at the post and charged him TO keep
her in spirits.
White began by acceding TO his
friends request, but soon discovered
that Mrs. Gessnor was being carried
off her feet in a mad passion for him.
Reserve, even hauteur, on his part
awaited nothing to check her. 10 avoid
trouble he secured an order Temporal
rily taking him away from the post.
One morning he rode away on horse
back. Mrs. GessnOr called for her
horse and rode after him to bring him
back. Whether her recklessness had
suddenly become apparent 10 her and
she feared MS dibStlltc IlISul dllISNA
attention TO her folly or whether she
could not endure his i'll opinion. she
did not know herself She was shoot
ing like Il shuttle from one emotion
to another.
There was at the post Il Mrs. Major
Walsh, who had long knOwnand looked
upon Lieutenant White with cOvetous
eyes 1t so happened that on the morn
ing of Whites departure Mrs. Walsh
was being driven by an orderly in Il
buck board on the road he had taken.
and she suddenly came upon him plead
ing with Mrs. GeSSnor, who sat in the
saddle irrcSoute. That threw the Win
ming cards into the hands of Mrs.
Walsh Conscious of her advantage
she was in no haste She waited until
Gessnor had returned and White had
returned. then opened distressing fire
on White.
White was no fool. Moreover. he had
a cool head. The problem before him
was to save Mrs. GeSSnOr from the con
sequences of her Tashness. himself from
the charge of taking advantage of
brother officer through his wife and to
save the friendship existing between
himself and GeSSnOr. This problem he
considered for hours, and 1t seemed to
him that every move he might make
must be in the wrong direction. How
ever, he formed Il plan and set about
putting IL into operation. He convinced
Mrs. Walsh that he was not in love
with her rival. but was in love with
her. 1t is not difficult for us to be
Ileye what we want to believe, and the
first part of the proposition was as true
rs the latter part was false Mrs Cess
nor was much liked by the ladies or
the post and was above suspicion, While
Mrs. Walsh was neither liked nor trust
ed SO far so good.
But White could not long be devoted
to the latter. He must find means at
once to spike the gun with which she
would kill Mrs. Gessnor. There was
also an enemy in his rear in Mrs. Cess
nor. who. despite her perllous position,
could not bear to see the man she
adored devoted to her enemy. He had
two women to manage, both of whom
were in love with him and either or
whom was liable to commit harikar
to injure the other.
One night the officers OF the post got
I'D a masquerade. 1t was in the warm
| season and there was to be dancing on
| the parade as we'll as IN the officers
mess hall. The weather was superb
and the moon at the full. No fancy cos
| tunes could be procured ut an army
post. far from civilization, so the la
| dies made up number of dominos of
! different colorS which were TO be used
| instead.
During the festivities Lieutenant
| Gcssnor noticed n masculine figure in
n yellow domino and feminine figure
! in a red domino 90 out into the open.
| At the same time a figure in white
| domino slipped up beside Gessnor and
whispered, Watch the red
Gessnor followed the couple out on to
| the vcranda and on TO the parade.
There they danced in a set that was
| forming as they arrived, after which
they strolled about, getting farther and
/ farther from the masqueraders till they
| reached clump OF trees back OF the
officers quarters and sat down On q
| rustic bench.
Though the couple were In shadow
| Gessnor could see them plainly from a
! distance. Suddenly he saw the man
take the woman in his arms and raise
her mask for a kiss. Infatuated. Cess
nor rushed forward. tore off the wOn-
ans mask and revealed-Mrs. Major
| Walsh.
! Gessnor. declining TO look into the
| identity OF the man, turned on his heel
and left them.
Such was the result of Lieutenant
Whites plot. He had learned the color
| Of Mrs. Walsh's domino. then instruct
! ed Mrs. Gessnor TO tell her husband
/ that she would wear a red one herself.
| but TO put or a white one instead. 1t
was Mrs. Gessnor who had whispered
| the words in her husbands ear. They
| had compromised her enemy and res
| cued her from peril.
| The next day White at his own request
received an order from the commandant
or WASHINGTON no