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Show 'pjf grilling rmy Romance of WW By 6flPL RkES KING, U. S. ft. "How in hard luck?" asked a quiet looking man seated in a big arm chair, lowering for a moment the newspaper which he had been reading. "Well, through his father's ill luck on 'Change. You all know, of course, that Vincent was nearly busted before that corner went under last week." "I know this," was the calm reply, "that while he did stand for a few days on the 'ragged edge,' and while it may be that had that corner not broken when it did he would have been in sore straits, in some way he or his partner, Clark, came to taw with additional funds, and shook Mr. Nod's handthr iti fore to would tet hi:a V him to come bften: he lij.i , men, he said, who could 8o V hh' M nppreciate-whoin do yon tv. nan Capt. Fred Lane. Aft he f tW papa spoke of him delighted o, vgvei three occasions. Will they ,. away, too, as soon as ho i8 rJ jt tainr" ?, ... , p . "You dear, dear, extravult . thi Never have I had such exqJ n or such profusion of them. , 0 1 bave given your florist catte'i L of : Nothing that came to tne r,m , them. My birthday was the 1 Lb quite a little fete in the famii,' . n had some lovely presents. ' j too, sent a beautiful basket of i,, it pleased me very much. 0f comrades to like me, and yet I J vonu did this on your account. Thonj otai so thoughtful and' delicate and Lfo fers to otir engagement I fa m0 knows it; and it seems better fta jaoi : somehow. tlI j "You did not answer my , ! about him, Fred. Didn't yon i letter?" ' Among the letters that came ft a Queen City was one which b, in0 , tremulous superscription of the ; the firm of Vincent, Clark & Co. brief, but it gave Capt. Lane ati m, i gladness: )t i "It was your timely and ttoj aid that enabled us to recover j , our losses. You alone came to our; and I fully appreciate the risk j ( It will never be forgotten. lSt "Clark will send draft for the acc am't, or deposit to your credit,! bei may direct I go to New York an lUt cagoin two or three days. Oo .if , pects are flattering." tu- that was before the crash, and wiien ho had no time to pay him any attention. atten-tion. Of course, the conrin of Mr. Amos Withers was received with a great dual of bowing and scraping by Mr. Withers' friends ir hat honorable body. But all the same, I know your father will be glad to meet Mr. Noel now, and by all means bring him, if you feel disposed, dis-posed, to-night. What manner of looking look-ing man is he?" . "A remarkably handsome man, mother," moth-er," said Mabel at once; "one of the handsomest I ever saw, and he certainly made himself very entertaining and very jolly the night we sat together at dinner din-ner at the Thornton'." "There's a great contrast physically between him and Lane," put ' in Regy. "Noel is such an elegantly built fellow so tall and fine looking. Lane would be almost undersized when standing beside be-side him. and is very much at a disadvantage disad-vantage when they appear together, I should judge." A very bright and joyous party it was, seated around the heme like table of th Vincents that evening, and, as Eegy had predicted, Noel proved very entertaining and a most agreeable guest. While showing much deference to Mr. Vincent and attention to his good wife he nevertheless never-theless managed to have a great deal to say about the regiment and its daring and perilous service on the frontier, and to throw in here and there many a pleas-; ant word about Opt. Lane and their long and intimate acquaintance, and before be-fore dinner was over had won a warm place in Mabel Vincent's heart by the way in which he so frequently spoke of the man to whom she had plighted her f troth. 1 And that very evening, as Frederick Lane far out under the starlit sky of Arizona with his heart full of longing and love for her, and thinking only of her as he rode over the desolate plain, with the lights of old Fort Graham already al-ready in view, Mabel Vincent, seated by Gordon Noel's side, was looking up into his handsome faco and listening to his animated voice between the acts of "Twelfth Night." i had the consummate piucK to put up ; more at the very moment when it was j believed that that syndicate was going to have everything their own way. So far from being badly bitten by that deal, it's my belief that Vincent, Clark & Co. came out of it with a very pretty penny to the good." "Well, of course, Harris, you must know more about it than I do. But you cannot be gladder than I am to hear that Vincent's status is so much better than we supposed. I'm glad on his account, I'm glad on Regy's account, and I'm particularly particu-larly glad on Miss Mabel's account. And now I'm particularly1 chuckling over Billy Rossiter'B frame of mind when he hears the real truth of this matter. When he went after her to Rome last year, and everybody supposed that Vincent Vin-cent was worth a million, there's no doubt in the world that ho did his best to wi her, and that was whnt he was sent abroad by his father to do. But ho didn't win her then, for she strenuously denied any engagement when she came back here; yet it was supposed that if bo persevered his chances would be good. Why. he's not half a bad fellow, only ho can't marry so long as he is in his father's fa-ther's employ and dependent on him, unless un-less he marries according to his father's wishes; and tho old man called him off just as soon as he found out that Vincent Vin-cent wan on the verge of failure. Billy Rossiter has lost any chance that ho might have had in that quarter, for she'll womaniy leiwr i was so soy ana nmr timid, vet so full of faith and pride in him. Every ore at Graham remarked on the wonderful change for the better that had come over Lano since he treat east. Never had they seen him ic joy-;s, joy-;s, to blitho in manner. He sceir.ed to walk on nir; his eyes beamed on every one; h;s tsce seemed "almost to have a halo round it," said Mrs. Nash, and neither she nor any woman in garrison had the faintest doubt as to the explanation explana-tion cf it all. Love had wrought the change, and being loved had intensified j and prolonged it. Every man, every wo-1 man in garrison was his friend, and the ; teppy fellow would gladly have taken dozensof themintohisconfidonoeand told Ihem all about it, and 'talked by the , hour of her, But there were reasons, Mrs. Vincent j had said, why it was most desirable that there should be no announcement of the engagement as yet. What these were she did net explain to Mabel herself, but assured her that it was her father's wish as well. Lane had rushed to the great jewelry house of Van Loo & Laing, and the diamond solitaire that flashed among the leaven of the exquisite rosebud he smilingly handed her that night was one : to make any woman gasp with delight, j Could anything on earth be rich enough, j pure enough, fair enough to lavish on , her, his peerless queen? She had held forth her soft white hand and let him slip it on the engagement finger, and then bend the knee like knight of old and kiss it fervently. She reveled in it, rejoiced in it, but, heeding her mother's ad Wee, stowed it away where none could sse it, in the secret drawer of her desk, and Lane was perfectly per-fectly satisfied.- "I will tell you the reason some day," Mrs. Vincent had said to him, "but not just now, for I might be doing wrong;" and ho had protested that she need never tell him. What cured he so long as Mabel's lore was his, and they understood each other as they did? And so, while people at Graham plied him with questions and insinuations and side remarks about tho "girl he loft behind him" in the east, he kept faith-' fully to the agreement, and though the ' whole garrison knew he wrote to her : every day and took long rides alone that j he might think of her, doubtless, and though every one knew that those dainty ; missives that came so often for Capt. j Lane were written by Miss Mabel Vin-; cent, never once did lie admit the existence exist-ence of an engagement never once un- ! til long afterwards. The first real tidings that the Graham people had of her came in a letter from headquarters. Mrs. Riggs had had such u long, charming letter from Mr. Noel that she called in several of her cronies and read it all to them; and that very evening one of the number, unable to bear the burden of so much information, chifted it from her mental shoulders by writing it all to Mrs. Nash. Perhaps tho best Dlan will be to read the extract was cozfly ensconced in his quarters, and was giving all "ai time to the improvement improve-ment of affairs about his troops barracks, bar-racks, kitchens aud stables, to drill and target practice, and to company duties generally. His days knew no relaxation from labor, from reveille until "retreat at sunset, and then came the