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Show 10 THE SALT LAKE TIMES:SrUKJMY AUG (1ST 23, 1890, rQOpiEFl" . grilling Arm Iomarce of ffo Cesterr pronfier. f By GflPT. GflMLEKLNG, U. S. A. men; as i understand you, Lane, you could distinctly see K troop as it forded the stream, and could see the Apaches who fired upon them?" "Yes distinctly. I was praying for their coming, as our ammunition was running low. The Indians seemed so en-couraged by the ease with vhich they drove them back that the wholo band swarmed out from cover and crowded on us at once. It was in the next fifteen minutes that my men were killed and that poor woman." "And there were only six Indians who opened fire on Noel?" "Only sis, sir." The judge advocate was silent a mo-ment. "There is, of course, a chance that our absentees ma get here morning in time. If they do you will botho first witness called; if they, do not we adjourn to await their ar- - to them." Noel thanked her nervously, and suid he could be comfortable any-where, but his wife was coming; she had telegraphed that she could not be sepa-rated from him when he was suffering wrong and outrage. Capt. and Mi's. Lowndes, moved to instant sympathy, begged that ho would make thoir quar-ters his home, and placed their best room at his disposal. Two evenings afterwards he was per-mitted to go himself to tho railway to meet poor Mabel, who threw herself into his arms and almost sobbed her heart out at sight of his now haggard and caro-.wor- n face. Mrs. Lowndes then came forward and strove to comfort her, while Noel rushed off to send some telegrams. Then they drovo out to tho post, and Mallei's spirits partially revived when she found that it was not a prison she had come to share with her husband. Everybody was so gentle and kind to her; she began to believe there was noth-ing very serious in tho matter after all. It lacked yet five days to the meeting of the court, and in the intervening time there arrived at tho post a prominent and distinguished lawyer from the east, sent to conduct the defense by Mr. Withers' orders; and many a long talk did he hold with his client and the officers who were gathering at Gregg. The charges of misconduct in face of the enemy had been preferred by the de-partment commander, who cited as his witnesses Capt. Lane, Lieut. Mason, Lieut. Royce, the guide and two or three officers. To the charge of "conduct unbecoming an off-icer and a gentleman" there were specifi-cations setting forth that he had caused to be circulated and published reports to the effect that it was his command that had been severely engaged, and his com-mand that had rescued the captives and defeated tho Indians, which statements he woll know to be false. Two or three ter, and that that 1 am not to "blame any one. In his deep misfortune my duty is with my husband, and he con-sented that 1 should see you. Capt. Lane," she said, rising as she spoke, "do not try to spare my feelings now. I am prepared for anything ready to share his downfall. If you are asked us to the contents of the note yon sent him before the fight, must you tell wliat they were? Do you recall them?" "I must, Mrs. Noel. I remember al-most the exact words," he replied, gen-tly, sorrowfully. "But that is all, is it not? You know nothing more about the delay in reach-ing you?" And her eyes, piteous in en-treaty, in shame, in suffering, sought one instant his sad face, then foil beforo tho sorrow and sympathy in his, For a moment there was no answer, and at last Bhe looked up, alarmed. "Mrs. Noel," he said. "I could not help it. I was eagerly awaiting their coming. I saw them approach the ford and the pass. I saw that there were only sis Apaches to resist them, and the next thing I saw was the retreat." "Oh, Capt. Lane!" she cried, "must you testify as to this?" And her trem-bling hands were cLtcped iu misery. "Is there no way no way?" "Even if there were," )v answered, slowly and mournfully, "Mr. Mason's testimony and that of the men would be still more conclusive." Throwing hwielf upon the sofa, the poor girl gave way tt a fit of uncon-trollable weeping; and Lane stood help-lessly, miserably by. Once he strove to speak, but she could not listen. Ke brought her a glass of water presently and begged her to drink it; there was still something he had to suggest. Sho . took the goblet from his hand and looked up eagerly through her tears. He was thinking only of her for her now. The man who had robbed him of happiness. across tno' border,' tho remnant of Lane's troop taking part in the pursuit, and ihoy, with thoir commander, only slowly returning to the railway. For three or four days Noel had tho wires and tho correspondents pretty much to himself; but then some of thoso enterprising news gathers had been getting particulars from the men, and there wero two or three of K troop in the detachment who conld not conceal their derision and con-tempt when the newspaper men spoko of the bravery of their captain. This set the correspondents to ferreting, and then the dispatches began to take a different color. The very day that Mabel re-ceived her first letter from her husband, and was reading extracts from it to en-vious friends who had come in to swell the chorus of jnbilee and congratulation, an evening paper intimated that recent SYNOPSIS OF THE "TWO SOLDIERS." Chapter 