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Fort Frayne?

Fort Frayne? image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
March
Year
1897
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

i wí ii 2LtfjHQpi OF f f -m„Tii a FOES IBAMBU5H f SS& '''FBOM THERANKS" gTC-_ [Copyright, 1896, by F. Tennyson Neely.] Chaptee I.- Eoyle Farrar dlBjtracea bimselfat West Po int, deserto the school and loada a wande ring lifr, Binking lower and lower, m arríes nis emptoj ers aanghter and 1 hen coromits a forgery. II.- Colonel Fan-ar, fatber of Royle. is killed ín a battle withthe [ndians. 111 - Royle Farrars younger brother W'ill graduates al West Point and i'alls n Une witn Kitty Ormsby, whose brother Jack is in love with wlll's sister Ellis. IV. - Willis made lientenant. They all return to Port Frayne. accompanied by a certain Mrs. Pau n ton. V. - It hiis boen reported that Royle Farrar is de ad, but he turne ap al the fort in the . e of a common soldier nnder tbc name of Gralce. Ellls Farrar and Jack Ürmsby quarrel over Helen Darm ton, VI- Helen Daunton has au interview with Jack Ormeby, in which it tranBpirea thai Bhe is Boyle Farrar'a much abneed wife. whom Ormsby haa before befriended. VII - Helen Farrar discovers lier hnsband. V I 1 1 - Billa Parrar wltneesesanothor interview between Helen Daunton and Jack Ormrtiy. IX - Trouble ari&ea betw en the cowboys and tne [ndians. X. - Tb e garrison is ordered out to p rot eet the Indiana. XI- Helen Dapnton mak es preparationa to get lier husband away from the fort. XII- At the Christmaa ball they are startled by the cry of "Firel" in tne gardhouse, Royle Farrai" comea to bis end amid the ñamo, and Captain Léale loses his eye-tjigibt in the attempl 10 re-cue the anworthy husband of the wo man lic lovee, Helen Farrar. Into the dim recesses of tho past, be again wandored off. (Of conrso I might have known I couldn't have left it on your fiuger without even seeing - without even seeiDg if it would fit - ■without" - And here he ]ost the thread of his languago sntirely, and, groping for his glasses, fiuding tliem, distrnctedly ho triecl tofit their sprir.g on Lucretia's finger. Fenton, who had joined the group of onlookers, could stand itno longer. Bursting into a roar of langhter, he came toward them, and, tiras intcrruptcd, poor Wayne droppcd both hand and eyeglass, madly trying to fit bis own ring into his own eye and look through that nader the impression that it was a monocle. "What on earth are you people laughing at?" ho inquired. "Laughing at? At your trying to mako a spectacle hook of Lucretia's hand, you inspired old lunatie, " was Tentón 's uiiteeling answer, and poor Lucretia, unable to stand the raillery at the moment, turned and fled to the dressing room, leaving Wayne to confront his tormentors as best he might. But while musio and laughter reigned ■within the wooden walls of the assembly room and many young hearts were able to cast aside for the time being the oppression that had settled npon the garrison earlier in the cveniug, and whilo in some of the barracks there were sounds of merrymaking and Christmas cheer, there was raging in many a toreast a storm as wild as that that wmrieci tne snowciriits in Dimaing clouds all around and about the guardhouse, where a score of seasoned troopers, silcnt, grim and by no means in love with (heir task, were kecping watch and ward over their little batch of prisoners, espeoially of the cowering wretch who had been stowed away in the upper room, au utterly friendless in au. Over across the wind swept parade, among the rows of voeden barracks, was ono building where no laughter rang and about which, wary and vigilaut, threo or four noncommissioned officers hovered ineessantly. Here were quurtered Orow Knifo's few remaüiing comradesof the Indian troop. Here were gathered already a dozen of iris kindred from Big Road's transplanted village, forbidden by thefury of the storm to return to their tepees up the valley, banished by the eurgeon from the confines of the hospital, where they would fain have set up their mournful death song to the distractionof the patients and refused by the colonel the creaWe comforts they had promptly and thriftily demanded, excepton condition thatthey consume them in quiet and decorum at the Indiaii barraeks and deny themselves the luxury of their woe. Tomtorn and howl were stiJled, therefore, while the funeral baked meats went from hand to mouth and disapiDeared with marvelous rapidity, and indeed but for its ezciting effect upou the warriors the colonel might as well have accorded them the righfc to lament after their own fashion, since the howling of the tempests would have drowned all human wail from within the wooden walls. But while they had promised to hold 110 aboriginal ceremony over Crow Knife's death and meant to keep their word they had refused to pledge theinsclves to attempt no vengeance on his slayer. Well they knew that throughout the garrison nine out of ten of the troopers would havo cared not a sou had some one taken Graice from the gïiardhouse and strung him up to the old flagstafE ■without benefit of clergy, but this would not have satisfied Indian ideas, hanging according to their creed being far too good f er him. Two of the best and most trustworthy Indians wero placed by Leale, with the surgeon's consent, as watchers by the bier of the soldier scout, but the others, to a man, were herded within the barracks and forbidden to attempt to set foot outside. Close at hand in the adjoining quarters the ruen of two troops were held in readiness, under orders not to take off thei belts, against any sudden outbreak, bnt the few who