Part 2 (2/2)

”Oh, just about half an hour or so, Mrs Gordon Then inspection will be over, and we fellows can all come back with you It's just for the walk, you know, and the pleasure it will give a raft of second lieutenants” (Mr Mayheas a first lieutenant of one year's standing) ”They'll bless o with us, Mrs Gordon, and if you are too busy I'll see Ruth at once I can h she cannot; and here come Mr Hatton and Mr McLean

One of thelad to join us,” said Miss Forrest, with the confidence of handsome wo off across the parade Call theuilty man escape”

Obediently Lieutenant Mayhew shouted to the two young officers who had just co Both were in undress uniforirl at the Gordons' gate at the same instant, and, had any one disposed to be critical been looking on, that so they ”sheered off” the very next instant so as not to pass her by within speaking distance Mrs Miller, sitting where she could see the whole affair, was struck by the sudden change in their line of direction, and watched thenition of Mayhew's call

”What is it, Mayhew?” sung out Hatton

”Come over here a minute, you and McLean I have a scheme to unfold”

”Can't; I'm officer of the day”

”Well, you come, McLean Miss Forrest wants to speak with you”

”Mac, there's no way out of it,” growled Hatton between his set teeth; ”you've got to go”

”Be at the house in tenover his shoulders at his coy turf to obey the su Mrs Gordon--Mrs Wells--everybody,” he continued, as, with forage-cap in hand, he made his obeisance to the various ladies of the party

”I want you to prove hoe Bedla yourself under eiven--he knew not what--to be able to say he had; but this _rencontre_ was so utterly unlooked for He could easily have pleaded letters, or company duty, but evasion was a trick he could not brook ”I have none,” he quietly answered

”Then, for the honor of Bedla ladies and be their escort down to cao”

”Why, fanny Forrest! how dare you?” gasped Kate Gordon, the elder

”Indeed, Miss Forrest, I will not have a detailed escort,” indignantly protested Jeannie, the younger

”What illimitable effrontery!” was the muttered comment of Mrs Wells, while poor Mrs Gordon hardly knehat to say or do in her amaze and annoyance McLean himself had flushed crimson under the combined influence of e talk he and Hatton had had but two nights before Mayhew, too, could hardly control his surprise, but he declared afterward, when the ive a heap to have that man McLean's self-possession,” for with hardly an instant's delay the latter's voice was heard above the voluble protests of the two young ladies,--cordial, kindly, even entreating

”I should like it, of all things I want to run down and see the First in the new field rig Do let the girls go with me, Mrs Gordon Come, Miss Kate; coo”

”Didn't I tell you, Mr Mayhew?” said Miss Forrest, with heightened color and a confident s to be a queen, if it's only the queen of Bedlah, rather than create a scene, Mrs Gordon and her daughters joined the party, and Mrs Wells and Miss Bruce decided to go, it was noticed then and referred to afterward that Mr McLean never so much as looked at Miss Forrest or noticed her in any way at the tiht before the story had gone all over the garrison, and added to Miss Forrest's growing unpopularity; and it was kind-hearted Mrs Miller herself who exclaierated form in which all such narrative must travel, ”I declare! the title she has assumed seems to fit her,--Queen of Bedla a little dinner in honor of his friend Mr

Holarrison, where his advent had created eneral He had a large cattle-range farther to the south, beyond the Chugwater and comparatively removed from the scene of Indian hostility and depredation; but such had become the laxity of discipline on the part of the bureau officials, or such was their dread of their turbulent charges at the reservations, that, fro warriors had been raiding fro the Platte River and dashi+ng down on the outskirts of the great cattle-herds south of Scott's Bluffs and in the valleys of Horsehead and Bear Creeks One party had even dared to attack the ranches far up the Chugwater Valley at the crossing of the Cheyenne road; another had ridden all around Fort Lara the Platte above and below; and several of the the well-known brand of Mr Holo It was to see what could be done toward preventing the recurrence of this sort of thing that brought Mr Holmes to Laraarrison ere quick to deter worth more to him than a few hundred head of cattle had proerous ride up froht it worth while,” said Mrs Wells after a day of quiet observation, ”had Nellie Bayard not been here”

Another thing to give color to this theory was the fact that, yielding to the iraphic reports of Indian dashes on the neighboring ranches, the division commander had ordered a troop of cavalry back from patrol duty around the reservation, and ”The Grays” hadparty of an officer and twenty troopers rode forth that water and the intervening country around Eagle's Nest If Mr Holet back to business, here was excellent opportunity of driving half the way to Cheyenne under escort But Mr Holmes, who had been somewhat emphatic in his announcement that he could only stay one day, was apparently well content with his coht now stay longer, he said, for while up in that part of the country he ht just as well look over soetting thither alive Except for heavily guarded trains, all communication was at an end between the scattered settle the Platte and the Union Pacific Railway The Indians swar that appeared along the road, and so and scalping their victions, and cheerfully roasted alive such of their prisoners as had the ill-luck not to be killed in the first place The road to the Black Hills, either from Sidney or by way of Fort Laraons, and, in lieu of mile-posts, was staked with little, rude, unpainted crosses, each e warfare; and Mr Holht in his theory that it would be far safer and pleasanter to stay at Lara party went up to the Hills The doctor wasinvitation for hiht please hi what she could to uest himself was courteous, well-bred and cordial in arrison; and the only man to whom his protracted visit became a matter of serious disquietude was poor Randall McLean With a lover's intuition he saw that the wealthy Chicagoan was deeply interested in sweet Nellie Bayard, and that her father eagerly favored the suit

Up to the hour of Mr Hol fellow had not enjoyed a walk or one or hter He had no rivals; there were at the moment no other bachelor officers at the post, with the exception of Hatton, who, besides having a chivalrous disposition not to cut in where his comrade was interested, was popularly supposed to be the peculiar property of Miss Janet Bruce

Noever, since Mr Hol-tree, McLean found it sieneral coht years, was rarely out of reach of the little pink ear, and, though courteous and unobtrusive, it was patent to McLean that heuntil his own substantial claims had had full consideration No matter at what hour the lieutenant called, there was Roswell Hole her for a walk, it so happened that papa and Mr Hol at that very tio too It began to look very o of the dinner came Mr McLean was decidedly low in his mind He was not even invited