1. In a reerultlni? office lu the "Queen City" Limit. Fred Lano. U. 8. A., re-ceives two letters one lnrormlntf him of his promotion to the rank of cupttlu, the otlior a urlef note from Mabel Vincent. Chahtkh a. Gordon Noel, a lieutenant In Lane's cavalry rexlment, succeeds, throiiKh wheedling the wife of his colonel. In Iwlnu up- -' pointed to the vacancy caused hy Lane's pro-motion. He Is disliked by Ills brother oftim'H, ns he has In the past several times dodged acti ve service In tho Indian campaigns. Chapter .1. Cant. Lane is desperately In love with Mabel Vincent. He prepares to turn the recrnltliiRover to his successor. Chaptkr Noel urrlves to take Ohurjreof therecruitlntcofflce. He Is handsome anil aitreeable and succeeds lu creatlnir the Impression that he has been a very valiant Officer and done brave service on the plains, it Is discovered that a clerk named Talntor has enil'7.zlcd some of the funds of the recruiting ofllce (foiling Lane's name) nml decamped. Noel professes an enthusiastic friendship for "Suicide! no!" answered Lieut, lracy. "He's too big a coward even for that. No sentry had seen or heard anything of him. Tho whole post was searched at daybreak, and without success. A nei"hboring settlement, infested by miners, stock men, gamblers and fugi-tives from justice, was visited, but noth-ing was learned that would tend to dis-pel the mystery. One or two hard rat-ions saloon propriotors poked thoir tongues in their cheeks and intimated that "if properly approached" they could give valuable information; but no one believed them. That night, deserted and well nigh distracted. Mabel Nm1 lay moaning in her little' room, suffering heaven only knows what tortures; far from the "yearninS mother oxma, far from home and kindred, far even from the recreant husband for whose poor sake she had abandoned all to follow him, for hotter for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness or in health-Hm- ly to be loft to tho pity and care of strangors. But she was in an army home and among loving, loyal, simple hearts. The to the lit- - women, one and all, thronged tie cottage, imploring that they might "help in some way.". The men, when they were not danining the runaway, were full of suggestion 63 to the course to be pursued. I bel would accept only one explanation of his disappearance; crazed by misfortunes, he had ta!:ai his own life; he had said he would. But the regiment could not believe it, and in forty-eig- hours had traced him on the saloon keeper's horse over to the South-ern Pacific and thence down to El Paso. More than ono man gave a sigh of relief that the whole thing could be bo easily settled without the scandal of all that evidence being published to tho world. The court met and adjourned pending the receipt of orders from tho convening authority. The telegraph speedily di-rected the return to their stations of the several members. Lieut. Bowen went back to the east, leaving Taintor in the guard house, and in a week Reginald Vincent came to take his sister home and to whisper that Gordon was safe in the City of Mexico Mr. Withers was sending him money there; and so from her bed of illness, suffering and humilia-tion tho poor girl was almost carried to hir train, and all Fort Gregg could have j wept at sight pf her wan and hopeless j face. . vuj-i- . jju.no tame fled until he know hisft had gone away, and then home, was rearrested, a8 h Lane knew the anonymo enough, but now for the first K its object. It was to wak9 Mabel Vincent of deceit it ness and oo bring about a ml, engagement, which at tba saw no other means of rernovi ( one obstacle that stood in ths ' Ws hopes. But what wero the other came, and with it of the appearance of tho iKJl at Vera Cruz; but in theT peaceful nook where mother Ji ter-t-wo silent and sorrowing! were living in retirement no came. Vainly Mabel watched for letters if only one-fr-om v. had written under cover to Mr V but even that evoked no reply' One sunshiny afternoon thr startled by tho sudden arrival of He sought to avoid question audi his mother to one side, hut ju upon him. "You have news!" she said y face set, her hands firmly arm. "What is it? Havethev him?" "They can never dismiss-ne- ve him more, Mabel," was the ml, swer. . t Some months afterward Mm received a packet of papers that V to the late Capt. Nool. Mabel h sent to Florida for the winter, ai spending her early widowhood kind and loving friends. The cm Vera Cruz had written to Mr. V full particulars of his cousin's ono of the first victims of the v and had sent these papers with ; mal certificates of tho Mexican o! Mr. Woodrow, one of the e.xecti Mr. Vincent's estate, showed si desire to examine these papers, widow thought they should bei only by her daughter. It was n thon that, with much hesitanc gentleman explained that Mr. V had given him to understand f had intrusted some papers to Cap which that officer had promised ; at once to his old frieud Capt, Mrs. Vincent could learn no mm Chapters. Lane writes to Mabel' father, nkimr permission to pay his addresses to her. This is ((ranted. Vincent Is on the brink of Unancial disaster. Lane proffers his services. Chaptkr . The transfor of the recrnltliiK office is made to Noel by Lane, who has orders to return to his reirluiont lu the west. Lane makes good the dellclt lu the accounts out of