delicious evenings in which he could write to her, and read a chapter or two of some favorite fa-vorite work before going early to bed. After the first week he seldom left his house after 8 o'clock, and tho garrison, had therefore ample opportunity to di. cus his affairs. Soma color was lent to i the storv of his. having lost money m , speculation by a letter received from , Cheyenne, written to the now major of ; the th infantry, who had recently joined by promotion from Fcrt Russell, near that thriving town. The writer said that Lane of the Eleventh cavalry had sold hia property there for fifteen thousand dollars about the end of June, j and he had bought it for .twenty-five hundred only nine j'ears before. He could have got eighteen thousand just as well by waiting a few days, but he wanted tho money at once. No one, of courso, could ask the captain cap-tain any direct questions about his affairs of either heart or pocket, but Lane was puzzled to account for some of the remarks re-marks that were made to him the interrogatories inter-rogatories about the methods of speculation, specula-tion, the tentatives as to chances of "making a good thing" in that way, and the sharp and scrutinizing glance.3 that accompanied the queries. The sweet, sympathetic, semi-confidential manner, the inviting way in which the ladies apoko to him of his present loneliness and their hopes that soon he would bring to them a charming wife to share their exilo and bless his army home all this, too, seemed odd to him; but, as he had never been in love nor engagsd before, he did not know but that it was "always the way with them," and so let it pass. And then he was very happy in her letters. They were neither as frequent nor as long as his, but then sho had such a round of social duties; she was in such constant demand; there were visitors or parties every night, and endless calls and shopping tours with mother every day, aud she was really getting a little run down. The weather was oppressively oppressive-ly warm, and they longed to get away from the city and go to the mountains. It was only a day's ride to the lovely resorts re-sorts in the Alleghanies, but papa was looking a littlo thin and worn again, and the doctors had said his heart was affectednot affect-ednot alarmingly or seriously, but mamma could not bear to leave him, and he declared it utterly impossible to be away from his business a singlo day. He and Mr. Clark were very hopeful over a now venture they had made, the nature of which she did not thoroughly understand. But let us take a peep at some of those early letters not at the answers to his eager questions, not at the 6hy words of 1 maiden love that crept in here and there, I but at those pag3S any one might read. SYNOPSIS OF THE "TWO SOLDIERS. Phaptkk 1. In n rerrnltliKC "(tl'O In (he "(Junen City" Limit. Ywi Lime. I.'. H. A., l'f-ri'lvcn l'f-ri'lvcn two letters one Informing him "f hid promotion to the rank of ciipt ilu, the other a brief note from Muliel Vincent. Chavtku a. Gordon Noel, ft nontenant ill I.ane'n orlrv regiment, einrnerts. throiiKh. wheedling the Wife of lil colonel, ltt helinr up-' up-' pointed to the VBoancy raimnd ry Lane's pro motion. He le disliked hy hi brother oltlciTH, a lie lis In the pant everl times dodfjed active servlre In the Indlnu campaina. Chaptkk 3. Cant. Lue 1h deHpenitely In - love with Mabel Vluoent. He prepare" to turn the recrnltiiiKOver to his stioccnior. Cbaptfh '4. Lieut. Noel arrives to tiike ehargeof therecrultlngomce. He in handsome and agreeable and aucoeeds in creatine tho lmprexulon that he ha been a very eallant officer and done brave Ben-Ice on the plains. It la discovered that a nlerlc named Talntor hae emberaled dome of the fundnot the recruiting office (foiiring Lane'x name) and decamped. Noel proteased an enthusiastic friendship for Lane. . ' Chaptkk f. Lane writes to MalH-r father, a'klng permission to pay his addresses tu her. This Id granted. Vincent id on the brink of financial disaster. Lane proffer hid services. OHAPrEKn. The transfer of the recruiting office Is made to Noel by Lane, who has orders to return to hid regiment In the west. Laue makes good the dollclt In the accounts out of his own pocket. Chaptwi 7. Lane furnished to Mr. Vincent the money which saves the latter from rain. Before Lane starts for the west Mabel promised to marry lilra. The engagement is to be kept secret at her parents' request. CHAPTER VTIL "What an awfully pretty girl that Miss Vincent Is, Amos!" said Mr. Noel one morning, as the cousins were quietly breakfasting together before going down town. "Pretty? yes," said Amos, doubtfully. "But look here, my boy; recollect that you want to think of something more than pretty in selecting wife while you are in here on this detail. Now, Mrs. Withers and I have been keapim? our eyes open, and our ears, too, for that matter; the fact Is, I always have both eyes and ears open travel with them that way, sloop with them that way. I would not be the man I am in the business busi-ness world, Noel, if that weren't the case. And, pretty though Miss Vincent may be, she's not the girl for you to waste your time on." "But why not?" asked Noel. "They . have a magnificent home, and everything about it indicates wealth and refinement and culture; and there is no denying that she is one of the most attractive girls in society in this city; certainly I have seen none whom I have admired more." never look at him again." "Servo him right, if that be tho case. Any man who hasn't sense enough to stick to a girl who is bright and pretty as Mabel Vincent, rich or poor, deserves no lnck at all in this world. But that reminds mo, ('apt. Nonl, according to rumor and what the girls say in society and you know they generally know pretty much everything that is going on there is something more than a mere understanding between her and your predecessor here, the recruiting officer, Capt. Lane. Did ho say anything about it to your' "No, not n word. I think, though, that had there been anything in the story Lano would have let me know something about it, for we are very old and intimate friends. Did you say that that was Mr. Reginald Vincent who has just gone into the billiard room?" "Yos," answered Mr. Morri3, "that's he. Would you like to know him?" 'Very much indeed; and if you've nothing better to do come in and present pre-sent me. Perhaps he will want to play a game of billiards, und if so I'm his man." CHAPTER IX. There was no one to receive Urn im ot bcl, and he wanted no me mt t August was close at hand. ( City ' 'society" had scattered in eve Bi rection. The mountains and the mi P were levying tribute on the pW '3 nockets of the ' 'biff men" on 'Chuti io know young people in society I venture to say that you can readily find out all alut it. These girls all know one another's secrets, and are generally pretty ready to tell them. That's the result of my experience." It was evident that Amos Withers' cousin was not to be neglected in the j Queen City. Two parties at private houses, a reception at the clnb and three dinners were the invitations which he found awaiting him at his office. Half an hour was occupiod in acknowledging and accepting or declining, as happened to be the case, these evidences of hospitality; hospi-tality; then, having no especial interest in the morning paper, his thoughts again reverted to what Mr. Withers had been telling him about Miss Vincent, and the possible relation lietween her and his regimental comrade. He had been very much impressed with her the night before. be-fore. Her beauty was of such a rare and radiant character, she was so genial and unaffected in her manner, so bright and winring,. with such an evident liking lik-ing for his society, that Mr. Noel had come away flattering himself that ho had made in this quarter a most favorable fa-vorable impression. He had thought of her very much as he went home from the . party of her interested face, as he talked or danced with her; and she danced delightfully, de-lightfully, and was so good as to say that his step perfectly suited hers. He remembered re-membered now, too, her remark that it was so delightful to dance with army officers of-ficers and graduates of the Point; they all seemed to feel so thoroughly at home on the floor. Noel was not a graduate of the Point by any means; but he saw no reason for tisenchanting her on that score. He was quite as good as any pf the West Pointers, In his own opinion, and in society so-ciety was very much more at home than many of their number. As a dancer, he was looked upon in his regiment and throughout the cavalry as one of the most accomplished in the whole service. And all this interest and all this cordiality cordiali-ty he had accepted without hesitation as. a tribute to his own suporior qualifications qualifica-tions and