El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-10-28

4 DOIQ Oh Two VI Hlo OCcI
captains, seven Of his subalterns and
| nine-tenths Of the women folk at Fort
| Gushing taking sides with Lanier and
| issue with him-their colonel and COM
| manderi And here, too, were Lieuten-
ant and Mrs. Foster, highly connected.
influential, wealthy, insisting that his
most active and important witness, the
unimpeachable Sergeant FitZroy, had
corrupted their coachman, run of with
| their sleigh and ruined (this was Mrs.
FOSTER their horses.
And the story Snaf1e told Button be-
fore Foster could reach him was to the
effect that Foster ought to be ashamed
! of himself for abusing Fitzroy for, tax
| ing the sleigh in hopes Of having
warm nest to fetch the poor girl 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 IL they'd only let him
alone"
And that. at 9 o'clock. when Ennis
was sent for, was the colonel's way Of
looking st IT. Moreover, he had a
rasp up his sleeve for our massive
young friend on half a dozen other
counts.
In point Of fact, Mr.. Ennis, that girl
has simply fooled the whole party and
is probably laughing at all of you. A
girl that viii 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 :1terfered in matter
of discipline just as Mr. Lanier did,
and l gave you credit for better sense.
You know 1 had ordered that fellows
| arrest"
And SO all Fort Cushing seemed in
turmoil and trouble as the sun of the
23d went out and BLACK BilI' came in,
yet that sun must have been potent,
for Mrs STANDARDS 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
Dr.. Mayhem, for you never could keep
it, and for a 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 a 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 9 Of the
evening to join the solemn conclave at
the colonePs (where by this time But
ton had opened proceedings by giving
BLACK Bill" the best dinner frontier
larder and cellar afforded) she hustled
over to the Sumters'. was delightedly
welcomed by her friend and neighbor.
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 he 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 a correspondent on the spot,
an eyewitness to the scenes he had de-
scribed. and these letters refuted the
calumnies recently heaped on Button
and his comrades-gaye him. In fact,
high praise for soldiership. bravery,
energy. even though the writer owned
himself by no means one of the colo
nefs 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 a 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 a 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 bis leave and almost
collided with Kate
1t must have been nearly an hour
later when Sumter came hurriedly in.
threw his furs off in the hall and,
with troubled face. re-entered the par
Ior. His wife rose instantly. laid her
head upon his arm and asked. What
has happened?'
"a scene the like Of which / never
thought to hear of in this regiment.
we had adjourned to the Office
Snaff1e had been drinking bit and