his own pocket. Chaptkr 7. Lane furnishes to Mr. Vincent the money which saves tho latter from ruin. Before Lane starts for the west Mabel promises to marry him. The engagement is to be kept secret at her parents' request. Chapter 8. Noel succeeds In niakln? him-rel- f a social favorite by telllnK false stories of his own bravery. He becomes acquainted with the Vincents and is Invited to their house be-cause of his professed friendship for Lane. Chapter 9. Lnne airlves at the frontier post whither he tins been ordered and takes command of his company. Chaptkr hi. Mrs. Vincent Is worried by Noel's constant attentions to Mabel. The Vincents k to the mouulaius, wnere Noel visits Mabel. Chai-ik- h II. When Mabel writes Lane of Noel's visit he Is somewhat annoyed. Head-vise- s her not to e..coiirae these visits. The Vincents announce the enaement. Lane receives a letter from Mr. Vincent, beKulnif Mm to come east at once. Just before Lane starts he learns that Mr. Vincent s partner has defaulted and that Mr. Vincent has dlod sud-"?- i denly. He (roes as rapidly as possible. Arriv ing at the Vincent mausion he enters unan-nounced and finds nig llaucee clasp ad in (lor-- l don Noel's arms. Chapter la. Lane returns to his post after a long Illness. Mabel has thrown him over and becomes engaged to Noel' Mrs. Vlncentwrltes a long, heart broken latter to Lane, begging for her daughter, A few mouths later Noel and Malml are married, Lane s health falls again, and he In sent east on sick leave. While there he discovers his defaulting clerk, Talntor, News is received of an Indian up-rising, and Lane starts, post haste, to join bis regiment. chaptkr 13. (Jordon Noel is made a and captain ordered to report at the frontier for duty in the Indian campaign. His cowardice leads lilm to resort to every subterfuge to avoid the clangorous duty, but he falls. Lane arrives at s othneapoet Just in time to head his old company raid. Noel lsobllged to reluctantly follow with his men. Chapter H. Lane and his men head off the Apaohes and, though they are greatly outiium-- bored, att mk them and rescue tlielr captives. The hostiles rally and fall upon the gallant lit tie band with awful vigor. Chaitkii 15 Noel cowardly forces bin men to travel slowly as they go to Lane' assist-ance. When they finally reach the scene of .battle a few shots are tired at them by the In-dians, and Noel orders a busty relreut, An-other troop comes up and helps Lane, and his brave mou put the Indians to flight. Noel sends dispatches to the east In which he gives ail tho glory of the victory to himself. 7" CHAPTER XVL "Do you, know you haw. not said nood-b- Mabel?" rival. It promises to be a long case. A telegram has just reached me, sayinjr that additional and grave charges are being sent by mail from division head-quarters." Capt. Lowndes listened to this brief conversation with an expression of deep perplexity on his kindly face, and as soon as the judge advocate had gone and Mason had left the room he turned to Lane: "You know they are staying with us. That poor girl has come all this weary journey to be with him, and there was absolutely no place where she could lay her head unless we opened our doors and took him in too." Lane bowed assent: "I had heard, Lowndes. It was like you and that dear wife of yours." "Lane," spoke the older man, impetu- - ously, after a moment of embarrassed silence, "I want you to do something for my wife, and for me. Come home with me for a few minutes. You won't see him; but it is that heartbroken girl. She begs that you will see her Here is a little note." Lane's sad face had grown deathly pale. He looked wonderingly in his companion's eyes a moment, thon slowly took the note and left the room, leaving Lowndes to pace the floor in much dis-quiet. ' In five minutes the former reappeared in the doorway. "Come," he said, and himself led the way out into the Btarlit night. Not a word was spoken by either man as they slowly walked down the row. Arriving at his quarters Capt. Lowndes ushered his friend into the lit-tle army parlor, and Mrs. Lowndes came forward, extending both her hands. "It is good 0' you to come," she said. "I will let, hor know, nr. nnco " of love, of wife and home and hope, and who had done the utmost that he dared to rob him of honor and his soldier repu-tation the man now wretchedly listen-ing overhead to the murmur of voices below he forgot entirely except as the man she loved. "Mrs. Noel, your friends his friends are most influential. Can they not be telegraphed to that his resignation will be tendered? Can they not stop the trial in that way?" "It is hopeless. It has been tried, and refused. If he is found guilty there is nothing left nothing left," she moaned, "but to take him back to the east with me, and, with the little we have now, to buy some quiet home in the country, whero our wretched past need not be known where we can be forgotten where my poor husband need not have to hang his head in shame. . Oh, God! oh, God! what a ruined life!" "Is there nothing I can do for you, Mrs. Noel? Listen; that court cannot begin the tho case Four members are still to come. It may bo two days yet perhaps three. Perhaps Mr. Withers and his friends do not ap-preciate the danger and have not brought pressure to bear on the president; but forgive me for the pain this must give