Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-04-18

ers or fredGfIs : ~aurg. | understood
vaguely of notes overdue and some,
what of mortgages on our lands. our
house. our crops. | explained our
present troubles and confusion. but
the messenger shook his head with a
coldness on his face | had not been
accustomed to see worn by any at
Cowles' Farms. Sweat stood on my
face when saw that we owed $15.-
-and that more would presently fol-
low, remainder of purchase price of
over hundred thousand dollars for
lands / had never seen. looked
about me at the great house of Cowles
Farms, and coldness came upon my
heart as realized for the first time
that perhaps this home was not ours.
but another's. Anger again possessed
me at this thought. and. with small!
| adieu. ordered the man from the
place and told him would horsewhip
him If he fingered but a moment.
Then. too late. thought of more busi-
nesslike action and of following the
advice my father had given me at
once to see his associate. Colonel
| Meriwether Thereafter consulted
my mother
Colonel Sheraton might perhaps have
aided Us. but him would not ask.
Before this time had acquainted him
of my intentions in regard to his
daughter. and now went to him and
placed the matter before him. explain
ing to him the nature of our affairs
and announcing my intention to make
quick journey to the west In order to
obtain assistance from Colonel Meri-
wether. Of whom hoped to find in
stant solution OF the financial prob
lens, at least. 1t seemed wise for me
to place before Miss Grace's father the
question OF advisability Of allowing
her to remain pledged to man whose
fortunes were In SO sad state.
asked him what was right for me to
do. His face was very grave as he
pondered, but he said: III my girls
word has been passed we will wait.
| We will wait. sir" And that was all
/ knew when made my hurried prep
arations for the longest journey had
at that time ever known.
In spite of all my grief / was a
| young man, and / was conscious of
keen exhilaration in these my earliest
travels. 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 companies Of
dragons. their officers and mounts.
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 levee OF this western
military capital. Still was not In
the west, for St. Louis also was old,
almost as old as our pleasant valley
back in Virginia. heard of lands
still more remote. 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 heard the voice of youth and life
beyond and that youth was blotted
! out behind me In the blue Virginia
hills.
about my hotel in the city, but was
unable to get definite word regarding
his whereabouts. although the impress
sion was that he was somewhere in
the farther west. This made it neces-
sary for me to ride at once to Jeffer-
son barracks. had at least one ac-
quaintance there. Captain Martin Ste
venson of the Sixth cavalry, a Mary
land man whom we formerly met fre-
quently when he was paying suit to
Kitty Dillingham; of the Shenandoah
country. ! 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. "we1l put you up
with rs. right here. johnson. take
Mr.. Cowles' things and go down to
the city at once for his bags"
But, my dear Mrs. Kitty" / pro-
tested, II 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. "we1i
find him later-he's up the river some
where. Always take care Of the Inn
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
& O.'s away. because tonight the mice
certainly are going to play"
The city of st. Louis was then the
richest and gayest capital Of the west.
the center of the commercial and So
cial life of west and south alike. Some
OF the most beautiful women of the