The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-11-11
CONTINUED from page. 8,

ing the sleigh in Of having a
warm nest to fetch ,orgirl home In
as soon as he'd found her Sure. did
Mr.. 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 o o'clock. when Ennis
was sent for. was the colonel's way Of
looking at 1t. Moreover. he had a
rasp up his sleeve for our massive
young friend on half dozen other
counts.
I'm point Of fact, Mr.. Ennis, that girl
has simply fooled the whole party and
Is probably laughing at all of you. A
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 a matter
OF discipline just as Mr.. Lanier did,
and gave you credit for better sense.
You know l had ordered that fellows
arrest"
And so all Fort Gushing seemed in
turmoil and trouble as the sun of the
23d went out and BLACK Bill came in,
yet that sun must have been potent,
for Mrs. STANDARDS face as homeward
she sped after 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
DR.. Mayhem, for you never could keep
1t, and for week at least it's got to
be kept"
"Well, one thing you can tell" said
the major-''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 told
that so cheered Mrs. Stannard, it is
certain the latter could not contain
herself long and that even as the ma
jor was summoned toward 8 Of the
evening to join the solemn conclave at
the colonel's (where by this time But
ton had opened proceedings by giving
"Black Bill' the best dinner q frontier
larder and cellar affordedD she hustled
over to the Sumters'. was delightedly
welcomed by her friend and neighbour,
whose husband. too, had been called
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 INVITING him,
asking him whom be had subsidized
at this late hour to rescue his reputa-
ton, 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
calumnles 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
neIs circle. If, indeed, one of his per-
sonal friends and admirers. Only the
Sumters at Gushing subscribed for the
Morning Mail. Riggs had seen the
paper at Omaha. 1t took search Of
some minutes before even the first was
found. Then Sumter's eyes danced as
he read, and 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 dash led by Lieu
tenant Lanier, and then Sumter made
a swoop for all three pages and said,
1.-THE quicker Button can see these the
sooner he'll come to his Senses" and,
begging pardon for his rudeness, took
the papers and his leave and almost
collided with Kate.
1t must have been nearly an hour
later when Sumter came hurriedly in,
threw his furs OF in the hall and,
with troubled face, re-entered the par
lor. His wife rose instantly, laid her
head upon his arm and asked, what
has happenedw
"a scene the like of which I never
thought to hear Of In this regiment
We had adjourned to the soffice
Snaffle had been drinking q bit and
got angered and flustered when Riggs
cross examined him. One thing led
to another. and finally in evaporation
he blurted out: I'm sick of being call
ed the accuser of Mr.. Lanier. Why,
I've defended him! I've hidden worse
things than ever ! told you yet, and
now I'll stand 1t no longer! You twit
me with spying and slandering. Then
by all that's holy you shall say here
and now who's the better man! Twas
Lanier himself that leaped
from the window this night a week
ago-the back upper window Of Sum-
ter's quarters. That's how his hand
was cut and torn, and I've got three
men that'll swear to it,"
He broke off suddenly, for Kate had
turned and flung herself from the room
and into the arms of Mrs Stannard.