you there are other, new charges com-ing from division headquarters, that I fear will harm him still more. I grieve to have to tell you this. Try and make Mr. Withers understand. Try and get the resignation through. If you will ro Mr. Falconer and and the captain now, I can get the telegraph operator." "What charges what new accusa-tions do you mean?" she asked, her eyes dilating with dread. "Are we not crualied enough already? Oh, forgive me, Capt. Lane! I ought not to speak bitterly, you you have been so good, so gentle. him, bet she lost no time in sea the packet. Within twenty-fou- r hours Ma!, summoned home by telegraph, ai l for the first time learned that t father's partner, for the use of ft in their sore straits of nearly two before, Capt. Lane had given the f fifteen thousand dollars, and that; Capt. Noel's papers was what pun to be a receipt in full for the rein tho sum from Mr. Vincent, which r was signed apparently by Frederick and dated July 2, 18& . But this Mr. Woodrow, must be a mistak Vincent had assured him late ia that he had not repaid it, bnt that had his instructions to repay it a and all Clark's books, papers an ceipt3 had been examined, and sli that no such payment had been m "It simply means that the very under which we are sheltered is not but that noble fellow's," said Mrs. cent; and that night she wrote, poured forth her heart to him, Mabel locked herself in her room. No answer came. Then Mr. Won mado inquiries of the officer at the dezvous, and learned that Capt. had gone to Europe with leave c sonce for a year; and there her lettc lowed him. She demanded, as a i to know the truth. She had give; Sho shrank from seeing or meeting any of her old associates, yet was eager to reach her mother's roof, fondly believing that there she would find letters from her husband. It hurt her inexpressibly that he should have fled without one word to her of Ids intentions; but she could forgive it because of the suffering and misery that bore him down and un-settled his mind. It stung her that Mr. Withers, not she, should be the first to learn of his place of refuge; but per-haps he thought she had gone east at once, and so had written there. She at-tributed his desertion to the strain to which he had been subjected; but she had been spared the sight of those last "specifications." Her first inquiry, after ono long, Messed clasping in her mother's r.rms, after the burst of? tears that could not be restrained, was for letters from him; and she was amazed, incredulous, when told there were none. Mr. With-ers was sent for at once; that eminent citizen would gladly have dodged the ordeal, but could not. He could only say that two telegrams and two drafts had reached him from Noel, and that he had honored the latter at sight and would see that he lacked for nothing. Sho would have insisted on going to join him in his exile, but he had sent no word or line; he had ignored her entire-ly. Ho might be ill. was the first tlirmirhtr disputches received from the seat of war revealed a different state of affairs than was popularly supposed. , But by this time interest was waning. It is the first impression that is always tho strongest, tho first story that is long-est remembered, and no man who has believedono version willaccept the truth without" vigorous resistance. In his let-ter to his wife Noel had spoken modestly of himself und slightly of his wounds. This only made her worship him her hero, her gallant Gordon the more in-- . sanely. He intimated that he had been compelled to place in arrest one of the ' most prominent officers of the regiment for misconduct in the face of the enemy; and this and previous matters, he said, would surely make of this officer an un-relenting foe. Sho need not be surprised, therefore, if this gentleman should strive to do him grievous harm. Mabel blush-ed becomingly as she read theso lines to somo of her friends, and that night at the club it was hinted that Lane had been placed in close arrest for failing to support Noel in his desperate assault. Just at this time, too, Mr. Withers came back from Washington looking mys-terious. The next published dispatches were from the general himself. He was in-censed over the escape of the Apaches. Measures for the capture were complete, and it was broadly hinted that a certain offer would be brought to trial for his failure tp carry out positive orders. "It is believed," said The Chronicle, "that tho officer referred to is well known in our" community, as he had, oddly enough, been a predecessor in the re-cruiting service of the actual hero of the campaign." Two weeks went by. There was no announcement of Noel's name as pro-moted. Other matters occupied the at-tention of tho club and the coteries, and no onoiaw just what it all meant when tt was announced that Mrs. Noel had suddenly left for the frontier to join her husband. Perhaps his wounds were more severe than at first reported. Thon it was noticed that Mr. Withers was in a very nervous and irritable frame of mind, that constant dispatches were passing between him and Capt. Nool in the west, and that suddenly he doparted again on some mysterious errand for Washington. And then it was an-nounced that Capt. Noel would not bo able to visit the east as had been ex-pected. All the same it came as a Bhock which completely devastated the