Part 2 (1/2)
And now Miss Forrest was strolling placidly up and down the walk and entirelysoldier who hadand was evidently eager to resume his place at her side It was hardly fair to the other women, and they were not slow to re is certain,” said Mrs Gordon, ”if I were Nellie Bayard I would not want to have her for a step-mother, and the doctor has been simply devoted to her for the last three days”
”Yes, he seems decidedly smitten, Mrs Gordon; but did we not hear that Dr Bayard was always doing the devoted to sohbor, who had just dropped in for a moment's chat
”Mrs Miller certainly told me so; it was his reputation in the East, and very possibly he is attracted now by such an undeniably stylish and handso, either Look at those lines under her eyes”
”Yes, and when she turns her head her neck shows it; the throat is getting stringy Here comes the doctor from the office noarrant he passes every other woood-by, Mr Mayhew,' to her present escort, I warrant you in return fanny Forrest has no use for subalterns except as fun to pass away the time”
”Yet she made eyes at Mr McLean all that first day she was at the Millers' I think that is really the reason Mrs Miller cannot bear her She won't speak of her if she can help it Noatch the doctor”
There were perhaps half a dozen ladies in the party at the uished form of Dr Bayard as he strode across the parade, his handso-fitting uniforrace to Miss Forrest and again to her escort as he stopped and extended his hand Then, after a feords, he again bowed as gracefully as before and passed on in the direction of the hospital
”Certainly thewe have seen at Laramie for I don't knohen,” said Mrs Gordon ”I don't wonder Nellie worshi+ps him”
”She thinks her father simply perfect,” was Mrs Wells's reply ”I dread to think what it will cost her when disillusion co with now?”
At the north-west corner of the quadrangle, just beyond ”Bedlam,” the doctor had encountered a stoutly-built man ore an overcoat of handsome beaver fur throide open over the chest in deference to the spring-likeof leather in one hand After a moment of apparently cordial chat the two ravel path, all eyes fro one or two groups of ladies, entered the gateway at the doctor's quarters, where Nellie Bayard with ”the Gordon girls” happened to be seated on the veranda
Mrs Gordon and Mrs Wells arose froazed across the parade, in their very natural curiosity to see as going on ”over at the doctor's” They saw the stranger raise his cap, and bo over the hand that Nellie extended to hiirls as he was presented to them Then he took a chair by Miss Bayard's side, while the servant ca, and the Gordon girls were seen saying adieu Nellie followed theer had not come to see them, and that it was time to leave
The ladies on the ho with no little impatience, and Mrs Gordon was prepared to administer a sharp maternal reproof when they were seen to stop in answer to hails froroups they passed _en route_ Everybody wanted to knoho the fur-coated stranger was, and their progress ho short of ”running the gauntlet” of interrogations
Possibly in anticipation of the displeasure awaiting her, the elder maiden of the two strove to ”cut across lots” when she ca north, stood the big house of the co officer; but Mrs Miller was too experienced a hand, and bore down upon the pair in sudden swoop froate, and they had to stop and surrender their infor that side of Laramie knew before Mesdao, the ”wealthy rower,” had just arrived in his own conveyance from Cheyenne, and had been invited to put up at the doctor's quarters during his stay at the fort
”Think of it!” exclaiht, and worth a million No wonder Dr Bayard seized him!”
”The doctor knew hihter ”Nellie wasn't introduced at all He caain,--he looked it, too”
”They knew hier ”I heard the doctor say so Now, look! Here come fanny Forrest and Mr Mayhew, and she wants to knoho the stranger is; if she doesn't she's the first person I've met who didn't ask”
But Miss Forrest proved an exception to the rule, so far as questions were concerned, at least She stopped in front of the gate, looking bearoup on the piazza
”Mrs Gordon,” she said, ”Mr Mayhew has invited me to walk down to the camp of the battalion, and, as I haven't been outside the lio They are to have inspection in 'field kits' in half an hour Don't you want to coentleer to see theirls in a breath
”Why, I hardly know, Miss Forrest,” answered Mrs Gordon, hesitatingly
”Cannot Mrs Forrest go?”
”Ruth is never ready to go anywhere,” answered Miss Forrest, half laughingly, yet with a certain rueful emphasis ”She is a slave to her babies, and as for Celestine, the nurse, she is no help to her whatever”
”Of course you girlswill you be there, Mr Mayhew?”