The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-09-28

were seated at opposite sides Of the
table in the commandments ONCE. Be-
tween them was litter Of papers.
among them Official letters and docu-
ments bearing the oficial seal Of
the war department.
The commandant had finished read
ing aloud departmental order and
had thrown it on the table with .
gesture OF impotence. He started u
speak, but the other stopped him with
"a wave of his hand and picked up the
paper.
wait. major! Let me read It
lagain."
The major settled back in his chair
and studied the grim face across from
him.
] The other, having finished reading
the document, folded it carefully and
with precision and laid it on the
table.
/ Its short enough; there isn't mcuh
room for mistake"
/ "The question is replied the major.
l@The question is
i IS what? What question can there
ibe? None!"
but T."
y "And there isn't any use. You have
no alternative You must enforce this
order"
But, doctor, it means"
THAT l desert my wife, Or leave
1.-THE service. Isn't that it,"
4 Surely, doctor, there must be some
mistake"
Il think not, major. This is gen.
'eral order. 1t is not for US to ques'
ton, but to obey. I happen to be
enc on whom it falls heavily; but that
doesn't alter matters"
.You mean to submit-to give up
iWanita!"
Il mean to resign"
Man, you can't do that! Think
what 1t means"
1 II know. major, but what else can
II do? Would you have me desert
her. Indian she may be; but she Is
nv wife, the mother Of my children
and l love her. She cannot be the
companion to me, perhaps, that you
have found in your fair haired wife;
hut her very inability. her Deepen
dence on me for all she can know OF
happiness, endear her the more.
i and because OF her you must give
,up your commission! The pity Of It.!
AYE. man; the pity OF it,"
I The surgeon had risen and nov
stood at the window that gave out
look on the parade ground
1 And I am not alone. This order
,l,,il, bring sorrow and distress to many
faithfuI hearts that have deserved
..;;tetter OF the cause they have served
lAnd Wanita, because OF her race she
,,1s deemed a pariah, must be driver
forth. tell you No. What crime Il
hers save that she has loved mar
cf paler skin? And I, like others whom
duty has sent to the far places to en-
dure hardship and suffer loneliness
this is my reward, that ! must for
iswear my honor and 80 remain re
lspected soldier, or must keep my
honor and go forth disgraced. Major
some day this order of some unthink
ling of1icial secure In the soft places
;of our civilization will be known as
the crime it is, crime against DE
icency, honesty and honor.
The speaker, Doctor Muir, was a
man Of perhaps forty, of fine presence
and soldierly bearing. A Scot by birth
after completing the course at Edin'
borough university, he had emigrated
I, the United States, where in time
he had secured an appointment as
army surgeon. Sent to the frontier.
he, like many others in similar cir
!cumstances. had taken an Indian girl
as his wife; and with him 1t had been
with the full intent Of keeping her
only unto him.
/ Now. after years Of faithful service.
NE was confronted with this order OF
the war department requiring all OIL
GERS of the army having Indian wives
10 give them up or resign from the
service. Like bolt from the blue,
sorrow and deep distress Of mind had
icome to this kind hearted gentleman
whose tender ministering to all the
AFFLICTED had endeared him to the
little world that knew him and won
for him It's esteem as one Of nature 8
noblemen.
The commandant. Major Wilcox,
tad lately brought his bride to the
post. She had been Mary Kinney,
whose fame for beauty and sweetness
icf character extended for miles
around her old home on the 'Wauken-
idau. AS he sat regarding the sorrow
stricken man at the window, came
the picture Of the hower-like face in
the little home across the parade, the
eyes, blue as the corn flower, that
held for him ''the light that never
was on land or sea-" and followed 1t
another picture Of the wild beauty OF
the Indian woman whom the other
held so dearly. He could not under
stand how Muir could have taken b
wife from so alien race; but that
the surgeon loved her he knew. The
countless little things that 'betoken
mans love had day by day served to
t,bon, thie IN all about him And he