social circles of tho Queen City when it was announced in the New York and Chicago papers that a general court martial had been ordered to assemble at Fort Gregg, New Mexico, for the trial of Capt. Gordon Noel, Elev-enth cavalry, on charges of misbehavior in the face of the enemy and conduct un-becoming an officer and a gentleman. The Chronicle mado no allusion to the matter until after it was heralded over the city by the other journals. Then it announced that it was in possession of Information showing conclusively that Capt. Noel was the victim of the envy of certain officers in his regiment, and that the charges had been trumped up from the fabeand prejudiced statement of the man whom ho hud been compelled to place in arrest for misconduct in action. "Capt. Noel had demanded a conrt mar-tial," said The Chronicle, "that he might be triumphantly vindicated, as he un-doubtedly would lie." At the club several men surrounded Lieut. Bowen with eager inquiry as to the facts in the case. Bowen, who was now in charge of the rendezvous as Noel's successor, was very reticent when inter-rogated. He said that while an officer might demand a court of inquiry he could not demand a court martial; they were entirely different things; and it was certainly the latter that had been ordered. "Was there not some likelihood of malice and envy being at the bottom of the charges?" he was asked. "And was it not unfair to let him be tried by offi-cers prejudiced against him?" Bowen said he did not belong to the correspondents and railway employes and the telegraph operator wero wit-nesses. This would be a hard one to prove affirmatively, as the judge advo-cate found when he examined his wit-nesses as they arrived, and the great lawyer assured the accused officer that he could secure him an acquittal on that charge. The real danger lay in the tes-timony of Capt. Lane and Lieut. Mason, who had not yet come. And now, hour after hour, for two days, Mabel was reading in her hus-band's face the utter hopelessness that possessed him; nay, more, tho truth was being revealed to her in all its damning details. It might be impossible for the prosecution to prove that he had actual-ly caused the false and boastful stories to be given to the press and the public; but how about the telegrams and letters Mr. Withers had so proudly come to show her? How about the telegrams and letters she herself had received? What impression could she derive from them but tnat he was the hero of the whole affair, and that he waa lying pain-fully wounded when he wrote? The gash through the beautiful white arm turned out to be a mere scratch upon the skin, that a pin might have made. It was Greene's command from Fort Gra-ham that had rescued Lane, and Lane with his men who had rescued the cap-tives, and then fought so hard, so des-perately, against such fearful odds, and sustained their greatest losses while heV hero her Gordon with nearly fifty men, was held only a mile away by half a dozen ragamuffins in the rocks. She had almost adored him, believing him godlike in courage and magnanimity; but now on every side the real facts were coining to light, and she even wrung them from his reluctant lips. And yet and yet he was her husband, and she loved him. Again and again did she question Mr. Falconer, the eminent counsel, as to the possibilities. This gentleman had fought all through the war of the rebellion, and had won high commendntion for bra-very. He had taken the case because he believed, on Withers' statement, that Nool was a wronged and injured man, and because, possibly, a fee of phenome-nal proportion could be looked for. He met among the old captains of the Eleventh men whom he had known in Virginia in the war days, and learned from them what Noel's real reputation was, and, beyond peradventure, how he had shirked and played the coward in the last campaign; so that he, who had known Mabel Vincent from her baby-hood and loved her old father, now shrank from the sorrow of having to tell her the truth. Yet she demanded it, and he had to say that her husband's fate hinged on the evidence that might be given by Capt. Lane and Mr. Mason. That very night these two officers ar-rived, together with three members of the court. The following day at 10 o'clock the court was to begin its session, and four of its members were still to come. That night Mr. Falconer and Noel were closeted with several men in succession, seeking evidence for the de-fense. That night there came a dispatch from Withers saying he had done his best in Washington, but Uiat it seemed improbable that the president would in-terfere and accept Noel's resignation from the service. Noel showed this to Mabel and sank upon tho sofa with a groan of despair. "Oh, my darling!" sho whispered, kneeling by his side and throwing her anus about his neck, "don't (rive wav! You, the last man on earth from whom 1 should seek mercy," she broke forth impetuously; "you are yet the one to whom 1 first appeal. Oh, if after this night I never see you again, believe that I suffer, that I realize the wrong I have done, i I was never worthy the faintest atom of your regard; but there's one thing one thing you must hear. I wrote you fully, frankly, imploringly, before before you came and saw. indeed, in-deed I had waited days for your reply, refusing to see him until after papa