The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-20

aided us. but him l would not ask. Before this time I had acquainted him Of my attentions in regard to his daughter. and now l went to him and placed the matter before him. explain ing to him the nature of our affairs and announcing my intention to make a quick journey to the west in order to obtain assistance from Colonel Meri- Wether. Of whom 1 hoped to find tn- stant solution of the financial prob lens, at least. 1t seemed wise for me to place before Miss Grace's father the question of adviSa biIity of allowing her to remain pledged to a man whose fortunes were in so sad a state. 1 asked him what was right for me to do. His face was very grave as he pondered, but be said: "If my girls word has been passed we will wait. We will wait, sir" And that was all ] knew when I made my hurried prep aratiOns for the longest Journey 1 had at that time ever known.
 In spite of all my grief was a young man, and l was conscious of a keen exhiIaraHon in these my earliest travels. l was to go toward that great west. which then was on the tongue of all the south and indeed all the east.
 A great military party was embark ing for the west-twO compa nies of dragons. their officers and mounts. 1 managed to get passage on this boat to Louisville and thence to the city of St. Louis. Thus finally we pushed in at the vast busy Ievee of this western military capital Still l was not in the west, for St. Louis also was old.
 olv, old v1I1 ,N I<N-
 back in Virginia. l heard of lands
 still more remote. a thousand miles
 still to the west; heard of great rivers
 leading to the mountains and of the
 vast. mysterious plains of which even
 yet men spoke in awe. 1t seemed to
 me l heard the voice of youth and life
 beyond and that youth was plotted
 out behind me in the blue Virginia
 hills.
 inquired for Colonel Meriwether . about my hotel in the city, but was
 unable to get definite word rega rdinE his whereabouts, although the impress
 sion was that be was somewhere in the farther west. This made 1t neces-
 sary for me to ride at once to Jeffer-
 son barracks. l had at least one ac- quaintance there. Captain Martin Ste
 venSOn of the Sixth cavalry, a Mary
 land man whom we formerly met ire quently when be was paying suit to Kitty Dillingham; of the Shena ndoa h
 country. 1 found Kitty quite as she
 had been in her youth at home. as
 careless and wild, as disorderly and
 as full of good heartedness.
 Come" she said. we'll put you up
 with us. right here. Johnson. take
 Mir. Cowles' things and go down to
 the city at once for his bags" But. my dear Mrs. Kitty" I pro
 tested, "I can't. l really must be get ting on. I'm here on business with Colonel Meriwether.'
 Never mind about Colonel Meri- ] wether.", rejoined my hostess. "we'II find him Iater-he's up the river some where. Always take care of the i'm portant things first. The most impor. tant thing in the whole world just now is the officers ball tonight. Don't you
 see them fixing up the dancing plat form on parade? It's just as well the K. O's away. because tonight the mice ctrtainIy are going to pIay.'' The city of St. Louis was then the ric hest and gayest capital of the west, 1 the center of the commercial and SO ciaI life of west and south alike. Some
 of the most beautiful women of the
 world dwelt there and never. l i'm 1 agine. had beIIes boIder Suitors than | these who passed through or tarried with the army What wonder the say | ing that no army man ever passed St l Louis without leaving a heart or talk | ing one with him? What wonder that l these gay young beauties emptied many an army pocket for flowers and | gems and only filled many an army l heart with deSpondency in return [ 1 Sackcloth lay beyond on the frontier Ball followed pail. one packed recep ton after another Dinings and send ing of flowers and evening love mak' | ings-these for the time seemed the | main business of Jefferson barracks
 Social exemptions are always made for
 army men. ever more gallant than af
 fluent, and St. Louis entertained these | gentlemen nightly with no expecta. ] tion of equivalent. yet occasionally the l sons of Mars gave return entertain ments to the limits. or more than the l limits, of their purses. The officers l balls at these barracks were the env!
 of all the army. and l doubt If an
 regimental bands in the service hn
 reason for more proficiency in wall 1 time.
 Of some of these things my hoste ! advised me as we sat. for the sake
 he shade. on the gallery of No. | where Stevenson's man of all wc lad brought glass topped table a | -ume glasses. Here Captain Stew
 on presently joined us, and after th 1 -scape was impossible.
 1 Do you suppose MT. Cowles is ( Gaged?" asked Kitty Of her husba' impersonally and apropos of Eothit | that l could see.
 1 ''I don't think so. He looks tu | deuced comfortable" dra wled SteveH son.
 If he isn't engaged he will be before | morning." remarked Kitty.
 indeed, and to whom, pray?" in ] quired.