attractiveness. It was therefore there-fore with a feeling akin to pique that he heard of this possiblo engagement existing exist-ing between her and Capt. Lane. In all the Eleventh cavalry there was no man whom Gordon Noel feared aud possibly hated more than he did Capt. Lane. This arose from the fact that Lane as adjutant of the regiment had seen all the communications that passed from time to time relative to Noel's absence ab-sence from his command when his services ser-vices were most needed and when any man of spirit would have taken every possible precaution to be with it. Ho knew how silent Lane had always been, and how thorough a custodian of regimental regi-mental secrets he was considered. But all the same the mere fact that Lane knew all these circumstances so much to his disadvantage, and had seen all his lame and impotent exousos, had made him fear him as a possible enemy and hate him simply because ho stood in awe of him. No one, to watch Noel in society or in the presence of his brother officers, would suppose for a moment that ha looked upon Lane with other than feelings feel-ings of the warmest regard and comradeship. com-radeship. . It was only in his secret thoughts, which he admitted to no soul on earth, that Noel realized what w real feelings were towards a man who had never done him a wrong, but who had treated him on all occasions, public and private, with courtesy and consideration. consid-eration. For some reason or other the lieutenant lieuten-ant felt restless and dissatisfied this morning. The atmosphere of the office was decidedly uncongenial. Ho was r. man who rarely read anything, and to whom letter writing was a bore. To be sure, he had little of it to do, for no man in the regiment had expressed a desire to hear from him. It was a hot, sultry day; the stylish white flannel suit in which he had arrayed his handsome self was wasting its elegance on the desert air of a bare and empty room, inntead of being seen in the boudoirs of beauty or the billiard rooms at the club. Business Busi-ness was slack; no recruits were coming com-ing in, and Mr. Noel could stand it no longer. A ring from hiB bell summoned the sergeant to the room. "There doesn't seem to be any likelihood likeli-hood of recruits coming in such a day as this, sergeant," said Mr. Noel. "I'm going go-ing up to the club for a while; if anybody any-body should come in, send one of ths inon up there for we ; I'll return at once. " And with that he took his straw hat and light cane and strolled leisurely up the street. His was a figure that many a man and more women would turn to look at more than once. Tall, slim, elegant ele-gant in build, always dressed in excellent excel-lent taste, Gordon Noel in any community commun-ity would have been pronounced a remarkably re-markably presentable man. His face, as has been said, was very fine; his eyes dark and handsome, shaded by deep, thick lashes; his hair dark and waving; his mustache, dark and drooping, served serv-ed only to enhance the brilliancy of the even white teeth that flashed underneath it iu his frequent smiles and joyous laughter. One would say, in looking at Noel, that he was a man of singularly sunny disposition; and so he was, and so they found him at the club; and so the loungers there hailod him with jovial Bhoute as he entered; for, though only n fortnight had elapsed since his arrival, and four days of that time he had been absent, giving his testimony before the court martial in New York harbor, he had nevertheless wou his way into the hearts of all the young follows around the club, and no more popular uian than Gordon Noel had ever come within the doors of "The Queen City." "What are you going to have, old man?" was the first question asked, and Nonl laughingly ordered a sherry cobbler, cob-bler, saying the day was far too hot for anything stronger. . "Who's that I just, saw going into the billiard room?" he asked. "That? That's Regy Vincent, Haven't you met him yet?" "Regy Vincent," said Noel. "Is he the brother of the Misg Vincent whom I met at the party last night?" "The very same," was the reply. "Mighty bright fellow, too, and a very jolly one; though he has been in hard YmaV.tkf loia which referred to Lane exactly as Mr. I Noel wrote it: "By this time I presume Fred Lane is busily engaged with bis new troop. I oerved with them in the Sioux campaign ; and they never gave me any trouble at all. So, too, in the Geronimo chase a while ago, when Maj. Brace picked me out to go ahead by night from Carrizo's 1 I asked for a detachment from D troop, i and the men seemed to appreciate it. I knew they would follow wherever I would lead, and would stand by me through thick and thin. If Lano starts in right I've no doubt they will do just as well for him; but I expect he is feeling feel-ing mighty blue at having to rejoin just now. You know I've always been a warm friend of his, and it hurt me to see him so unwilling to go back. No one seemed to know him very well in society, and it's very queer, for this was his old home and I was never more delightfully delight-fully welcomed anywhere; the people are charming. But Lane had held himself him-self aloof a good deal, and fellows at the ' club say he didn't 'run with the right I set.' Then, if all accounts be true, he j had had hard luck in several ways. I'm told that he lost money in a big wheat speculation, and everybody says he totally lost his heart. I tell you this in confidence because I know you are a do-voted do-voted friend of his as indeed you are of all in the dear old regiment but he was much embarrassed when it came to turning turn-ing over the funds. There was quite a heavy shortage, which he had to make up at a time when it was probably most inconvenient. As to the other loss, it isn't to be wondered at. She is a beautiful beau-tiful and most charming girl, and many a man, I fancy, has laid his heart at her feet. It is said, however, that Lane's loss is the heavier in this case because well, I fear it will come to nothing. A young lady told me yesterday that there was something back of it all that she, Miss Vincent, was deeply in love with a Mr. Rossi ter, of New York, and had been for over a year, and they were to have been married this coming September, Septem-ber, but that the gentleman (?) learned that her father had been nearly swamped in speculation and had not a penny to give her. My informant went to school with Miss Vincent and knows her intimately, inti-mately, and she says that Mr. Rossiter imply threw her over a short time ago, and that it was through pique and exasperation exas-peration and to hide her heartbreak from the world that Mabel Vincent began to show such pleasure in Lane's devotions. She led him on, so her lady friends sav: He wrote long letters to her. , Only a short distance from the Arizona Ari-zona border, with the blue range of the Santa Ca tarina shutting out the sunset skies, with sand and cactus and Spanish bayonet on every side, the old post of Fort Graham stood in the desert like a mud colored oasis.: All the quarters, all the store houses, stables, corrals and barracks were built of the native adobe; and though whitewash had been liberally liber-ally applied, especially about the homes of the officers, and the long Venetian blinds at their front windows had been painted the coolest of deep greens, and clear running water sparkled through the acequias that bordered the parade, it could not be denied that at its best Graham was an arid and forbidden station, sta-tion, so far as one could judge by appearances. Trees, verdure, turf were items almost unknown within a day'a inarch of the flag staff; but in the old times when the Navajoeg were the terror of the wide southwest, south-west, and even the Comanches sometimes carried their raids across the Rio Bravo del Norte the Rio Grande of today the post had been "located" where it might afford protection to the "Forty-Niners" and to the pioneers of the pnuries; the trans-continental trail led past its very gates, and many a time and oft the miner and the emigrant thanked God and the general government govern-ment that the old fort was placed just where it was, for Indian pursuers drew rein when once in sight of its dingy walls; and so from year to year for more than thrice a decade the flag was raised at sunrise, the post was always garrisoned, garri-soned, and now, with the Southern Pacific Pa-cific piercing the range but a short distance dis-tance below, and landing stores and forage for-age at the quartermaster's depot within four miles of the corrals, it became easier to maintain a force of cavalry at Graham; Gra-ham; and one of the troops there stationed sta-tioned was Lane's new command, the relict re-lict of the late lamented Curran, "the Devil's own D." An easy going old dragoon was Curran, Cur-ran, and