died, and then I was weak and ill. You never read the letter.' You sent them all back unopened. I cannot look in your face. It may have been hard for a while, but the time will soon come when you will thank God thank God I proved faith-less." And then, leaving him to make his own way from the house, she rushed sobbing to her room. When next he saw her Reginald, her brother, with Lowndes and his tearful wife, was lifting her into the ambulance that was to take them to the railway, and the doctor: rode away beside them. But this was ten davs after. True to Lane's' predic tion j the court met and adjourned on tho folbwing day. Col. Stannard and Maj. Tumor tele-graphed that they were delayed en route to the railway, and nothing was heard from the other missing members. Two days more found the court in readiness, but the trial did not begin. There ar-rived on the express from the east, the night before all seemed ready for the opening session, Lieut. Bowen. of the cavalry recruiting service, with two guards who escorted the Tain-to- r. but Mr. Withers assured her he was physically perfectly well. "Everything is being done now to quietly end the trouble," said Mr. Withers. "We will see to it at Washington that his resigna-tion is now accepted, for they will never g3t him before a court, and might as well make up their minds to it. They cannot drop or dismiss him for a year, with all thoir red tape methods and their prate about the 'honor of the serv-ice.' I've seen enough of the army in the last three months toconvinco me it's no place for a gentleman. No, my dear; you stay here-- kr go up to the moun-tains. We'll have him there to join you in a month." But tho authorities proved obdurate. Even the millionaire failed to move the war secretary. Unless Capt. Noel came back and stood trial ho would be "dropped for desertion" ("and if he came back and stood trial would prob-ably be kicked out as a coward and liar," thought to himself the official who sat a silent listener). This Noel would not do. Withers sent him to Vera Cruz on a pseudo business visit, and Mabel, silent, sad faced, but weeping no more' went to a little resort in the West Vir-ginia mountains. Meantime another court had been con-vened, another deserter tried, convicted and sentenced, and before being taken to prison he made, full statement to Capt. Lane and two officers called in as witnesses. This was Taintor. He had known Capt. Noel ever since his entrv into service. Taintor was an expert pen- man, a gambler, and at times a hard drinker. Ho had enlisted in the troop Of which Noel was Rpm-nr- lmn,.., ile viat permitted to go himsctf to the railway to meet Mabel. For a week the story of Gordon Noel's heroism was the talk of Queen City so-ciety. He had led the charge upon the Indians after a pursuit of over a hundred miles through the desert. He had fought his way to the cave in which these poor captive women were guarded, and had himself cut the thongs that bound them. He was painfully wounded, but never quit the fight till the last savage wa driven from the field. For daring and brilliant conduct he was to be promoted over the heads of all the captains in his regiment. His name was already before the president for a vacancy in the adju-tant general's department, and the ap-pointment would be announced at once. He was coming east just as soon as the surgeon said he was well enough to travel. Mrs. Noel wanted to join him. Two shaded lamps cast a soft, subdued light over the simply furnished little room. What a contrast to the sumptu-ous surroundings of the home in which he had last met her! Lane stood by the little wprk table a moment striving to subdue the violent beating of his heart and the tremors that shook his frame. Not once had ho seen her since that wretched night in the library in that man NopI'b nrms. Not once had he per-mitted the thought of seeing her to find a lodgment. But all was different now; she was well nigh crushed, heart broken; she had been deceived and tricked; she was here practically friendless. "I well know that at your hands I deserve no such mercy," she had written, "but a hopeless woman begs that you will come to her for a fow moments for a very few words." And now he heard her footfall on the stairs. She entered slowly and then stop-ped short almost at the threshold. Heav-ens! how he had aged and changed! How deep were the lines about the kind gray eyes! how Bad and worn was the stern, soldierly face! Her eyes filled with tears on the very instant, and she hovered there irresolute, not knowing what to do, how to address him. It was Lane that came to the rescue. For a moment he stood there appalled as his eyes fell upon the woman whom he had so utterly so faithfully loved. Where was all the playful light that so thrilled and bewitched him as it flickered about the corners of her pretty n.outh? Whith-er had fled the bright coloring, the radi-ance, the gladness that lived in that ex-quisite face? Was this heavy eyed, pal-lid, nerveless being, standing with hang-ing head before him, the peerless queen he hail so loyally and devotedly served whoso faintest wish was to him a royal mandate to kiss whose soft white hand was a joy unutterable? All this flashed through his mind in the instant of her irresolute pause. Then the great pity of a strong. and manful heart, tho tender-ness