The Press., 1912-08-07
Evelyn
 Pierce A Story Ot the Old U. s.
 Army
 Rv EDWIN THORNTON l.
By EDWIN THORNTON

The days of army posts on the west ern frontier. a garrison shut up by it. self with uo outsiders to see or talk with or even hear about, are over. Then. too, tn those days-they are not so far distant-occasionally Indians must be driven back on to their reser- vations. and sometimes they would be too strong for the little garrison. and days and nights of agony would pass in expectation of their making a break in the walls and murdering every one inside the incIosure, including women and children
 Yet there was a pleasant side to the life. The garrison shut of from the world constituted a family consisting of two divisions. the one being com posed of the officers and their families the other of the men and their families Between officers and men was divid ing line as to association on familiar terms, but there was a union of heart The enlisted men understood that this line had from time immemorial been considered necessary to the discipline and efficiency of an army.
 Years ago there was one of these army posts in what is now a sovereign state in the American Union. One day when a supply train arrived 1t brought something to stir the tiresome life of the officers division-a young lady. She came to visit Mrs. Major Bertrand. wife of the commandant, whose niece she was. Her coming had been talked about, but her appearance was disap- pointing. She was not especially pret- ty, though she possessed soft dark eye which was very expressive, though of what no one could exactly deter mine.
 Within four hours after her arriv- al she had divided the garrison into two sections. consisting of those who liked and those who distrusted her,
 However, 1t was not long before her friends were converted to the opposite side by the fact that she was caught talking with a private in the ranks named Conover. A few of those who had fancied her demonstrated with her. telling her that perhaps she didn't know that association with an enlisted man by the families of the officers was prohibited. She listened to them de- mureIy with those singular eyes of hers fixed on them, but said nothing. NeV- ertheless only a few days had passed when she was again seen talking with the same man.
 The matter now came to the ears or Mrs. Bertrand, who gave her niece lecture and told her that IT she was against caught noticing any one or the enlisted men as an equal sne snoulu he sent home. Then Evelyn-Evelyp Pierce was her name-asked with real or feigned innocence-her aunt could not tell which-why she could not treat one in the ranks just as she would treat an officer. Mrs. Bertrand could only say that 1t wasn't the custom ana has been an unwritten law in the army
 And SO Miss Pierce was in disfavor. Those who showed their condemnation most openly were the women Of the garrison The officers, whatever they thought of the young lady's action. though they refralned from showing her marked attention. always treated her with studied politeness. This was due the commandant's wife. whose niece and guest she was. But 1t was not long before several of the unmhr lied officers began to find 1t difficult to let Miss Pierce alone. There was some thing about her that the cloud hang ing over her could not obscure. Fur thermore. she had voluntarily brought that cloud upon herself and gave no evidence of being ashamed of 1t. Pos sIbly an attraction in her was that no one could quite make her out Some saId she was a fool. others that she was very shrewd.
 One day an Indian came into the fort and told the major commanding that those of his tribe on the reservation the fort was intended to keep in order were preparing for war. He said that he knew In the end an uprising would be disastrous to his red brothers and that the move would be a grievous CT TOT At any rate, he had come to warn his white brother, and. having come. he could not go back. He must remain in the fort or be killed. He was. of course. suffered to remain.
 The coming of this redskIn. who soon become known as Oncas. cast a deeper blot upon Miss Pierce. He was seen to look at her covetously. and she was seen chatting with him. as she had chatted with Private ConOver Soon after this conversation she went out for Cncas The major asked her on what she based her dlstruSt. and she replied that he had a wicked eye The major :.rld his wife what Evelyu had said. but as DO one else had no ticed any wickedneas Tn the redskins eye md as Mrs Bertrand was very much troubled about Evelyn's actions she lost her equanimity and attributed her niece's accusation to a desire to hide the real cause of her treatment of him The major did not entirely agree with his wife. but he couldn't send Uncas out on suspicion to be murdered by his own people. so he took no action in the premises
 One evening when darkness had fall i CD Uncas met Evelyn just going into her aunt's quarters and beckoned her to follow him. whispering. 'l show you something to prove me the white mans friend" She did as he desired.I and he led her to the back of the magazine. which was hidden from view. and. re moving some rubbish. exposed hole through which. by stooping. one might pass.
 'Go in." he said ''I show yon what l mean" --,s..e, Evelyn drew back.
 "I show you that somebody here is traitor; he gOin blow up magazine"
 Evelyn hesitnted but not for long. Possibly the man whom she knew had benn captivated by her appearance for she had spoken to hlm but once and then to wurn him not to trouble .l..l. AE-l..