first had talked of lynching or other sumrnary -vengeance had soon been hushed to silence. What was feared among the officers was that Graice had beien told by some of the guard that the Indians wero determined to have his scalp, and that the soldiery eo despiscd him that he could not rely upon them to defend him. Sergeant Grafton was confident that Graico hoped in somo way, by connivance perhaps of members of the guard, to slip out of the building and take refuge among the outlaws at the groggery across the streara. Having killed an Indian ho had at least samo littlo claim, according to their theory, to a frontiersman's i-espect. Bcturning to the guardhonsc, as he had proiniscd Will, Malcolni Leale was in nowiso surprised at Graf ton's anxiety and even less to learn that Graico had begged to bo allowed to havo speech with his captaiu. It was a ghastly face that peered out from the dim interior oL the little prisou in answer to the officer's snmmons. At souud of footsteps on the creaking stairway Graice had apparently bidden in the depths of the room and only siow]y came forward at the sound of the commauding voice he knew. Hangdog and drink sodden as was his look, there was some lingering, gome revival perhaps of the old defiant, disdainful ïnaiiner he had shown to almost every man at Frayne. Kespect his captain as even sucb as he was forced to do, look up to him now as possibly bis only hope and salvation, thero was yot to his clouded intellect some warrant for a vague sentiment of superiority. Outcast, ingjate, drunkard, murderer though he was, he, Private Torn Graice, bom Royle Farrar, was legal owner of all that his captain held fairest, dearest, most precious in all the world. Leal e's love for Helen Daunton was something the whole garrison had seen aud seen with hearty sympathy. It wonld be something to teach thia proud and honored officer that he, the despised and criminal tough, was, after all, a man to be envied as the husband of the womau his captain could now only Tainly and hopelessly love. It was his plan to bargain with him, to invoke his aid, to tempe the honor of a soldier and a gentleman, but for a moment, at sight of that stern, sad face, hestood abashed. " You wished to see me, " said Leale, "and I will hear you now." 'Tve got that to say I want no other man to know, ' ' was the reply after au interval of a few scconds, "and I want your word of honor tbat you vvill hold it sacred. " "I decline nny promise whatever. What do you wish to say?" "Well, what I have to teil you interests you more than any man on earth, Captain Leale. I'm in heli here; I'm at your mercy perhaps. My life is threatened by these hounds, because by accident that knife went into that bliud fool's vitáis. It was only self defense. I didn't mean to hurt him. " "No. I was the object, I clearly nnderstand, " said Leale. "Go on. " "Well, it's as man to man 1 want to speak. You knowlnever meaiit toharm him. You can give me a chanqe f or justice, for life, and I - I eau ruako it worth your while. " "ïhat will do," was the stern reBponse. "No more on that head. What else have you to ask or say?" "Listen one minute," pleaded the prisoner. "They'd kill me here if they could get me, quick enough - Indians or troopers either. I must be helped away. I know your secret. You love my wife. Help me out of this - here - this night and neither she nor you will ever" - "Silence, you houndl Slink back to your blanket where you belong. I thank God my friend, your father, never lived to know the depths of your gracc! Not a word! he forbade, with uplifted hand, as the miserable fellow strove once inore tomakehiniself heard. "For the sake of the name to whioh you have brought only sharne jou shall be protected against Indiau vengeanoe, but who shall defcnd you against yourself? I will hear no more froru yon. Tomorrow you may see your colonel, if that will do you any goed, but if you havo óne atom of decency left, teil no man living that you are Royle Farrar, " and with that, ruging at heart, yet cold and stern, the officer, heedless of further frantic pleas, turned and left the spot. But at the porch the captain turned again. Wind and snow were driving across his path. The sentries at the front and flank of the guardhouse, muffled to their very eyes, staggered against the force of the gaie. It seemed cruelty to keep honest men on post a night so wild as that for no other reason than to protect the life of a man so criminal. The members of the guard, who had resumed their lounge around the redhot stove the moment the captain disappeared, once more sprang to attent ion is he re-entered and called the sergeant to Min. "lam tempted to ask the officer of the day to relieve those sentries and let No. I come up into the hallway, " said he. "I believe that, with the watch we havo on the Indiana, thero ia no possibility of an cutbreak on their part." "There isn't, sir, " was the sergpant's prompt reply. "But every man in the garrison knows by this time that it was the captain that blackguard aimed to kil!, and it is not the ludians alone that would do him if they could. I find that whenever I have had to leave theguardhonse some of the men have talked loud for him to hear, swearing that.he would be taken out and hanged at daybreak. Others want to tempt him to try to escape, so that they can pursue him over to town aud hammer him into a jelly there. The tower is the only place where he can be unmolested, sir. I couldn't guaranteehis safety from somo kind of assault, even if I had him right here in the guardroom. " And just theu a corporal carne from the little office. "Sergeant, it's 10:25. Shall I forrn my relief?" The