that lives over in the bravest, sent him forward to her side. All thought of self and suffering, of treachery and concealment and deception, vanished at once at the sight of her bitter woe. His own bravo eyes filled up with tears he would gladly have hidden, but tiiat she saw and was comforted. He took her limp, nerveless hand and lod her to a chair, saying only her name "Mrs. Noel." For several minutes she could not speak, but wept unrestrainedly, he, poor fellow, walking the floor the whilo, long-ing to comfort her, yet powerless. What could he say? What could he do? At last sho seemed to regain her l. "Capt. Lane," she said, "it is useless for me to tell you how much I have learned since coming here, of which I was ignorant before. Every effort has been made to spare me; people have i been so considerate und kind that the ! truth, as 1 am beginning to see, has been kept from me. Mr. Falconer. Capt. Xoels-o-ur lawyer, has at last admitted j that almost everything depends upon your evidence. Forgive me, if you can, that I believed for a while that you in-spired the charges against him. I know now that you refused ti.Dress theat- - m executors to understand that the must be paid, if they had to sel old homestead to do it. She won! glad to go and live in retirement where. Not only did she, but so did Mr. row, receive at last a letter from di Athens. The widow sobbed and lan and pressed her letter to her heart, i Woodrow read his with moistened a suspicious resort to his cambric k kerchief, and an impatient consign of all such confounded quixotic, nr. ness like cavalrymen to to the dear Jupiter; and then he went off to shi to his fellow-executor- s. The long summer wore away, tnmn again found mother and daat and Regy at the dear old home, but and laughter had not been knows iwi the massive walls since the fa death. The tragedy in Mabel's life ing so quickly after that event see to have left room for naught but m ing. "She has so aged, so chart? wrote Mrs. Vincent, on one of tfc occasions when she wrote of her " to him, and she wrote every month, could even say that it has improved The old gayety and joyousness are f and with them the wilfulness. She to more lives more for others now. Winter came again the second m of Mabol's widowhood-a-nd she urged to visit the Noels at their ais home; but she seemed reluctant i her mother bade her go. She was wearing her widow's weeds, ana lovely face was never sweeter n girlhood davs than now in that & crape.. Of the brief months of ried lifo they never spoke, bnt the loved her because of her devotion to when not a friend was left. r March the news from home ber give her uneasiness; "mamma 4ia seem well," was the explanation, w was decided that they would goo far as Washington with her, and 4 a day or two there, when Begins"1 meet and escort her home. . And so, one bright morning most uncertain of months, Mabel with her sister-in-la- and that w; husband stood at the elevator waiting to be taken down to'tw way of their hotel. Presently the ng-- ! cage came sliding from ahm- - ' Lanier entered, followed bytheoi Two gentlemen seated on one moved their hats, and the next before she could take her seat, W saw one of them rise, bow and e bis hand to Mabel, saying, B , embarrassment and much access pi something to tho effect that tin great surprise a statement vrhiA fair sister-in-la- w evidently could re-words to contradict, even had sired todo so. Neitherof the to think of any others who were pn Indeed, there waa hardly time to", answer before they j"1? ' out and give place to people deaI. ascend, and then the gentleman tumbled over a chair in the aw ness of his adieu. Mrs. Noel's W averted as they left the hall, but more was Mrs. Lanier desirous or i tioning: "Who was vour friend, Mabel--' And Mabel had to turn or W while they were m Tennessee, and had deserted, after forging the post quarter- master s name to two checks and getting the money. , . The regiment went to the plains; ho was never apprehended, and long years afterwards ho drifted from a position in the quartermaster's depot at Jefferson-vin- e to a and a billet as clerk in the recruiting rendezvous at the Queen City. Knowing that Noel would recognize him he deserted there, as has been told, taking all the money he could secure by forged checks for small amounts, which ho trusted would not ex- cite suspicion. But he had fallen in love with a young woman and she was de-pendent cm him.. He came back to the neighborhood after he thought the hue and cry were overs was shadowed and ar- rested by tho police, and had given him- self up for lost when Capt. Noel was brought to his cell to identify him." Ho could hardly bolieve his senses when tho captain said it was all a mistake. Then he was released and went to work ?n across the river, and one cametoU him ho knew him perfect and would keep his secret provided he would "make himself useful." It sorai turned out that what was wanted w the imitation of Capt. Lane's signature on one or tw3 papers whoM did not see. and the type writing of some of any kind, and referring to some young lady, her tetxayed," was sent to Capt. Lane a? FortGraW Ver 6oon afteraiis Telegrams for Capt. Nool had been coming in quick succession, but he him-self had not been seen. It was Lowndes who took the replies to the office. The first meeting of the court