The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-22
GENERAL CHARLES
 KING, Author of ''The Colonel's Daughter,'' Foes In Ambush." Etc.
may find my daughter

here"
 Good Godv' said Stannard. Come 1 in." And he led forthwith his aged and
 trembling comrade within doors. seat | ed him by the still glowing stove in the
 front room and struck a light In less than a minute Mrs. Stannard, too, had | joined them, her kind blue eyes filled I with tender. pity and sorrow. Poor | motherIess Dora had no lack of friend I ly counsel and fond, womanly sympa- thy when once she could be brought to l lay her burden there. And now, with l his gray hairs bowed in sorrow to the dust, poor 1ayhew had come to tell his piteous tale. Ever since young Rawdon had gone with the paymaster she had been f1tful and nervous. Ever since their coming to Gushing four weeks agone she had been watching, waiting, listening, often weeping. and when letters came for her with the postmark of Fetterman or Laramie. Red Cloud or the cantonment in the hills he could not but note her fever ish eagerness and her instant escape to her own room to read Ser treasure alone Oh, yes; he knew they must be from Rawlon. He had liked the lad. knew there was good stuff in him. and
 
 who was a military loan shark, man who fattened on the needs or weak nesses of his comrades.
 But-God! He had never looked for this. Oh. where had she gone? And why? He had found her at home and in tears after the fire. Then that aft ernoon, some time, somehow, she got a message or a letter and then kissed him and said she would be better in bed At II o'clock old Chloe's sobbing aroused him. Dora had disappeared.
 They lost no time, those men of tLe field and the frontier. Stannard was dressed and out in twenty minutes.
 Had she fled to join anybody? was the question that racked so many a heart, for. with the possible excep- ton of gentle Mrs. Stannard, the girl had made no conidant.
 It was this, full fifteen minutes aft CT Lieutenant Field and two of his men had trotted off to town. that started old Stannard and big Jim En- his down the valley from the veteri- narian's, through 'Sudstown," where girls and women were huddling and whispering at the news They came to the long cavalry stables, standing gable ends to the north. like so many companies in close column, and at the sixth of these, farthest from the bluff wheFeon stood the barracks and quar- ters, they stopped and banged at the door. No answer, even when the sen try came to their aid and hammered with the butt of his carbine-
 ''Pn have him out" said the cor poral of the guard and ran round to the south end and presently came back triumphant. He had reused the two orderlies. The burly major strode in, big Jin5 Ennis at his heels. The sergeant's door flew open before them The room was empty. Fitzroy and Fitzroy's furs were gone. Nor was that all. Two empty stalls stood close at hand.
 q thought so." said he, then grabbed the nearest orderly by the coat col lar. ''Who took Lieutenant Fosters sleigh and team," demanded he. land how long age"
 Sergeant Fitzroy, sir," came the answer, with a doleful whine, sJust before the third relief, at half past H."
 ttNo time to see the colonel now!" said Ennis. ssMajor Stannard. I've got to gallop into town. but a dozen men. if need be, should trail that sleigh"
 'sGo it. boy" was the instant an- swer. 'and Pm behind you"