Fort Frayne

S "uTHOR OF i ]; "" F0LS llü AMBUSH ■ ■ f St ÍCFROM TUL RANKS " Etc. A [Copyright, 1896, by F. Tennyson Neely.] SYNOPSIS. Ohavtkr I. - Royle Farrar disgraces himself at Wet Polnt, deserta the school and Iteadsawan■dcriiii: life, Binking löweï and lower. marries lii mployer'sóaughter and then commitsa forgery. II. - Colonel Farrar, father of Roy Ie. iy killed m abn'tie with the Indhins. III . - Ruy Ie Farrar's vormver brother Will gradaatea at West Point ind rails in love witb Kitly OrmBby, whoee hroihor Jack is in love with Will's sister ;ili. IV.- Will is made lieutenant Theyall return to Port Kraync. accompanied by a ceriain Mrs. Daunton. V.-H has been reportad t li.it Eoyle Farrar is dead, bul be turna uj) ar the fort in the ciiisc of a common soldier under the name of G raice. and, entering the library, quiokly turned on the electric light and would havo ! pencd tho portiere aud bade him come j to her there, but Helen Daunton turned and fled. All Ellis could afterward extort from her was that in her nnhappy past Jack Ormsby had befriended her, stood by her in the sorest need, and she would be grateiul to him to her dying day. "And yet," said Ellis, ever doubtful and suspicious, "you refused toseehim, yon ehrank from him, and yon would i iiot meet him." But to this thero was no reply. That night was Ornisby's last callbefore no went abroad. And now, with Christmas near at hand and her jealousy ever wrestling with her better nature, and the respect, even the regard, she feit grovring within her for this lovely woman who was so devoted to her ■jother, Ellis Farrar kuew not what to think or say when she noticed the unerring eigns of Malcolm Leale's growing love and of the evident ploasure, despite all her gentle reserve, the woman feit iu his society. Even to Helen, then, the coming flthristmastide was bringing that which wonien prize and welcome. Only Ellis in all the busy garrison fonnd no comfort i:i the happy seasou, for the lover she louged and longod to sec wns by her own act banished f rom her life. CHAFTER VI. That night Ellis Farrar was as wakèful as the sentries on their snow bound posts. It was af ter raidnigc when she returned froni progrossive whist at the doctor 's, and though luck had befriended her and kept Ormsby from her side she had been able at times to watch hitn when chance brought him near Helen Dauntoü. She noted with jealons miscry the appealing look in Helen's eyes ■when once they were for an instant left to themsolves. She could have sworn ehe saw a little scrap of paper handed Ormsby at that moment and quickly stowed in his waistcoat pocket. But the rest of the evening it was Leale who devoted himself to Helen and LeaJe ■who escorted her home, and this fact Ellis saw was something that seemed to give Ormsby no concern whatever. Had she not been blinded by her snspicions ehe would have seen that poor Jack had only one real soiirce of troubie that night, and that was her own determined avoidance of him. Wheels within wheels were whirring in the garrison, and Ellis Farrar was perplesed and worried more thau she could say. Even placid, garrulous Aunt Lncretia was involved in the recent complications, for within the past three days Major Wayne had been on no less than three occasions in close and confidential talk with Mrs. Farrar, a talk that on one occasion bad left the gentío invalid in tears and from which she had gone to her room and was found there on her knees by Ellis half an hour later. Explanation was denied her at the time. "Not now, Ellis, dear, " was the pleading answer. "I cannot talk tonight. Later- after Christmas- -I will teil you all about it. " And with this the girl had perforce been content. Yet here again she mourned because while refnsing to teil her own daughter the reason of lier tears and agitation Mrs. Farrar had welcomed Helen toherrooin and found solace and. comfort m her society. This lovely, placid, moonlit night, as they carne away froin Dr. Gray's, old Fenton was plainly disappointed and Lucretia as plaiuly disturbed when Mrs. Farrar quietly and possessively took the ïuajor's arm and led him, rather than leaned upon his strength, on tbe homeward way. Ellis, escorted by Mr. Martin - anything to get away from Ormsby this night - had hurried