sergeant nodrled assent. "I'll inspect it in the guardroom, ' ' said he, and as Leale turned shortly away, intending to go in search of the officor of the day and the sergeant opened the door to let him out, Graice could be heard on the upper floor, savagely kicking again at his bars. "That man has more gall than any man I ever met, sir," said Grafton. "He's kicking because ve refused to send to the barracks for his sharc of tho Christmas oigan, " "Did you search him before he was sent up there?" asked Leale. "Has he matches or tobáceo?" "Nothing I could íind, sir, but other and sharper men have been confined there, and I'm told that somewhero under the floor or inside the walls they've bidden things, and ho's hand in glovo with all the toughs of the garrison." " Very -vell. l'll notify Captain Farwell," said Leale briefly, "and ho will attend to it, " and he left tho building on tliis quest just as tho second relief came tramping out into tbo storm, leaviug the guardhouso, its few minor prisoners on the lowei floor and that one exeorated ori minal , iiis old coloner 8 iir.stborn and once beloved son, cnrsing at his captors in the tower, all to the care of tho members of a singlo relief, and j the sentry ou No. 1 set np his watch i cry against the howl of the wind, and no one a dozen yards away could havo heard, nor did it pass around the chain I of sentries, nor was thcre other attempt to cali off the hour that memorable night. For long day3 after men recalled the fact that tho last hour called from undor the old guardhouse porch was half past 10 o'clock. Meantime, having had two dances with his now pleading and repcntunt sweetheart and having been cajoled into at least partial forgiveness, WillFarrar had songht his colonel to say that ho really ought now to return to his guard, j at least for a little time, but Fenton, conscious of tho shadow that had ovcrspread tho garrison earlier in the evening, seemed bent on being joviality itself. He bade the boy return to his immediato commanding offlcer and obtain her consent before again coming to him, and Kitty flatly refused. She was danciug with Martin at the moment, and that L?ft Will to his own devicee, and, ! aftei a fond word or two from his mother, ho had stepped back of the seat occupied by her little circle of ohosen friends and was standing watohing the animated scène before him. Close at hand, not a dozen feet away, stood Helen Daunton, partially screened from observation of tho dancers. It was at this moment that Léale again came striding in, glanced quickly around until he oaught Will 's eye, and the young officer promptly joined him. "Is Farwell here?" ho asked. "He came in i moment ago. Y onder he is now, sir, " auswered Will, indicating by a nod the figure of the officer of the day in conversation with soine one of the guests at the othcr end of the room. "Then ask him if he wil! join me in five minutes at the guardhouse. I need to see him," said Leale, and the youngster sped promptly on his mission. The music had just sounded the signal for the forming of the sets for tho ! lancers, and with soldierly promptitude the officers, with their partners, began taking their positions. Floor managers have little labor at a gamsou hop. Ellis Farrar, who had reappeared upon the arm of Captain Vinton, mutely bowed her head and accepted Ormsby's hand as he led her opposite Will and his now radiant Kitty, aud Malcolm Leale, ing at the scrcencd tbreshold before taking his departure, turned for one loug looi: at Helen Dauuton's iace. Souie intenso fascination bad drawn her once more to the east window, and there, as the daucers íornied, alone, alinost unnoticed, she slowly turued and her eyes met his. Ono last, long. intense gaze and, in o3 irupulsive inovemeiit, as though he read in her glorious eyes tho kindling light cf a love that matched his own, he would have sprung to her side, but, with sndden reoollection of the barriei between them, he gathered hünself, lifted liis hand in ges ture of farewell and tnrned abruptly away. The music crashed into the opening bars of the lancéis and the dance began. For a moment longer Helen stood there. Again that powerful fasoination seemed to lure her to draw aside the curtaiu and gaze fortb across the white expanse of the parade to vvhere the guarded prison stood, within whose walls was caged the savage creature whose life was linked so closely with those of mauy there besides her own. Then the thought of that other, the man whose love, all unwittingly, she bad won and the fear that, glancing back, he ruight see her shadow as when be caine, caused her to draw bastily away. In all tbat gay and animated scène, as once more sho faced the merry throng, Helen Daunton stood alone. The dance went blithely on. Chat and laughter and the gliding, rbythmio steps of ruany feet mingled with the epirited music of Fort Frayne's capital orchestra. Even Mrs. Farrar's sweet face, so long shadowed by sorrow, beamed with the reflected light cf the gladness that shone on many another. [TO BE CONTINUKD.] Young Mr. Charles Crisp was warmly welcorued into the house of representativos when he carne to take the place of his father. It is very nnusual in any couutry for an ofiice made vacant by the death of a partieularly able legislator to be filled by the irumediate election of his son to the same place. Not many able fathers have sons with brains enough to be their successors. Not Thai Praycr. Mr. Callipers - The sessions of the senate are always openert with prayer. Bobby - And do all of the senators get together and say, "Now I lay me down : to sleep?"-

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat