Part 9 (2/2)
Holmes as he told his tale Holmes was puzzled too, but bade him keep quiet Soested; but the little soldier shook his head Servants didn't wear dresses that ”swished” like that
The croas beginning to thin considerably, as Hol voices He decided that it was about tiet his owndark and shapeless crouching along close under the post-office end of the building and slowly and cautiously approaching thefroht it so the cleats of the wooden wall, but as he stood silently observing the dim shadoas evident that no quadruped was thus warily creeping toward hiainst a storehouse platforure was perhaps twelve or thirteen yards away, and, as it neared the , the vague outlines of the mysterious creature becaht that shot across the dark enclosure the figure paused; slowly raised itself; a hand went up to the head and whipped off a cap just as the croas tinged by the gleaht on the brightly polished brass of the device, but could not make out whether the device itself was the crossed rifles of the infantry or sabres of the cavalry Then the hand was laid upon the sill, the body slowly unbent, and the head was raised until two beady eyes, under a low forehead and a crop of thick, dark hair, could peer in between the slats One lingering scrutiny of every person and object visible in the room, then down he crouched, and, al, Hol in pursuit
Half-way back across the court, just as he entered the beae of one of those tough and elastic hoops, such as are sure to be lying about in the yards of co of an eye it whirled up and struck hi figure shot to its full height and darted out of sight around the corner When Hol, not a man in uniform was visible Cowboys and a scout or two reain the centre of attraction, and all were grouped about him on the low piazza Holmes called one of the ranchmen to one side, and asked hi of a soldier who came suddenly around the corner, but theinside the office he met the major and his host, Dr
Bayard, while a tall, well-forirl stood in front of the little wicket, and a nu about the place The officers stopped and said they would wait until he got his letters, and, as he took his place near the , Mrs Griffin was just handing a little packet to the colored girl The light fell on the topible hand to Miss fanny Forrest; and Holmes could plainly see the post- that it caency, and old Caotten that ere as good as cut off fro around by way of Sidney and Cheyenne” Quickly the girl turned over the letters, etting nothing fro her white teeth, with a coquettish toss of her head accosted hi, Mr Holmes S'pose you don't know irl Miss Griffin, yere's Mr Holmes waitin' for hisfor this trash,” she said, conte frontier folks ”Han' it to ive it to him”
But just at this ers who had never budged an inch for Mr Hol lady, who entered, all aglow fro, her fine, ht sight of the doctor, who, cap in hand, advanced to meet her It was Miss Forrest herself, and behind her caht I heard Celestine's voice,” she said, looking questioningly around; and Holirl had suddenly slunk back behind a little group of calance of her young ot your letters, one Hol eye as she took the little packet with no gentle hand He was near enough, too, to hear the low-spoken but clearly enunciated words:
”And I told you never again to touch my letters This must be the last tiht down the river McLean, painfully wounded, but very quiet and plucky, had been re-established in his old quarters at ”Bedlam” Dr Bayard, after one or two soe of the case to his assistant; so that Dr Weeks was now theofficers in the north hall, while his senior continued assiduously to care for the wants of the feht here, that, so far as those sturdy ”refugees” the Posts were concerned, professional and personal attentions from Dr Bayard were both declared unnecessary Mrs Post was a woman of admirable physique and somewhat formidable personality
She did not fancy the elaborate , and allowed her lack of appreciation of ”His Elegancy” to develop into positive dislike before she had known hiht
Now, since the ”north end” had beco to adood lady was incessant in the preparation of co drinks or culinary dainties for the two invalids; but as the nation when she discovered that Bayard's attentions at ”Bedlam” were confined to the south hall and to Mrs Forrest's quarters?