homeward and then to her room and out of fiight, yet uoted how long her mother detained the drearny major at the gate, while Leale and Helen Daunton conversed in the little parlor. There had been a gathering at the Amorys that eame eveniug, a little dinner party, as Mrs. Amory expresscd it, "in honor of those who are engaged and those -who onght to be, " and pretty Nell Willetts, a captain's daughter, and young Alton of K troop were the first named, and bewitching Kitty and Willy Parrar, one couple, at loast, included in the second. Mrs. Amory vraa a charming hostess. She was of an oldKentucky fainily, had ■wealth and beauty to add to her charms and had been wooed and won by her dashing husband long years bèfore, when he was a boy lieuteuant doing Kuklux duty in the distaut south. She I declared Will was a dark eyed edition I of just what her Frank was in the early I eeventiea and that Kitty Ormsby was I "too )ike I was 20 yuhsago fo' anything. ' ' And Mrs. Amory was so loyal a Keutuckian as never to forget even the swoet, soft dialect of the blue grass country she so fondly loved. BJlis, to Mrs. Amory 's relief, had begged off the diuner, saying she feit she ought not to ' be away from her mother's side just i uow, and frankly explaining to Mrs. Amory the apprehensions (hey all feit on that mother's account, especially at ' this trying time, so near the annivereary of the colonel's death. With all the worlcily goods with which eho had endowed her husband 20 yeais gone by, pretty Mrs. Amory couldu't add to the government allowaiice of quarters and her diningroom wonldonly hold ten; so, aaElliswasn'tespecially intcrested in any mam at the post despite the attcntions paid her by Martin, Jcssnp and other availabJc fellows, Mrs. Amory wisely deoided her to bo deeply interested in somebody far away aud knew the man the moment Ormsby came. So Ormsby and Ellis, as has been Baidj went to whist and carne away dissatisfled and unhappy, and Will and Kitty went to dinner and a dance at Amory's aud had a thrilling tiff, as a result of which she refused to ask him in when ho took her home, even thongh 'Aunt Luoretia, hoping it was Wayne, beamed upon them, though it was after midnight, from the doorway, and the colcnel and Brother Jack, looming up through a cloud of cigar smoke, shouted to the suffering subaltern to come in. Wrathfnl and stung to thequick by ! ty's coquetry, Farrar turned indignantly away and sought his own qnarters. i The lights were stiH burniug in the j lor, and he feit sure Leale and Mrs. j Dannton were there and he was too i "miffed" to care to see them. A dim j light was burniug in his mother'a room, ' and he believed her to have retired lier and so made it an excuse npt to go for her good aight kiss and blessiug. The dcvn opèned just as he was hmryj ing by and Wayne canie forth into the clear mocnlight, and the boy wonderod that he should be there, instead of at Fenton's, as usual, but he didn't wish to see or speak with him. He slumnied the door of his chum's bachelor den as he bolted in, never noticing tho bright light in Ellis' window ordreamingthat; his sister sat there alone in her trouble, while he, with a lover's seifishness, k;iv nothing beyond his own. She heard his quick, impetuous step, however, and, peeping thrcragh the curtains, saw the light pop up in the window opposite her own, and rcadily she divined that Kit had been tomieuting him again. Verily the Ornisbys seerued to cxercise a balcful influence over the Farrars, and, with all her adruirationforKitty's better qualities and her remembrance of all Jack's goodness in the past, her heart was hardening against thein, as it was, in jealousdisquiet, agaiust Helen Dauuton. At that moment shcseemetl to long for the coropanionship of her brother and wished he had come in. She heard her mother's gentle words ïningling with Loale's deep baritone and Helen Dauuton 's low, soft volee, and again the feeling gained ground within her that she, to whom tbemother clung with such love and dependeuce in the past, was herself in need of advice and pympathy, white that niother was iinding other helpers now. Wayue had gone, the srvanta had retired, and still the pleasaut, friendly chat went on. It was all well enongh so far as Malcolm Léale waw