Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-27

will have You are no longer neces-
sary In her plans
/ .'Ah. then. said ]. you have chang
ed your own mind nightly"
He set his lips together in his grim
fashion. Yes said he. Il have
changed my mind absolutely. have
/ just come from very trying inter
view II is not necessary for me TO
explain 10 you the full nature of it,
Then she has sent for me-
"She win never send for you. have
said"
but listen. At least j have brought
her back to ron safe and sound. Set
ting aside all my own acts In other
matters. why can you not remember
at least so much as that? Yet you
treat me Ike dog. ] tell you shall
not leave without word from her. and
when | leave shall make no prom
Uses as to when l shall or shall not
come back. So long as one chance re-
mains
II tell you that there Is no longer
any chance. no longer the ghost OF
chance Ii Is my duty to inform you.
sir. that a proper sutton long ago APP
piled for my daughters hand. that he
has renewed his suit and that now she
has accepted him"
For a time ] sat staring stupidity at
him sYou need speak nothing but the
truth with me- said at last. Colonel
Meriwether. have never given bonds
TO be gentle when abused
II am telling you the truth. he said.
NY daughter. Miss Meriwether. is en-
gagged to Lieutenant Lawrence Bel
KNAPP of the Ninth dragons. You feel
your honor too deeply touched? Per-
haps at later time Lieutenant Bel
KNAPP viii do himself the disgrace OF
accommodating YOU.
"If killed him." said finally, "how
would 1t better her case? Moreover.
before could take any more risk |
must 60. back to Virginia. Ny mother
needs me there most sadly"
"Yes. and Miss Grace Sheraton needs
you there sadly as WELL" he retorted.
F"Go back, then. and mend your prom
ises and do some Of those duties which
you now begin to remember You
have proved yourself a man of no
honor I stigmatize Jon now as
coward"
"You speak freely to your prisoner.
Colonel Meriwether," said slowly at
length. There is time yet for many
risks-chances for many things. But
now think you owe It to me to tel!
me how this matter was arranged"
VERY well, then. Belknap asked me
for permission to try bis chance long
ago-before ] came west to Laramie. i
assigned him to bring her through to
me. He was distracted at his failure
to do so. He has been out with parties
all the summer searching for you both
and has not been back at Laramie
more than ten days. Oh we all knew
why you did not come back to the set
Elements. When we came in be guess.
ed al that you know. He knew that
all the world would talk. And. like
man. be asked the right to silence all
that talk forever
.aAnd she agreed? Ellen Meriwether
accepted him on such terms r.
at Is arranged said be. not an
swering me directly. land it removes
at once all necessity for any other ar
rangement As for you. you disappear.
1t will be announced all through the
army that she aud Lieutenant Belknap
were married at Leavenworth~ before
they started west and that 1t was they
two and not you and my daughter who
were lost =
And Belknap was content to do
thisy' unused. HE would do this
after Ellen told him that she loved
me-"
stop. Numbered Colonel Meriweth-
er. = hare told you all that is neces-
sary. viii add that be said to me.
IKE the gentleman he Is. that in case
my daughter asked it he would marry
her and leave her at once. until she
IT her own free viii asked him to re-
turn. There is abundant opportunity
for swift changes In the army What
seems to you absurd will work out In
perfectly practical fashion"
Yes" said l. I'm fashion perfectly
practical for the ruin of her life You
may leave mine out of the question:
Il do. sir" was his icy reply. ''She |
told you to your face, and In my hear
ING. that you had deceived her. that |
you must 60"
Yes" said. duly. Il did deceive |
her. and there is no punishment on
earth great enough to give me for that |
Except to have no word from her"
You are to go at once. ! put it |
beyond you to understand Belknap's |
conduct in this natter
He IL gentleman" | said. .'and |
lit to love her. think none of Us
needs praise or blame for that
lie choked up. shes my girl" he
aid. Yes. all 10y boys in the arm,
I'VE her-there isn't one of them thai
couldn't be proud TO marry her ON any
errns She woc.d lay down. And there
mt u man in the army. married OF
=.