He had always been a specialist in the maladies of women and children, to be sure, and we all knohat vital iarrisons He was a welcome visitor either at the fireside or in the sick-room of every family homestead on the reservation--except Mrs Post's--whensoever he chose to call, but that his presence at Mrs Forrest's should be requisite and necessary three or four ti Mrs Post could not be brought to believe, and her scepticism speedily inoculated the entire community
Mrs Forrest declared she did not kno she could have lived through the terrors of the past week had it not been for Dr Bayard's delicate and skilful ministrations The doctor himself was understood to say that the poor lady's nervous syste, that she was in a hyper-sensitive condition which ht readily develop into nervous prostration unless she was carefully guarded The officers of the garrison, when they spoke of the ly referred to the ad excuses for frequent professional visits to a house where it was now apparent to all he was personally interested The women, when they did not speak of the matter to one another, which was seldom indeed, were divided in their opinions That Dr Bayard was ”s they had seen from the start, but that brilliant andwoman had on more than one occasion treated him with marked coldness and aversion What was the ? Twice since Hatton returned with his little escort, bringing in the wounded, had Miss Forrest declined Dr Bayard's arm, and, on the other hand, while she see a marked interest in his junior,--the attendant of the wounded officers Thile Dr
Bayard was known to be visiting at the Forrests', she was seen to colance up and down the walk, as though she had no other purpose in venturing out than to escape fro lady had walked down the path away from the officers' quarters and disappeared from view in the direction of the trader's store So to believe that, _faute dehimself in a flirtation with his lackadaisical patient; but it was speedily noted that he stayed only a few moments when Miss Forrest left the premises, and the idea was as speedily scouted by the entire sisterhood, unless, indeed, we except the lady herself Poor Mrs Forrest! In these days of her faded beauty, she could not forget the fact that it was only a few years before that her rosebud complexion and tender blue eyes had been the cause of arrison where she, the only da once queened it over the hearts of the opposite sex, can quite abandon the idea that her powers still exist?
Knowing, from plain declarations to that effect, that her spirited sister-in-law totally disapproved of Dr Bayard after a conversation held with hiht McLean was returned to the post, Mrs Forrest was fain to flatter herself that these frequent visits to her were i the professional and rapidly beco to think about besides her woes; rescued her fro and restored a faded coquetry to her dress and htened her dreary eyes and lent color to her pallid cheek, and prompted her to surround herself with those dolances and unwarranted sighs,--the children But when fanny Forrest flatly told her it was all nonsense, this encouraging Dr Bayard's visits on account of so better than she had seen her look in six months, the lady took offence at the first statement and alarm at the second, and between the two a relapse was accomplished which, of course, triumphantly established the justice of her position and the ineffable cruelty of her sister's charge
fanny Forrest's life could hardly have been pleasant just then, said superficial commentators To every woman who called upon the lady of the house in her invalid state, Mrs Forrest had so to say about the heartlessness and utter lack of sympathy hich she was treated; and who can doubt that the letters she wrote her soldier husband made frequent complaint to the same effect? Now, if in the domestic circle Miss Forrest had no friend or sympathizer, it was quite as bad without With all her frankness, brilliancy, and dash, with all her willingness to be cordial and friendly, there had arisen between her and the whole sisterhood in the garrison a strange, intangible, but impenetrable barrier She elcome nowhere, and was too proud to inquire the cause
This state of things could not go on long, as a matter of course
Sooner or later the reason would be demanded by somebody, and then the stories would come out Mrs Miller and Mrs Bruce, as recorded in an earlier chapter, had covenanted together to keep the secret; but that ht of the dinner at the doctor's had made the former determine on another revelation to her lord and led--well, woue, and wohts after McLean had been brought ho in a so came in and softly tapped at the door of the front rooht of the Argand, and he arose at once and tiptoed to see as there
”Oh! Co open the door
”Come in”
”Is McLean asleep?” whispered the major ”I--I don't want to disturb him I only wanted to inquire”
”Not asleep, sir, but lying in a sort of doze Weeks is trying to fight off fever”
”I know; I understand It h to--to talk, won't it?” and the azed keenly into Hatton's eyes, and Hatton plainly saw the trouble in his commander's face
”I fear it may, sir Weeks says he must be kept quiet and free from worry of any kind”
The e-cap and mopped his broith his handkerchief, then stood there twisting the cap in his hands He looked down the dih the crack of the door, then down at his boots, and all the ti and praying he would not co told the lieutenant that theofficer was one neither he nor McLean could speak of if it could possibly be helped