concerned, but why slionld hor mother so utterly conflde in ono of whom she knew so little and of whon Ellis was beginning to suspect so nauchr Why shonld Holen Daunton be allowed to accept those tmmistakable attentions froni Captain Leule even when her actions plainly showed that there had been some terious tie between her and Jack ■ by in the past? Then, again, camerccollectionsof the j note she had seen her slip in Ormsby's I hand that night, and, longing for ■ body, for something, to distract her thoughts frorn her own angry self, i?he tore aside the curtain and pecred onton the night. Thc-re, ïiot 50 feet away, was Will's window. ïhere, to her right, the snow covered expanseof the pai-ade terminated at the f ar scrathern side by the black bulk of the one story barracks and the glisteniug lights of the guardhouse tower, where, on the lowpr íioor, the sergeant of the guard and hifi corporals held their sway. Off to the left lay the rolling slopes, all white and peaceftá in their fleecy mant les and glistening in the rnoonlight, save where seamed by path ways leading to the river aud disfigured by the wooden feúcos of the back yards. Far across the Platte the red lights bnrned at Buuko Jiui's, and some unhallowed revelry was going on, foreven at the distanoe the black simpes of horses could be seen tethered about the premises, and one or two more dim dots of pedestrians seemed slowly creeping across the stream. The post of sentry on No. 5, at the. uorth end of the garrison, began back of the coloncl's quarters on the pointof theblnff and ued on to the rear of the offleers' i ters at the eastern front, where it ! ed that of No. 6, and even as Ellis gazed ; from her window she could see that tho ! two sentries, wpproaching each other, were apparently havicg somo conforenoe about tho situation. There wxs a low fence separating their yard l'rom that next door, and the suow was almost untrodden. There was uo pathway around the bachelor den uext door, as there was around No. 5. Post servauts and ! orderlics thought nothing of utilizing ! the hallways of quarters ocrupied ly by subalterna. The back gate stood ; open, as sho could eee, and the board walk leading from it to the rear dooi was visible for half its length. Tliat had beeu cleanly swept duriug the clay, aud leadiug from the gate diagonally across the vard thronch thn Rnnwiírifta ' was the track of a man, and right at the rcar corner of the bachelors' quarters, half concealed from the front and peering eagerly around, evidently studying the wiudows of the ground floor of the house occupied by the ladies of tho JParrar family, was the man himself, n big, burly, heavily bearded fellow, in the fur cap and rough groutcoat of the cavalry. Even as, half alarroed, half annoyed, yet certainly fuscinated, Ellis fanng at the window she lnard the party broaking up down stairs, heard Loalo wishing them a cordial good nigbt and elosing the door. The silent watcljor hoard that, too, for at the sound of the slum, without which few frontier made doors were ever kuown to shut, tho dark ! nre popped back aud remained out of sight tintil Leale'a soldierly form had gone striding avray down the row. Then once more, slowly, cautiously, jt came partially into view, steadily scrutiniziiig thoso lower wmdows. Ellis was a soldier's daughter and no coward. She was conscious of an impulse to throw open the window and challenge the skulker, but even then her mother's slow step wus hcard ascending the stairs and Helen'a svveot voice, as the latter came on to assist her. "Iudeed you ueed not, Helen," Ellis heard her say. "I have grown better and stronger with every honr, every hour. Even the sadness has been sweet. Even the old scènes have broujibt new comforts. Even the new sorrow bas bronght relief and peace. " "You have not yet told ine of that, nor have you told Ellis. " "She shaü know, and so shall yon, dcar friend, tomorrow. Tonight I want to kneel; I want to be alone." ïhen Ellis heard her hand seelsing thekuobof the door. Hastily she turned to meet hei motber at the threshold. "You are better, Qucen Mother, God be thanked. You have looked better Rvery day. WilJ yon - not come in, Mrs. Dauntonï" "Tliank you, no; not just now. I will go and put out the lights and Jeave you two