The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-09-29

'MR. LANIER, GO TO YOUR ROOM IN Ar
| REST
later for his "mendacity," yet what
he said was true to the letter. 1t took
little more than a second for the colo
mel to say:
MIR. Lanier, go to your room in ar
rest"
] Now, that was the first touch to
spoil that memorable December night.
The waltz soon ceased, but the colonel
called for an extra and led out a lady
from town, the wife of a future sena-
tor. Keep this thing going" he eau
toned his adjutant. but the piteous
| face of the girl he had left at the door
Of the ladies' dressing room and in the
hands Of Mrs. Sumter was too much
for Barker.
| Colonel Button was hopping mad,
yet at what? Lanier's offense had not
been grave. 1t had happened half a
dozen times that the officer of the
guard, making his rounds and visiting
| sentries in the course of dance even
ing, would casually drop in by one
door and out by another. taking turn
| or two on the floor perhaps-"just
Waiting in and Waiting out" as they
said
"Disobeyed his orders fatty" sug-
gested Captain Snaffle.
| "Disobeyed no ORDER" said Sumter
| as stoutly. Simply did what many
another has done, and nobody hurt.
Nor would Lanier have been noted,
| perhaps, if he had not first asked to
| turn over his sword to Trotter."
| Not ten minutes after Lanier went
out, and went silent, but in unspeak-
| able wrath. Paymaster Scott came
| dawdling in, and though but a casual
| visitor at the post, just back that day
| from a tour Of the northward camps
and forts along the Indian border, he
saw at a glance that something had
gone amiss. The colonel was labori-
! Ously waltZing; three or four couples
were mechanically following suit, but
| most of the men were gathered about
the buffet. and most Of the women
huddled at the dressing room door,
and Scott, marching over to pay his
| respects to the colonel's wife, noted in
stantly the trouble in her serious face
Captain Snaffle was speaking with her
at the moment. Mrs. Snaffie was at
her side. "Why did they tell her at
alp Mrs. Snaffle was asking. with
| much spirit and obvious effort to con-
troll racial tendency to double the
| final monosyllables. "Sure they might
have known 'twOuld sc-frighten the
life out of her"
"Sc-frighten whoY' asked Scott.
Snaffle shot a warning glance at his
wife.
"It's Bobby Lanier, meejor, only you
| mustn't sp-refer-to it."
"Lanier? Oh. yes, thought it was
Bob l saw awhile ago streaking it
across the parade What's Bob got to
do with frightening folk?''
Something very unfortunate has
happened. major" said Mrs. Button.
! 'Mr Lanier was officer of the guard and
asked to attend the dance, Mr.. Trotter
| Offering to take charge Of the guard.
Colonel Button felt compelled to de-
cline, and-he came anyway. You
know, of course, that couldn't be over
looked"
HIM" said Scott gravely and re-
fectively. "And who is so fright
| e1eed?'
4AIiriam Arnold. a very charming
girl who is visiting the Sumters. In
| deed. if looks as though she cared for
him. It's no secret that he's in love
with her.
But at the moment Mrs. Sumter was
| seen coming forth from the dressing
room Half dozen women were upon
| her at once with sympathetic inquir-
les. She came straightway to Mrs.
Button.
''You will forgive my girls for not
-