for years before his retirement it was an open secret that his first sergeant ser-geant "ran the troop" to suit himself and that the captain never permitted his subalterns sub-alterns to interfere. A more independent, independ-ent, devil-may-care, and occasionally drunken lot of troopers were rarely gath- "Tuesday night. "Such a delightful german as we had last night at tha Prendergasts'! Capt. Noel led I have to call him captain, for every one does here, and if I say 'Mr.' they want to know why, and it is embarrassing em-barrassing to explain how I know. He leads remarkably well, anf I was very proud of 'our regiment,' sir, when listening listen-ing to all the nice things said about him. How I wished for a certain other cavalry captain, now so many cruel miles awayl Mr. Noel took me out often and indeed in-deed I was a decided belle and he told me that he had to lead with Miss Pren-dergast, Pren-dergast, but would so much rather dance with me. "It is almost settled that we go away in August for the entire month. Dr. Post says mother must go, and that father ought to go. Of course I go with mamma. Deer Park will doubtless be the favored spot. I wish August were here; I wish you were here; I wishoh, so many things! Your letters are such a delight to me. 1 wonder if other girls have anything like them. Yes, you shall have the picture on my birthday; but mind, sir, you are to tako the utmost ut-most care of it, or the original will feel neglected." "Friday night. "So many interruptions today, dear Fred! You see what an incoherent thing this is thus far, and now I'm tired out. Wo had a charming time at the Wood-rows' Wood-rows' dinner last evening. The day had been hot, but their table was set ou the lawn under a canopy, and, the walls being raised, we had a delightful breeze from the river. Their place is one of the finest on the heights. I do so wish you could have seen it. Capt. Noel took mo in, and was bright and jolly and full of anecdote. Everybody ljkes him, and I like him mainly because he is such a loyal friend of yours. . Ho talks so much I of yon and of all the dangers you have shared in common; and you know how j interesting all this must be to me. Sometimes 1 wonder that you had so j little to say about hiin--thongh you never j did talk much about the regiment and never would talk much about yourself. Wednesday evening wo had a little theatre party. Regy got it up, and we just filled two adjoining logos. Capt. Noel was Fanny Holton's escort, but he talked most pf the time with me a thing that my escort, Mr. Forbes, did not seem to like; but, as he couldn't talk, and Mr. Noel would, what could I do?" '. "Sunday evening. "It is late and I ought to be asleep, but the last caller has just gone, and tomorrow to-morrow there may be no timo to write at all, and you are Buch an exacting, tyrannical, dear old boy that Weil, there, now, let me tell you of the day. Yon say anything and everything that 1 say or do is of ireret. So. to begin I with, yesterday I had a headache, due, 1 fear, to tho late supper Regy gave us at" the club after the theatre. Fanny Hol-ton Hol-ton came to take me for a drive, but I did not feel like going, and begged off. Then she told me that Capt, Noel was in the carriage waiting, and that he would be so disappointed. Mother came in and said the air would do me good; and so we went, and I came back feeling so much brighter. Mr. Noel was very amusing and kept us laughing all tho time. Coming home Fanny got out at her house, as she had to dress for dinner, but told the coachman to drive me home and Mr. Noel to the club. He began talking of you the moment she disappeared, disap-peared, and said he so hoped you were going V) write regularly to him. Are you? He seems so fond of you; but I do ; not wonder at that. i "This morning we went to church, and afterwards Mr. Noel joined and walked home with us, and papa begged hun to come into luncheon, which he did. You dear fellow! what have you done to my beloved old daddy, that be , is so ardent an admirer of yours? He on business of every conceiTaWe 1 Blinds and shutters were closed at a of hospitable mansions in the m I streets of the old city, and even in !" elegant villas that crowned the snno n ing heights. The snn glare at w 5 was so intense that no man wm M venturing forth without a huge mis' ' of some kind, and even within ft o cred precincts of the club, where b a awnings hung on every side and j leaf fans were in constant motion, men strolled into luncheon in ste lightest flannel or pongee, with ro! collars and infinitesimal neckties. E one who could leave town had long s gone; and yet the Vincents top Each day seemed to add to the nu in the mother's eyes as she watchec husband's aging face. HehadreS from a business trip of ten days looking hopeful and buoyaat, ami gone to the office the f ollowiag nffl with light step and cheery denw but came home long after the it hour listless and dispirited-a ft headache, he said, but the wife t that it was far more than head or ache. The family physician took siou to warn Mr. Vincent that ta j doing himself grievous wrong-1' i health imperatively demanded rat change of scene. Vincent looted good old doctor's face with a w dumb misery in his eyes, and W swered, "I will I will in a weel I cannot quit my post just now. 0 is taking his vacation, Whenher I'll go." And until he could cW them Mrs. Vincent refused to W and yet she began to urge that should start now. What was to her going at once and joininftbe' rows at Deer pork?, Claries and t nor Woodrow were always such W of hers. But Mabel begged tW might stay until both papa and s could go too; she could not be there without them, or at lat'! mother; and Mrs. Vincent co the words in which to frame the of her greatest apprehension. The one man whom the heat nT erless to subdue was Gordon Soft the most immaculate and heconfflJ . tnmes ol white or straw color to lal officia- would saunter into j'( at noontide, looking provoking and comfortable, and, as he expre8 "without having turned a hair. "Hot!" he would say. "Call tW Why. bless your hearte, fellows, ought to live in Arizona awhile-I'vo awhile-I'vo come in sometimes from through the Gila desert andrnsntf cold cream to plaster on wy cheeks: it would all be melted, of but when I clapped it .on it wonW-like wonW-like so much lard in a frying Pk down at Fort Yuma our liens law boiled eggs from June to October- ; then his eves would twinkle w1 and he would burv his dark ffl'T the cracked Ice of his julep with" relish. '( j "I sav, Queried Mr. Morns i or chum, Terrji Jr.. one langwda". after Noel llad jauntily stroll "don't you eiivy a feller who can life like that?)' "Never sa anything like n2. the younger. ( "One would PP0. after being a Have all mawning ' beastly works I ought to enjoy recreation; bat I can't, you know- "Queer diw ks, those army ' i Gad! this lov making by P?c ; gets me this' sort of Miles ! courtship business. She's prettier,"1 than the original Priscilla," ! "How do yiu mean?" qM1. Terry, vagnaly;. He had been i up under the thumb of hie elder Dtt I and from the outset had been gi " ! understand thait if he expected ; in tho profits fat, must learn the ww ( There had been ,10 college fTfj 1 New Encland founds were sealed ' And so it happened that that very I morning Gordon Noel was presented to Reginald Vincent, and when Regy went home to luncheon he spoke enthusiastically enthusias-tically of his new found acquaintance, whom bo pronounced to be one of the most delightful fellows he had ever met anywhere, and who was such a warm and devoted friend of Capt. Lane. "I want, if I meet him this afternoon, as I probably shall, to bring him back to dinner with me. What say you, mother? just informally." "Don't you-think it would be better to wait a day or two, and have a little dinner, din-ner, and invite a few friends to meet him?" asked Mrs. Vincent. "Your father, fath-er, perhaps, would like to be consulted in the matter. I've no doubt that he would like to do something to show attention to any friend of Capt. Lane. What do you think, Mabel?" "I vote for both." replied that young woman, with much ulacrity. "I have met Mr. Noel twice," "Capt. Noel, dear." suid Rcgv, "Cupt. Noel."' "He is not a captain yet, Reginald; 1 happen to know from tho regimental roster; I have a copy upstairs that Capt, Laue very kindly left me." And here a decided flush stole over the fair cheeks of tho young lady. "I learned a good deal about the officers of the regiment from Mr. Lane Capt. Lane while he was here. Mr. Noel ranks second among the lieutenants of the regiment. As Capt. Lano said, he is so very near his captaincy that perhaps ho accepts the title ti-tle that you all give him at the club as only a trifle premat ure.'' "Well, captain or lieutenant, it doesn't make any difference," said