was to have occurred on Monday. Tuesday evening the judge advocate sent to the accused officer a copy of the additional specifica- tions to' the charge of conduct unbecom-ing an officer and a gentleman, and no-tified him that the witnesses had just ar-rived by train. At 4 o'clock Wednesday morning Mrs. Lowndes was aroused by a tapping at her door, and recognized tho voice of Mrs. Noel calling her name. Hastily she arose and went to her, finding her trem-bling und terrified. Gordon, she said, had been m such misery that he would not undress and try to sleep, but had been restlessly pacing the floor until after mid-night. Then he had gone down to indie some memoranda, he said, at the desk in which he and Mr. Falconer had thoir pa-pers, and, as she could not sleep, she soon followed; but he was not there. Occasionally he had gone out late at night and walked about the parade after every one but the guard had gone to bed, and she thought he must have done so this time, and so waited, and waited and peered out on the parade and could see nothing of him. At last she could bear it no longer. Lowndes had heard the sobbing voice and one or two words. He was up and dressed in no time, and speedily found the officer of theday. ."Do you think he could have made away with himsel- f- Eleventh, but he knew it well nough to say no to the first part of the question. As to the other, thore were only two offi-cers from that regiment on the court, and ono was Noel's old friendand colonel Riggs. It was iu the midst of this talk that Mr. Amos Withers had suddenly ap-peared and begged a few words in private with Mr. Bowen. Withers was in a state of nervous ex-citement, as any one could see. Ho talked eagerly, even pleadingly, with the silent lieutenant, and at last suddenly arose, and, with the look of a defeated and dis-comfited man, loft the club house, en-tered his carriage and was driven rapidly away. That night an officer from tho war de-partment arrived in the Queen City and was closeted for a while with Lieut. Bowen, after which tho two went to the chief of police, and in company with him visited the cell where Taintor, de-serter and forger, was confined, took his statement and that of the chief, and with these documents the officer went on to division headquarters. Meantime, tb campaign had come to an end. Capt. Noel had reported, in ar-rest, to the commanding officer at Fort Gregg, and Mrs. Riggs had tearfully greeted him: "She would so love to have him under her roof, that she might show her sympathy and friendship; but so many officers of high rank were coming on the court that the colonel was com-oell- .to give every hit of room he hai There must be hope yet! They cannot prove such cruel charges! There must be a way of averting this trouble." "There is ono," said he, starting up. "Thore is ono, if you will only do' it to stive me." "What would I not do to save you, Gordon?" she asked, though her face was paling now with awful dread of what the demand might be. "Mabel, my wife, it is to see him at once. There is nothing that he will not do for you. I know it for I know what he has done. See him. You know what to say. I cannot prompt you. But get ' him to tell as littlo as ho possibly can in regard to this case." "Gordon !" she cried, "you ask me to do this after tho great wrong I did him?" "There is no other wav," was the sullen answer. And he turned moodily from her side, leaving her stunned, speechless. . CHAPTER XVII. Somehow, about 10 o'clock that night the judge advocate of the court dropped in at the "bachelor quarters," where both Lane and Mason had been made welcome, and asked to see these gentle-men. He was conversing with them over the affair at the San Simon when Capt. Lowndes was ushered into tho room. "Am I intruding?" asked the latter, "I merely wished to apeak to Lane a mo-ment." "By no means, Lowndes. Come right fe. .We.H..j through iftjpneminute. bnt he had telegraped saying no, that he i would soon be with her. So rang tho chorus for several days. At the club the men shook hands over the news and sent telegrams of praise and congratulation to Noel and drank his health in bumpers, and two or three old "Borehends," who ventured to point out that the official reports were not yet in, were pooh poohed and put down. Amos Withers had loft for Washington on a midnight train immediately aftoi furnishing The Chronicle with the con-tents of his dispatch, making no allu-sion to that part of it which said, "Now push for that vacancy. Not an instant must be lost." Nobody could nay nay to the man who had subscribed the heavi-est sum to tho campaign fund in his own state, and therefore both its senators and half its representatives in the house went with him to the president to urge the immediate nomination of Capt. Noel to the majority in the adjutant general's department made vacant by the promo-tion consequent upon the retirement of one of its oldest members. Already the war department had furnished the ex-ecutive with the names and records of the four men whom it considered the most deserving, and Gordon Noel's name was not one of the four. But what was that in comparison with the eminent pe-cuniary and political services of Mr. Withers, when the nephew had just be-haved so superbly in action? Meantime, the Apaches had scattered through . the mountains, and escaped |