togetber f or awhile. I know Mrs. Farrar is pining lor a peep at her soldier boy's window. " Already Mra. Farrar was moving thither, and Ellis darted eagerly forward. "One moment, mother, dear," fihe cried. "Let me draw the curtain - it - it doesn't werk well. " And with tne words she boldly threw aside the heavy curtam and noisily, ostentafiously raiaed the sash. Just as she believed wonld bo the case, the sknlker, alarmed, sprang back behiud the corner of the adjoining house and deep within itsshadow. Will's light was still burning brightly, and iu her clear, silvery voice his sister called hisname. "He'li answer in a minute, mother. Don'l come to the windcw yet," she added. Then again, "Willy, Willy!" And, as thcugh auswering her cali, as thongti watchful, ready, eager to serve, even thongh nnsumruoned, anotherform came finddeuly into siglit on the inoonlight walk in front, and a voice she wel] knew hailed from over tlie low picket fence: "Will.has jnst gone up our way, Miss Farrar. I biw.glit him a message a moment ago. Cau I bs of any service?" And there, of course, was Jack Ormsby. "ïhank you, r.o, " was the auswer in cold constraint. "I had lio idea he had goue aud that you wero there. Mother mereiy wishecl to speakwith him a moment.," and with thatshe meant to dismiss hiin, btit her mother, pained by her tone of constraint and coldness toward ono whorn she herself so greatly liked, came to the window herself. "Ellis, you are not even courteons to that honest gentleman," she said in geni Ie reproach. "Mr. Ormsby, " she added in cordial tonos, "are you going anywhere? Are you busy?" "JDntirely at your service, Hrs. Farrar. Ifound myself de trop at the house after the colonel took his nightcap and his leave, ko I cr.mo out for a stroll. The major and Aunt Lon are trying to rememberwhere theyleft off last night, and Kitty, I i'ancy, fz buliying the lieutenant. " "Then vrould you mind coming in ono minute? I have a little packet that I want NViJJy to flnd on his dressing table when he comes in. " "Mother," pleaded Ellis almost breathlessly, "I-I"- "Hush, dear. Mr. Ormsby will be glad, I know. " And Mr. Ormsby was only too glad. Promptly he came to the door. Promptly he was admittcd by Mr.. Dannton, who stood with palpitating heart at the foot of the stairs. "Thank you so much," wasMrs. Farrar's hail from the landiug above. "It is in my room and will be ready in one minute if you will kindly step into the parlor. ' ' And then Mis. Farrar passed on into hor room, and with no audible word Mi?. Dannton and Jack nassed iuto tbo parlor. Ellis stood a moment, confused, confotnided, irrerolute, turned back into own room, and only by : miracle recovered herself in time to prevent the Joud slam of the door. Then, witfa heavily beating beart, sbe. Ktoorl there in the middle of the floor Hstening for yet not listening to the sound of voioes from below, the eoJd night air blowing in from the open casenient unnoticed, even the mysterious prowler at tlie bark of the house for he moment nttcrjy forgottcn. And meantime, tnruing quickly upon Ormsby, the moment sbe had led him within the parlor below, Helen Dauntoii, in low, trembling, yet determined acoents, spoke hnrriedly: "I had not Jioped for this. At best I thought to see you no sooner than tomorrow uiglit. You havo read my note?" Ormsby bowed coldly. "Yes, but no words eau teil yon my surprise at seeing you here in this household and as the trosted oompanion of whom I have henrd m much. Do tliey know you are" - [TO BE COXTIXÜED.] All congressmeu are agxeed that the governnirnt must have more money to meet its expenses. Senator Pugli of bama says a tax on feruiented liquors is the best means of getting revenne. He has figurod out tbat a tax of $1 a barrel on beer will raise $25,000,000 tu $30,000,000 for the nationa] t-reusmy. "Nobody would feel tliis tux," he saya. Mr. Catohings of Mississippi, however, snyg tbo majority in congre.ss is tóo much :ifraid of the brewera to impose snch a tax. Weyler's men in Cuba have apparently assassinated all tho recu they cnn catch, and tliey now begin to inurder wonifn. A negro woruan was recently captnred by a band of Spanish poldiera. Tlie commauder went tl)rough a forin of miliary trial with her and then ordered her to be shot.