Regy, impulsively; im-pulsively; "he's a mighty good fellow, and a mighty good friend of your friend Capt. Lano, and if you have no objection, mother, I'll bring him around to dinner to-night, and then perhaps we might go to the theatre afterward. I'm very sure that Capt. Noel will enjoy it. Fact is, he enjoys everything. Everybody in the club is perfectly delighted with him. You ought to hear him sing an Irish song or tell a French story! Til try and get him started when he comes here. He's a wonderful mimic; and he's so full of information in-formation about their Bervice on tho frontier. Now, Lane so seldom spoke of anything of the kind; but Noel will talk for hours at a time about the wonderful country through which they have scouted aud fought, and all tliat they have been through in their campaigns. By Jove! but that fellow has seen a lot of hard service, and has been" through some hairbreadth escapes!" "Who?" inquired Mrs. Vincent; 2apt. Lane or Mr. Noel?" "Noel, of course Noel I'm speaking of. Lane, no doubt, saw a great deatff aer-viee aer-viee with the regiment; but Noel says h was adjutant so much of the time, aad on other staff duty, while he (Noel Wtfe almost incessantly scouting, hunting after various Indian parties, and being on the warpath, as he laughingly expresses ex-presses it." "Does he mean that Capt. Lane didn't see much actual service there?" asked Miss Mabel, with heightened color. "Oh, I don't know that he means that. Don't understand me as saying for a moment mo-ment that Noel disparages Lane's services; ser-vices; on the contrary, be never speaks of him except with the most enthusiastic regard. Neither does he boast at all of his own service; only you can't help seeing, see-ing, in the modest, offhand way in which he speaks of his campaigning what a deal of hardship and danger he j has encountered, for the simple reason I that he was with the command that had to go through it all." "Your father tells me," said Mrs. Vincent, Vin-cent, "that he met him one day on "Chauee when Mr. .Withers broughikini 37iat very nwrnlixg Gordon Noel wat pre-tented pre-tented to Reynold Vincent. "That is all very true, perhaps," was the reply; "but her father was very badly bad-ly bitten during that wheat corner last month, and in fact he has been losing heavily for the last two years. Warden, who is his broker on 'Change, let it leak out in more ways than one; and that wife of Warden is a regular scandal monger she can't help talking, and every thing she manages to extract from him in the way of information goes broadcast broad-cast over the entire city. Of course, , when the corner broke, as it did, old Vincent managed te pull out of it without with-out absolute loss of his homestead and his entire business. But the rally came only in the nick of time. I am told that Warden has said that if wheat had gone up one cent higher it would have knocked Vincent out of time; he never could have come to again. Gordon Nool, we have another plan for you. Wait until Ned Terry's sister gets back from the east; between her and her brother they have just about as much money invested in the best paying business in this town as any people that I can possibly name. She's a belle; she's just as pretty as Miss Vincent. She isn't ao smart, perhaps, but she is a woman worth cultivating. Now, hold your horses. Where did you meet her, by the way?" "I first met her at the Thorntons' dinner party. She was there with Capt. Lane, and some other young people whom I had not previously met." "Oh, yes; that reminds me. It seems to me I have heard once or twice that your friend Lane was very much Binitten in that quarter. Now, you'd much better let him carry off Miss Vincent, if he can. She would suit his modest views of life very well. But I don't believe the girl has a penny to her fortune: at least she certainly won't if Vincent has no more luck in the future than he has had in the last year." "I took her down to dinner," said Noel, thoughtfully, "and I remember that she talked a good deal about the army, and asked a great many questions about the cavalry. Now that you speak of it, I noticed that Lone, who sat on the pposite side of the table, didn't seem to be particularly interested in the lady whom he was escorting, although, of course, he had to be civil and tried to keep up a conversation, but every nw and then I would catch him looking at us, and particularly at her. But she looked so pretty that I didn't wonder at it." "When did yon next see her?" said Withers. "Only last night. You know, I was saliid away almost immediately after the Thornton affair, and had to go on to New York on the court martial, where I was summoned as a witness, then only got back in time for the party last night. That was my second meeting with her, and by this time Lano had gone out to join the regiment I didn't even have a chance to say good-by to him. Do you think, really, that he was smitten in . that quarter?" "That's what I certainly heard," said Withers: "and as goon. as j-ou set. to ered in one such organization, and while steady and reliable men on getting their ! discharges at the end of their term of enlistment would refuse to "take on" again in D troop, but would go over to Capt. Breese or perhaps to a company at another stciion, all the scamps and rol-lickam rol-lickam characters in the regiment would drift over into "D" and be welcomed by he choice spirits therein assembled. And this was the gang that Capt, Lane was now expected to bring up with a round turn and transform into dutiful soldiers. Obedient to the colonel's behest, be-hest, he had stopped over a couple of days at headquarters, had had a most cordial greeting from every officer at the post, had called on all the ladies not omitting his fair defamera and then had hastened on to Graham and his new and trying duties. Every day, as he was whirled farther from the home of her whom he so devotedly de-votedly loved, he wrote long letters to her, filled with only lovers know what all. And his heart leaped with joy that topmost in the little packet of letters I awaiting him at the adjutant's office j when he reached h:s post was a dainty : billet addressed to him in her beloved j hand. Until he could get his quarters ' in habitable condition the new troop j commander was the guest of Capt. and ' Mrs. Nash; and he could hardly wait for i the close of that amiable woman's welcoming wel-coming address to reach his room and devour every word of that most precious missive. She had written bless her! the very dy after he left, and a sweet. and now Mr. Roesiter has found out that old Vincent was sharper and shrewder than any one supposed, and made instead of losing a pile, and now he is suing to be taken back, and they say that she is so much in love with the fellow that tha thances are all in his favor. This is why I feel such sorrow and anxiety for Lane. "Well, I led the german at a lovely party at the Prendergasts' last night. Miss Vincent was there, looking like a peach blossom, and we danced together a great deal. When it came time to break up I believe half the people in the rooms came to say good night to me and to tell me they had never seen so delightful delight-ful a german 'everything so depends on the leader.' I have invitations for something some-thing or other for jevery night for the next fortnight; and yet I so often long for the old regiment and the true friends I had to leave. It did me a world of good last night to meet old Col. Gray, of the retired list, whose home is here, but he commanded the th infantry in the Wonx campaign, and when he saw me he threw his arms around my neck and hugged me before the whole throng of people. Give my love to our chief, always, al-ways, and believe me, dear, true friend of mine. Yours, most affectionately, "Gordon Noel." Condensed, edited by feminine hands, and accented bore and there as suited the writer's mood, this was the letter which formed the basis of the one received re-ceived by Mrs. Nash. Lane bv this time the cool air now gently stirrintr. The cab stopjied before the well remembered steps, ttml Lane liubteued to the broud doorway. No need to ring; the jxrt.il stood invitingly oien. The g burned , brightly in the hull and in the sit tins room to the left lie entered unties tat-iugly, tat-iugly, and stool all alono in the room wiicru lie lud spent r. many happy hours listeniug to the music of her voice, watching tli p'.uy ami animation in her lovely fare. 1I caught a glimpse of his own, gaunt, haggard, hollow eyed, in tho mirror over the, old fashioned mantel. man-tel. What was he thut he should have won a creature so radiant, so exquisite? There was tho heavy portiere that abut off th little pvage to the library. His footfall made no sound in the deep, rich carpeting. It was there she welcomed wel-comed him that wonderful Friday