The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-17

= 4 y Z n.
protest against what Is probable in the
name OF the eternal fitness OF things.
Nevertheless, he vent on thinking very
disagreeably about Mr.. Furrey. IA 4
''IIow can nice girl endure a fellow
who pomadcs his hair in that fashion, ana
sounds fis RS In that way, and talks
about Theodore Thonmus and Clnsunnat-
Ia? Still, they do It, and Providence must
| be on the side Of that sort Of men. But
what business is all this OF mln?
have half d mind to 90 to Europe again.
He stopped, lighted Il cigar, and walk
ed brlskly homeward AS he passed by
the Bedding cottage, he saw that the low
or story was in darkness, and In the win
dows above the light was glowing behind
the shades
80 Furrey is gone, and the tired young
traveller is going carlyle rest.
lie went into his library and sat down
BY the dying embcrs OF the crate, Ills
mind had been full OF Alice and her pros
poets during his long walk in the moon
light; and now as he sat3there, the Image
OF Maud Matchin suddenly obtruded Itself
upon him. and he began to compare and
contrast the two girls, both SO beautiful
and SO utterly unlike; and then his
| thoughts shifted all at once back to his
| hood, OF his parents removed from him
| so early that their memory was scarcely
more than a dream; he wondered what
! life would have been to him II they had
| been spared Then his school-days came
lSup before him; his journey to France with
| his grandfather his studies at st. Cyr;
his return TO America during the great
| war, his enlistment AS n private in the
! regular cavalry. his promotion to n lieu
| tenancy three days afterward.5 his SER
| vice through the terrible campaign Of the
| PENINSULA, his wounds at Gettysburg. and
| at last the grand review of the veterans
in front OF the White House when the
| war was ever.
But this swift and brilliant panorama
did not long delay his musing fancy. A
| dull smart like that Of a healing wound
| drew his mind to succession Of scenes
on tho frontier. He dwelt with that
| strange fascination which belongs to the
memory OF hardships-and which We are
| all too apt to mistake for regret-upon
his life Of toll and danger in the wide
desolntion of the West. There he met,
| one horrible winter, the sister-in-laws Of q
brother captain, tall languid. ill-nour-
|Ished girl Of mature years, with tender
| blue eyes and a taste for Byron She
! had no home and no relatives In the world
| except her sister, Mrs. Keefe. whom she
| had followed into the wilderness. She was
heavy burden on the scanty resources
Of poor Kcefe. but he made her cordially
welcome like the hearty soldier that
| he was She was the only unmarried
| white woman within a hundred miles, and
| the mercury ranged from zero to % de-
| grces all winter. In the spring, she and
| Farnhnm were married; he seemed to
| have lost the sense OF there being any
other women in the world, and he took
| her as ono nstinctively takes to dinner
lathe last lady remaining in a drawing.
! room, without special orders. He had lad
| the consolation of rejecting that he made
her perfectly proud and happy every day
| OF her life that was left. Before the a u
| tumn ended, she died, on forced march
one day, when the air was glittering with
nlknli. and the fierce sun seemed to 5withcr
: tho dismal plain like the vengeance of
!. heaven. Though Farnham was even then
one OF the richest men In tho army, so
| rigid are the rules imposed upon our
service, by the economy of an ignorant
demagogy, that no transportation could
be had to supply the sick lady with the
! ordinary conYenfences of life. and she died
in his arms. on the hot prairie. In the
shade of an overloaded baggage wagon.
/
| ono gives to q comrade fallen on the
field Of honor. Often since he left tho
army. he reproachcd himself for not hav-
Ing grieved for her more deeply. Poor
Nellie" he would sometimes say, chow
she would have enjoyed this house. II
she had lived to possess it, But he never
| had thai feeling of widowhood known to
| those whose lives have been torn in two.
\ 5 III sE CHAPTER 8IV.
PROTECTOR AND PROTEGEE.
a few days later Mr. Farnham at
tended meeting Of the library board
md presented the name Of Miss Natchin
ms q candidate for subordinate place
In the library There We're several such
positions, requiring M special education
or training, tho duties OF which could
be rs well filled by Miss Maud rs by
any one else, She had sent several
strong letter of Recommendation to tho
board, from prominent citizens who
i knew and respected her father for when
! Maud informed him of her now ambition,
i Matchln entered heartily into tho affair
and bestirred himself to use what credit
he had In the ward tohnsslst her,
Maud had not exaggerated the effect
\ of her establishments upon pr, Buchlle-
4 her. i The old gentleman spoke In her
favor with great fluency; ''she was
young, healthy active s6 intelligent, a
graduate of the high school,"
"And very pretty is she not? asked a
member Of the board maliciously.
The Doctor colored, but was not
!. abashed He gazed steadily at the in-
4 terruptcr through his round glasses, and
said: {.
\ do not see that that should stand In her