The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-23
GENERAL CHARLES
 KING,
Author of ''The Colonel's Daughter ''
 ''Foes In Ambush,'' Etc.

have had than the very one who was
 coming-bluff, blunt, rasping old
 Riggs, best known to fame and Fort | Cushing as Black BiJI''-ttBiIl Riggs to
 come and overhaul my regiment when | it's notorious he never could command
 even a two company camp without | having everybody by the ears! Such
 men aren't fit to be inspectors"'
 Indeed, there was much to warrant l poor Button's disgust He had pre- ferred most serious charges against 1 Lanier. He had accused him of quit 1 ting camp on campaign. quitting his | guard in garrison. quitting his quar-
 ters when in arrest, failing to quit
 himself of a money obligation. drink 1 ing and conSorting with enlisted men, | and in his letter of transmittal he had | intimated that there were other mis- | deeds he might yet have to uncover. 1 all, said Button, on the information of | veteran officers and sergeants of the
 regiment, notably Captains Curbit and 1 Snaff1e. Lieutenants Crane and Trotter, ] Sergeants Whaling and Fitzroy. and
 now here were both medical officers, both of his majors. two of his best captains, seven of his subalterns and
 nine-tenths of the women folk at Fort Cushing taking sides with Lanier and issue with him-their colonel and com
 mander! And here. too, were. Lieuten-
 ant and Mrs. Foster. highly co4nected. influential, wealthy. insisting that his
 most active and important witness. the
 unimpeachable Sergeant F'itzroy. had
 corrupted their eoachman, run off with
 their sleigh and ruined this was Mrs.
 Fosterl their horses.
 And the story Snaff1e told Button be-
 fore Foster could reach him was to the
 effect that Foster ought to be ashamed
 of himself for abusing Fitzroy for talk
 ing the sleigh in hopes of having
 warm nest to fetch the poorgirl home in
 as soon as he'd found her. Sure, did
 Mfr Ennis expect her to ride back on
 his cantle on So bitter night? Faith.
 Fitzroy was worth the whole pack of
 'em put together if they'd only let him
 alone.''
 And that. at 9 o'clock. when Ennis was sent for. was the colone1's way of
 looking at 1t. Moreover. he had a
 rasp up his sleeve for our massive young friend on half a dozen other counts.
 ''In point of fact, MT. Ennis. that girl has simply fooled the whole party and is probably laughing at all of you. 4 girl that will run away without a word or line to her father and marry an out and out adventurer, a mere nobody, has neither heart nor head anyhow. And now you've interfered in matter of discipline Just as MT. Lanier did, and gave you credit for better sense. You know I had ordered that fellows arrest.''
 And so all Fort Cushing seemed in turmoil and trouble as the sun of the R3d went out and 'sBiack Bil1' came in. yet that sun must have been potent, for Mrs. Stannard's face as homeward she sped after a long talk with Mrs. Osborn was radiant with sunshiny smiles You're not to know anything yet, Luce. at least until you get it from pr. Mayhew, for. you never could keep it, and for a week at least it's got to be kept.'ss
 "Well, one thing you can tell" said the najor-'that is, if you know-and put stop to an awful amount of cen sure that poor girls getting. Why did she leave no word for her father?"
 Because she expected to be home in two hours.'' And the reader can judge just how full and satisfactory must that answer have been.
 Now, whatever Mrs. Osborn had fold | that so cheered Mrs. Stannard, 1t is 1 certain the latter could not contain l herself long and that even as the ma jor was summoned toward of the | evening to join the solemn concIave at | the co1onel's (where by this time But l ton had opened proceedings by giving | ''Black Bill'' the best dinner frontier | larder and cellar afforded) she hustled | over to the Sumters'. was delightedIy 1 welcomed by her friend and neighbor, | Wh In1Ich aaj1cd | to council, and presently these two | sages were in confidential chat
 To them presently entered the cap tain, electric. briStling. He wanted | the bundle of latest newspapers. They | had not half read them. and Colonel | Button was all eagerness to see some + articles concerning the campaign about | which Riggs had been twitting him. | asking him whom he had subsidized | at this late hour to rescue his reputa- | tion, etc. Riggs had seen three long, | well written letters in the great New [ York Morning Mail. obviously the | work of correspondent on the spot. an eyewitness to the scenes he had de | scribed, and these letters refuted the l calumnies recently heaped on Button and his comrades-gave him. in fact. high praise for soldierShip. bravery, energy. even though the writer owned himself by no means one of the colo nePs circle. if. indeed. one of his per sonal friends and admirers. Only the Sumters at Cushing subscribed for the Morning Mail. Riggs had seen the. papeEAat Omaha. It took a search of some minutes before even the first was found. Then Sumter's eyes danced as he read. md Mrs. Sumter exclaimed over another. and for the first time in a week sounds of cheer arose in that little home. Presently Mrs Stannard read aloud spirited. stirring para graph, describing q dash led by Lieu tenant L4anler, and then Su-1ter made a swoop for all three pages and said ,icIc, thnSo the