afternoonthat after-noonthat day that was the turning point, the climax, of hia life. Hark! was that her voice, low, sweet, tremulous tremu-lous in there now? Hush! Was that a sob? a woman' suppress 1 weeping? (Quickly he stepped forward, and in nn instant had thrust aside the second portiere; por-tiere; but he halted short at the threshold, thresh-old, petrified by the sceno before him. ! Mabel Vincent, clasped in Gordon Noel's embrace, her arms about his neck, gazing up into his face with al- j most worship in her weeping eyes, raised her lips to meet the passionate kiss of ! his. "My darling," he murmured, "what cun you tear? Have you not given me j the right to protect you?" A tut the , hndur.io head was towed proudly bck, ' and (or oue little minute was indeed herov. Then, with inntantancousehiinge. everv drop of blood tied from bis ttun, leaving it. when, death like. "Gordon!" sho cried, "what Is it? Are yon ill?" Then, following the glance of his star-ing star-ing eyes, she turned and saw and swooned away. To be ('iiMmiect next Sat unlay. . OSltig-moist and nrneirv -i Why was it that she should experience "S almost of relief i & he was going to be absent from the gar She had wnt him, as she promised a had been taken expressly for him It came to the old frontier fort jus the men were marchingnp from even ngsta bles and the messenger, distributing the .natlabont the tj hM the the captain as he stood with a little knot of comrades on the walk. There was in-taut in-taut demand that he should open it and show the ptcture to them, butrblnshing W Pfl.he broke away and hid him-eelf him-eelf in his room; and then, when sure of being uninterrupted, he took it to the window and feaeted his eyes npon the exquisite face and form there portrayed. He. kept it from that time in a silken case, which he locked in a bureau drawer whenever he left the house, but in the evening or when writing at his desk he brought it forth to light again and set it where every moment he conld look npon and almost worship it. And then came her letters announcing their safe arrival at Deer Park : , "Our jotrrney was most trying, for the heat was intolerable until we got well up among the mountains. Papa came; but I know lie is simply fretting his heart ont with anxiety to get back to the office. Mr. Clark only returned from his vacation the day we started. Gordon Gor-don Noel came down to the train to see us off, and brought mother a basket of such luscious fruit. He says that lie has no home to go to now that we are gone. Indeed, he has been very thoughtful thought-ful and kind, and I don't think ho is quite happy despite his efforts to be always gay and cheerful. "Do you really mean that you will be gone a fortnight? How I shall nrns , your dear letters, Fred. And now indeed in-deed I will try to write regularly. There's no one here I care anything about, though the hotel seems very full, and there is much dancing and gayety. You say that my letters will reach you, I but I wonder how." - j mean that 'twouidn't surprise - S it e " m0derni V.6r8i0n f ,E; ",7'Wby don't yon speak for yonr- H t tin? He's with her incessantly." soW it Miss Vincent you're speaking of. t nauieJ Jlabel, I thought, not lie j ,td'yon call her? 'do Ivver mind, Jimmy," said Morns, y i. "Couie and have a cigarette." I m it was not only in the club, over riuars, that men spoke significantly 4H Zl'B attentions to the lovely daugh- Sm the bouse of Vincent, It was not isi;, mm indeed, who did the greater i 0t the talk. If they noticed and rfc i " 0 it what must not the women mte ; been saving! Noel, . quitting the ! t nitable roof of Cousin Amos, had miK f rooms down in town, midway Si- ecu the club and the Vincent home- 5f'r,, , and those two points became the Uf: 1 0f his field of action. TheWith- I I j hoal)ehold had gone to the Maryland H mtains, and the massive master of ndi establishment was treating himself fee! month's vacation. ! r ft. taost all the Vtty girls were gone. ,,t more natural than that Mr. Noel y (j, go frequently seek the society of n ! prettiest of all, even if she were en- ed to Frederick Lane, as people said m wM before he went away? There i bo - o monitorial Amos to call him off, m to bid him turn his devotions "0. where; and she herself could see no 'ail m, for was not almost all his talk of ,t Lane? Was he not his legal and de-thot de-thot Pd friend? The captain's letttjrscamo t ry day, and he seemed pleased to our; ,ff that Noel had such pleasant things k n ay of him, and was so attentiveor lW kind, because it wasn't really on tti account that he came so frequently, lit, i be ,nre, Capt. Lane did not say much ' a ,ut the matter one way or the other; Out jf he Baw no harm, if he expressed (jisiatiefactio11, who else had any right findfault? . . la mother, was the answer that con-nce con-nce pricked into her heart quicker 3 than she could think. For days m it the good lady's manner to Noel had in gaining in distance and coolness, lie it ill at ease worried about papa," g Mabel's attempt at a self satisfying 1 ; bnt conscience again warned her " it'dieknew better far better. Her her, engrossed in business cares that !t) med only to increase with every day, !ti i no eves or ears for affairs domestic; to us as soon s you can o'otain leave of absence. There are mutters which ei-cite ei-cite my greatest apprehension, and I feel that 1 must sea yon. .My health, I rejfret to say, is fculing nia rapidly. Come, if you can." Another was from Mrs. Vincent, She spoke with great anxiety of .Mr. Vincent's Vin-cent's waning health; said vary little of Mabel, nothing whatever of Mr. Noel. She told him that the engagement had been formally announced to all their relatives, and thut letters of congratulation congratula-tion had been showered on MuIk-1 from all sides, although there was some litilo j surprise expressed that she should marry j an army ofiVer. "She hersMf has not been well at all, and I ready believe that j a visit from yon would do niueh to restore re-store her health and spirits. She has been unlike herself ever since we came back from the mountains." In this same package of letters were two from Mabel. These he read w ith infinite yearning in his heart, and they only served to Increase the wordless auxiety and the intolerable sense of something lacking, which he had first felt after tho letter that announced Gordon Gor-don Noel's visit to Deer Park. One more letter there was. This he opened, saw that it was type written and had no signature, indignantly tore it into foments fo-ments and tossed them to the wind. The commanding general of the dv partiuent an old and kind friend of Laue's was then looking over affairs for himself, at the reservation. Lane obtained ob-tained a few moments' conversation with him, briefly stated his needs, and showed him Mr. Vincent's letter. The instant the general saw the signature he looked up, startled, and then arotso from his sent, put his hand on the captain's shoulder, and drew him to one side. "My dear boy," he said, "there it later news than this. It is dated Sept. 14, you see. Have you heard nothing inore'r" "Nothing, general. What has happened';" hap-pened';" answered Lane, his voice trembling trem-bling and his bronzed face rapidly paling. "Am I am I too late?" "I fear so, Lane. Had Mr. Vincent a partner named Clark?" "Yes sir; his junior partner." "Clark defaulted, embezzled, hypothecated hypothe-cated securities and heaven knows what all, blew ont his brains in his private office, and Mr. Vincent stumbled over the body an honr afterwards, was prostrated pros-trated by the shock, and died of heart failure three days later. The paer were full of the tamedv for nearly a week; but there are none to be had here, Tm afraid. Now yon will want to start ' ' at once. Never mind your troop. Just tell your lieutenant to report here to ; Capt. Bright for ordors, and I'll hav j them sent back to Graham by easy marches." Late at night Lane reached the railway, rail-way, only to find his train five hours behind. be-hind. He telegraphed to Maliel that he would como to her aeast as train could bring him that the sad news had only just reached him. He strode for hours up and down tho little platform under the glittering stars, yearning to reach her, to comfort and console her in this I bitter sorrow. I Time and again he turned over in mind the few particulars which he had obtained from the department commander. com-mander. They were all too brief, but pointed conclusively to one factthat Clark had been encouraged by the success suc-cess of June to plunge still more deeply, in the hope of retrieving the losses of the past two years. Luckily for Vincent, he had used his June winnings in lifting the mortgage from his homestead and in taking np any of his outHtam1'-" paper, and so had little wherevit'1)ply his confident