Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-26
DAILY STORY
AN UNREVEALED MYSTERY.


GOriEinaLl
Few United States army people re-
member the mystery which occurred
which has never to this; day and doubt
less never vii! be revealed. Those I'M
der whose notice it took place are now
either on the retired list or dead. Yet
here and there doing over newspa-
per ut some army or navy club Il white
headed old man may he found who can
give the circumstances.
One day away back in the last cen
fury guests were assembling ut the
quarters of Colonel Athcrn. command
ing Fort c.. To celebrate the wedding
of the coloncIs niece, Miss R0Xana
Bonfield. with Lieutenant Reginald Al
len. Allen had secured Il leave or had
been sent away on some duty-it was
claimed that he was purposeiy absent
and was to have returned for Il bach
elor farewell dinner lie was to give on
the evening before the wedding. There
were no mails or teleGraphS handy at
that time by which he could send any
word and when he did not appear for
the dinner 1t was supposed he had
been unavoidably detained. But when
the garrison clock struck l. the next
day, the hour appointed for the cere-
mony, and he did not appear there was
hum of surprise.
Allen never did appear again at Fort
c. The lady he was to have married
bore the slight put upon her so well.
never uttering Il word of blame. that
she received the sympathy of every
one. Not a person at the fort who
afterward met Lieutenant Al,cn-he
| offered no explanation of his conduct
but gave him dead cut. He remained
in the army only year after the day
he was to have been married. when.
| finding himself taboOed wherever he
| appeared among army people, he re-
signed and disappeared.
Five years after her disappointment
Miss Bonfield engaged herself to Cap
| tain Gregg. The engagement occurred
| just before Gregg was ordered to an
other post. Certain young wagS with
| more love of saying mean things than
| delicacy debated among themselves ii
| Gregg would behave as Allen had be
haved. But Gregg, after being en-
| gagged for six months, during all OF
| which time he was absent from his
! fiancee. returned in ample time for tho
wedding.
j There is no record that any disagree
ment ever occurred between Captain
and Mrs. Gregg. During the first few
months of their marriage Gregg ap
peared as a devoted and happy huS
band. Then one day when he went OF
duty he gave evidence of having re
ceived shock. To inquiries as to III:
health he replied that he was neve
better Nevertheless he had Il hunte,
look and lost flesh till his uniform
hung about him in deep creases. While
the loving devotion he had shown hi
| wife did not continue, he was perfect
ly respectful and attentive to her
What surprised every one was that sh
did not treat him or appear to worr,
( about him as a sick man. She seemed
J rather Indifferent than otherwise. The
n people whispered to one another tina
J she had never recovered from havin
ri lost her first love.
ri Gregg finally got years leave an
X went abroad-without his wife. At til
Y end of the year he returned in fai
X condition. but with something of th
y hunted look left.
XII In six months he was sent to a r,
Y treat, where he died n few years late
ri Mrs. Gregg was now woman c
Y twenty-eight. She had no childre
y and did not look her age. The unfo
Y tunate endingS of her love affairs ha
not seemed to cast any cloud over he
: She was not at ell depressed. She al