partner; but Lane wondered if the kindly old man had any idea that np to tho end of August, at least, Clark had not sent to him, as directed, "the draft for the entire amount" to which referred the first letter Mr. Vincent had ever written to him. It was daybreak when tho train came. It was noon when he sprang from the cars at Graham station and into the ambulance am-bulance sent to meet him in response to his telegraphie request. Were there any letters? he eagerly asked. None now. A small package had been forwarded to the reservation last night, and must have passed him on the way. Others had been waiting for him at the mountain moun-tain station until he was reported by wire as arriving with his prisoners at the agency. Everything then had been sent thither, and there would be no getting them before starting. At Graham tho telegraph operator showed him the duplicates du-plicates of the telegrams that liad come and this was something that rendered aim at one time somewhat unpopular among the women. Younger officers al-most al-most always, as a rule, had chosen some one ot the married ladies of the regiment as a repositary of their cares and an tie-ties, tie-ties, their hopes and fears; but Lane had never indulged in any such lnxurv, and all the better for him was it. Now it was noticed with what eagerness and anxiety he watched for the coming of the mail. It was also observed that during dur-ing the two weeks that followed only four letters were received in her, bv this tune, well known superscription. Lane, of conrse, reading the contents, could readily account for the scarcitv. Her letters were full 0f descriptions of dances and picnics and riding parties to the neighboring mountains. They a mSt KOn ot P1,,aMnt People, and had become acquainted with a large circle from all parts of the country. They danced every evening regularly in the hop room, and were so thoronghlv acquainted and so aixustomed to one another's moods and fancies thut hardly an honr passed in which they were not ! occupied in some pleasant" recreation. ; Lawn tennis had always been a favorite game of hers, and her mother was glad, 6he said, to see her picking it np again with such alacrity: The open air was doing her good; her color was roturning; the languor aud weakness which had oppressed op-pressed her when she first arrived after the long hot spell at home had disappeared disap-peared entirely. Bnt with returning health oaiae all tho longing for out door, active occupation, and, instead of having, hav-ing, as she bad planned, hours in which to write to him, nlmost all her time now was taken np in joyous sports, in horseback horse-back rides, in long drives over the mountain roads and through the beauti- j ful scenery by which they were sur- i rounded. "And so," she said, "Fred, dear, in regaining health and color, I : fear your Mabel has very sadly neglected j you." i His reply to her letter telling him of Mr. Noel's unexpected appearance at the , Park was rather a difficult one for him ! to write. It was dawning upon him that the attentions of big regimental comrade to his fiancee were not as entirely en-tirely platonic as they might be. Desire to show all courtesy and kindliness to the lady love of another officer was all very well in its "way, but it did not necessitate ne-cessitate daily calls when at home, and far less did it warrant his leaving his station without permission running the risk of a reprimand, or even possible court martial and taking a long journey, jour-ney, being absent from his post all Saturday, Sat-urday, and certainly not returning there before the afternoon of Monday. If this were known nt the headquarters of the recruiting service Lieut. Noel in all probability would be rapped severely se-verely over the knuckles, if nothing worse. Lane conld not, and would not, for an instant blame his fiancee, but he gently pointed nut to her that Mr. Noel ran groat risks in making such a journey, jour-ney, and that it would be well on that account to discourage similar expeditions expedi-tions in the future. To this she made no direct reply, but that she observed bis caution is quite possible. At all events no further mention of visits on the part of Mr. Noel appeared iu any of the letters which reached him before the orders for the scout actually did arrive; but that was not until near the very end of the month. It was just about the28th of August when rumors came of turbulence and threatened outbreak out-break amoiig the Indians at the Chirica-hnn Chirica-hnn reservation. Troops were already marching thither from the stations iu Arizona, and Capt. Lane was ordered to cross the range and scout on the east side of the reservation, in order to drive back any renegades who might be tempted tempt-ed to "make a break." Just one day before be-fore the start he was surprised at receiving receiv-ing a letter from Mrs. Vincent. Sho spoke gladly of Mabel's improved health and appearance; she spoke hopefully of Mr. Vincent, whose letters, she said, were more cheerful than they had been, and who had been able to come np and spend two Sundays with them. Mabel had doubtless told him of Mr. Noel's visit, and how glad they were just then to see any face so pleasant and familiar. And now she wished to remind him of their contract before his leaving for the f rontier. He doubtless remembered that she had promised that in the near future she would give him the reasons why it seemed best to her that the engagement should not be announced. It wonld take a pretty long letter to tell all the reasons why, so she would not venture upon that at "the moment; but the necessity no longer existed, and if he so desired she Lane read this with a sigh of relief. He had persuaded himself that it was because be-cause he dreaded the effect of the long continued hot weather upon her that he so desired her to get to the mountains. . Any other thought would havbeen disloyalty dis-loyalty to his queen. He wished just a little bit that she had not written of him as Gordon Noel; he much preferred that she should call him captain. She would not write so fully and frankly of him if he were anything but friendly, he argued, and she would not tolerate his visits on any other grounds. Yet she did not tell him that they had walked up and down the platform together for ten i minutes before the train started, and that when it was time to part he had bent down and said, almost in a whisper: whis-per: "Do you want to send a message for me to Fred Lane in your next letter?" I "I will do so, if you wish," she mur- j ' mured; but her eyes fell before the gaze in his, and the hot blood rushed to her face. I "Tell him there's no man in all the regiment I so long to see, and no man in all the world I so envy." I Probably conscience smote her, for during the week that followed five letters let-ters came five letters in seven days! His heart went wild with delight over their tenderness. The last was written Saturday, and then none came for three days; and when the fourth day came and brought the longed for missive it was a disappointment, somehow. j ' "Papa left us to go back to the office last night," she wrote. "He could stand it no longer. I fear it did him little good here. Tho Witherses came on Saturday, and that strange girl, Miss Marshall, is with them. She always impresses im-presses me with the idea that she is striving to read my thoughts. She speaks so admiringly of you, and says you were 'so courteous' to her the night you dined at the Witherses'; and I do not remember your ever saying anything about her to me. , You see, sir, I am much more communicative about my : friends. "We had such a delightful surprise ! Saturday night. Who should appear in the hop room but Gordon Noel. He stayed until the midnight tram Sunday; and I really was very glad to see him. And here Lane stopped reading for a while. CHAPTER XI. ; ! Id so it resulted that when Noel came festering in at evening with his jaunty, fconnaire, joyous manner, there was no 1) to receive him but Mabel, and he Inted no one more. ti f Does Capt. Lane know of this and K lirove it?" was the grave question her Ether had at last propounded. 'I have written to him with the nt- Ist frankness, mother," was Miss Vin-- Vin-- It's reply, while a wave of color swept ler her "face and a rebellious light lamed in her eyes, "and he has never M fated at such a thing as disapproval. t I has more confidence in me than you Q Ire. If he had not" : ra feat the rest was left unsaid. m poor Mrs. Vincent! She turned away, Ml 111 knowing that argument or oppo-igi oppo-igi lion in such matters was mistaken I llicy. The words that sprung to her j le were, "Alas! he does not know you it lido!" but she shut those lips firmly, in torously denying herself the feminine rs pnry of the last word and the launch-li launch-li fc of a Parthain arrow that would have 4 tide, indeed, a telling shot. If heaven A I what it is painted, there can be no low joy over the sinner that repenteth ii Ian over the woman who tramples 1 Iwn her fiercest temptation and e. Iridleth her tongue." Mrs. Vincent Iserved to be canonized. And meantime, how went the world Ith Lane? Faithful, honest, simple larted man that he was, holding him-tf him-tf in such modest estimate, marveling I he often did over the fact that he luld have really won the lore of a be-Ig be-Ig so radiant, so exquisite as Mabel, I lived in a dream that was all blfcs Id beauty, except for the incessant aid 1 pervading longing to see her to be lar her. He loved her with an intensity lat he had no means of expressing, lot a waking instant was she absent lorn his thoughts, and in his dreams Is appeared to him, crowned with a llo such as never angel knew. He fA to lie awake at times in the dead lure of the night, wondering if the very Iwsboys and workmen realized their psed privilege, that they could step Ion the flagstones that her little foot Id pressed, that they could seejier PA perhaps hear her Toice7 as she j polled in the cool of evening along the taveled pathway of the little park adjoined her home. Loving her as f did, his heart went out to any one io knew her, or was even familiar lift the city where she dwelt. He had I't for years a contempt for Gordon 1 that, at times, he had difficulty in lpiising. Now he was tempted to Fte to him, to shut ont the past, to confidential relations and have him pte long letters that should tell of I There were three men in his troop in I horn he felt a vague, mysterious in-rrest in-rrest simply because they had been en-pted en-pted at the old rendezvous on Sycamore let, only three squares from her home. e s so full of hope and faith and love f ld gratitude that the whole garrison pmed to hold naught but cheer and riwidliness. He neVer dreamed of the f 01168 the men were telling or the confl-pnees confl-pnees women were whispering about f post, Noel written again to f V gs. and Mrs. Riggs had not Plr information. It was now said f wen City society that the engage- Fill38 f Mr- Vincent'g making. He M been associated with Lane in some peculations that proved disastrous, but captain had shown such command of s mi had "Put nP" at 8Uch an op" ie moment that they came out in d shape after all, and as soon as the anrt f0Und thflt Lane loved hU aOter he insisted on her accepting omi e inforniation about Lane's '""JS to the rescue with money he had "m u m Mr Vincen himself as in-he in-he had. One evening when they the mment alone, in a burst of naence to the man whom he believed rm . 8 devoted friend of his prospective -W-law, Vincent had told the silent nd 5 Tke Story of P610113 crisis r Lane's prompt and generous loan rlDOt M Noel told i4; to Mrg- Biggs' not distress yourself, my darling ' rote Lane to his fiancee, "because 5w re are Uttle 1 frequent just ' "ft, w hew- occupied you must I 0 "n Preparation and how anxious -eelT5 bont the dear old father. Next you will be in the mountains; and you say, people will give yon write, and then, too, I shall be Dtet m your gaining health and , as L TIle Pap6" tell me how intense the heat; it almost equals ours ija one way, and is mucbjwqrse ia for him in his absence oidy two. One announced Mr. Clark's suicide and Vincent's Vin-cent's prostration and danger; the other, two days later, briefly read, "Mr. Vincent Vin-cent died this morning. Mrs. Vincent and Mabel fairly well." Both were signed "Gordon Noel." and a jealous pang shot through th? poor fellow's heart as ho realized that in all their bereavement and grief it was Noel's privilege to be with them and to bo of use to them, while he, her affianced af-fianced husband, wns far beyond hall. Ho was ashamed of his own thoughts an instant in-stant after, and bitterly upbraided himself him-self that ho was not thankful that they could have had so attentive aud thoughtful thought-ful an aid as Noel well laiew how to lie. Yet why was not Reginald sufficient? I He had torn into fragments the anonymous an-onymous sheet that had met him at the reservation, and yet its words wwe gnawing at his heartstrings iius, and lie could not crnnh them down: "Why was your engagement denied? Eecauee she still cared for Will Rossiter and hoped lie might c jumj back Ui her after all. j "Why did Gordon Noel stay at the other hotel the second and third times he spent Sunday at Deer I'ark? lie-cause lie-cause she wished Ut hido from her mother, as she did from you, that he came at all. "Why does slie meet him on the street instead of at home? Because tier father interposed in your behalf ; bnt all the same you are being betrayed." i These words, or others eiactly of their import, were what met his startled eyes at Chiricahua, but the instant he noted that these carefully type written en-tences en-tences were followed by no signstnre at all not even the oft abussd "A Friend" ! indignation and wrath followed close ' on the heels of his amawj, and in utter contempt he had destroyed the cowardly sheet; but he conld not so easily conon r the poison thus injected in his reins, i All the long, long journey to the ea-t ! they haunted him, dancing 'fre fcis ' eyes, sleeping or waking, and it was with haggard face and werid frame that be 1 reached the Queen City, nd, taking a cab, drove at once to her home. It was a lovely evening in early OcUr ber. The sun bad been shining' brilliantly brilliant-ly all dr long, and almost everywhere doors and windows were .open to woo I wonld gladly have it made known to his j relatives, as she would now proceed to ! announce it to Mabel's. Lane was greatly rejoiced at this. He had been a trifle uneasy and despondent of late, yet scarcely knew why. Her letters let-ters were not all he had hoped they would be by this time, but then he did not know but that it was all natural and right: he had never had love letters beforehad be-forehad never seen them and his ideas of what a woman's letters to her betrothed should be were somewhat vague and undefined. However, there was no one in the garrison to whom he specially cared to formally announce his engagement. People bad ceased of late making remarks or inquiries, as nothing had been successful in extracting information infor-mation from him in tho past. Giving directions that his mail should be forwarded for-warded once a week, or twice a week if possible, to the railway station nearest the Chiricahua mountains, where he could get it by sending couriers once in a while, provided there was no danger in doing so, Lane inarched away one evening on what proved to be an absence j of an entire month. He never again ! saw Fort Graham until tho end of Sep-: Sep-: tember, and then only "long enough to enable him to change from liis scouting rig into traveling costume, to throw a few clothes into a trunk and to drive to the railway station as fast as the ambulance ambu-lance could carry him in order to catch ; the first express train going cant. I Nothing of very great importance had j occurred on the scout. A few renegades managed to escape eastward from the reservation and to take to the mountains, ! through which. Lane's command was ! then sconting; ar.d to him and to his ; troop was intrusted the duty of captur-! captur-! ing and bringing theui back to the reservation. res-ervation. This took him many n long mile south of the railway. It was three weeks and more before be made his way to the reservation with his prisoners. ! There be found a small package of Ict-' Ict-' ters, which had been forwarded direct from Graham, where they evidently knew that he would go into the agency before reaching the railway, where his other letters were probably awaiting him. Among thobe which he received was one from Mr. Vincent Briefly it said to him, "If possible thing, come Jn an instant h1ivt atide the second portiere. For some reason or other the scout which Lane's company had been ordered to hold itself in readiness to make was postponed, no further orders coming from department headquarters which re-! re-! quired sending any troops into the mountains moun-tains west of Fort Graham The tap-tain tap-tain far from being disappointed, Ld strangely relieved that he was required to take his troop into the field at thatparticularnioment Something Some-thing had happened," said Mrs. Breese who was a keen observer, "to change The srWtof his dream within the las fit da " His face lacked the radiant S Tyous look thatit had had ever rince he came back from the east. ' Is he getting an inkling of the stories hat .L in rculationr was the natural m-d m-d ne beginning to learn that were befoS him in that fair v !!! J. rwrard? Still, no one conld charmers regaro. . something f Unfwith This frankness and held people aloof from "gKSSda-tof either sex: |