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THE NEBRASKA ADVERTISER
W. W. HANDKK8, l'uhlliher.
NEMAHA, NEBRASKA.
THE OLD-TIME CIRCUS.
tThu circus thirty years npo was better far
than now;
The elephant win n wonder Jtint to seel
I could watch htm half a day
Ah ho fed hlmHclf with hay;
And each separate beast was worth the
jirlco to inc.
Novcr clown wnn half so funny; rover
monkey half ho droll;
All tbo tinsel was puro metal thon tome;
Kvcry acrobat, ninazlnj;; every rider, sim
ply ureal;
And that small tmpozo man what a, man
was hoi
And when tho woman sane: "Wo Parted
by tho Itlvorsldo,"
And "You'll Not l-'orcct," and "You'll 3to-
incmber Mc,"
Oho was really o pathotlo
Thnt I wlprd my eyes and cried;
1 wanted then to tako lior home with inc.
Tho shows wo fleo In theso duy aro never
half ho lino;
Tho cost of tickets often bothers mo;
ThoUKh tho man still crackfl his whip,
And 'tho clown seems pretty flip,
Tliero Ih nothing much Icarotohoiar ornee.
ThoiiRhts of business, taxes, losses; rheu
matism, other crosses,
All combine to muko tho circus nccm qulto
flat;
I no longer lovo tho sonRstrcss, with her
paint nnd frills and flosses!
I no loiiKor want to tako her home, at that!
lint I'd llko to sco the old-tlmo show of
thirty years aso,
"When I woro no pointed shoes my feet
wcrobaro;
"When lwnonado was nectar
And peanuts woro n Joy;
That old show without a "worry or a carel
Pueblo Post.
An Army Wife
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
Copyrighted, 1896, by P. Tennyson Neely.
BYNOP8IS.
Chapter I, Fannlo McLane, a young
widow, Is Invited to visit tho Oraftons
ut Fort BcdBwIck. Her sister tries to dls
Hiiado her, as Randolph Mcrrlam, (whom
sho had Jilted for old McLane) and his hrldo
aro stationed tliero.
Chapter II. Fannlo McLano's wedding
causes family feeling. A few months later
he, whllo traveling' with her husband,
incuts Mcrrlam, on his wedding trip.
Chapter III. Somo tlmu previous to this
Mcrrlam had roiio on a government sur
vey, fallen III, and had been nursed by Mrs.
Tremalno and daughter Florence. A hasty
itoto from Mrs. McLanc's stepson takes
Mm to tho plains.
Chapter IV. Young McLano dictates to
Mcrrlam a dying message, which Is sent
to Parry (a young Chicago lawyer und
hrothcr-ln-law of Mrs. McLane). Iteply
causes Merrlum to swoon. Hols taken to
tho Tremalne's; calls for Florence.
Chnpter V. Engagement of Florenco
Tremalno to Mcrrlam is unnounccd; wed
ding shortly follows.
Chapter VI. Mr. McLano Is mysterious
ly shot In San Francisco. Mcrrlam Is
Krcatly excited when ho reuds account In
Iiapcrs. Whllo still In mourning Mrs. Mc
Lano prepares to visit Fort Sedgwick..
Chapter VII. Mrs. McLano arrives at
tho fort. Mcrrlam Is startled at tho news,
and ho and his wlfo absent themselves
from tho formal hop that evening.
Chapter VIII. Mr. and Mrs. Mcrrlam
pay their respects to tho widow on an
evening when sho would bo suro to have
many other callers. When tho call is
returned Mcrrlam Is away, and his wlfo
Idcads Illness as excuso for not seeing
lior. Mrs. McLano receive! telegram: "Ar
rested, Chicago. Your undo stricken par
alysis. You will bo summoned. Secure
papers, otherwiBo loso everything. C. M."
alio faints and Is revived with dltllculty.
Chapter IX. Mrs. McLano desires to hco
Mcrrlam. Grafton persuades him to go,
but tho widow postpones tho mooting till
next noon.
Chapter X. Florenco learns Mcrrlam
lias been to seo Mrs. McLano, and In a
storm of passion will not allow him to cx
plain. Shortly after Morrlam Is Intercepted
ly Fannlo McLane as ho Is passing through
Oration's yard. Florenco witnesses tho
meeting, which she iiupposes has been pro
Arranged, and Bwoons.
Chapter XI. Mrs. McLano bcgsMerrlam
for- papora given him by her stepson, but
which ho tells hor wero all forwarded to
Parry. Mcrrlam Is seriously wounded In
light with greasors.
Chapter XII. Upon regaining her
strength Florenco returns to hor home,
-which she now in hor Jealous brooding do
cldes to leavo.
CHAPTER XII. Continued.
Wild-eyed, with beating heart, Flor
ence rushed through the dining-room
to the dark kitchen beyond and nipped
Imperiously at u door, "Hop Ling!"
ho cried, "np, I need you," No nn
Bwer. "The brute," she murmured to
herself, as sho threw herself heavily
upon the door, and it Hew open and
plunged her in. The Chinaman's little
sanctum was deserted. Sho kept no
maid. Ono schooled Chinnmnu easily
tuul efficiently did all the housework of
a lieutenant's humble quarters and wan
generally employed in that capacity in
almost every garrison of tho far west.
She Hew to tho rear door und looked
that, then tip to the second story where
were the pretty guestrooms as well as
their own hers and Randy's, with all
their closets and nooks and corners.
Kho took ono rapid survey through
them, and then one fierce, wild look at
licnclf in tho mirror of her dainty
dressing table. Aro you Floy Tre
inalue? Aro you the little girl who was
reared In tho Killers? Aro you to make
u lifelong fool for any iiimiV And as
uho hpoko she began to open the (Itorh
who had been wearing for llaudy's bon
ullt. Tho folds of tho stylish skirt, ono
of Mw, Ilayne'H planning when In Chi
cago, wero tossed In reck low dUordor
Umu tho snowy coverlet of the bwl, and
her preoloun looket llandy'n locko-l
was as Htiilihuily uuoltiiqied from the
round,, white throat, and lit the tumult
in licr'w, tl she heard no hound of the
sudden stir and sortie nt tho gunrd
housc. She never knew that there was
no sentry faithful to his watch along
the rear of ofllcers' row, to tako up and
paws on the stirring, reassuring cry that
no army girl can hear without rejoicing
or misK without alarm "Two o'clock
and all's well."
The dawn wns breaking over the far
Jornada and turning the distant Giind
aloupc into gold when the Killers rolled
away olliccrs and men, "barring the
band and company 'Ike' by war de
partment orders a few years ago com
panies "1" and "K" of each regiment of
infantry were "skeletonized" by trans
fer of their men to other companies,
leaving llhoso two merely paper com
mands. Just as "Co. Q" has been for
years the derisive title of the guard
house prisoners, so does "Co. Ike" be
gin to appear as a name for tho be
reaved and friendless commands re
ferred toj at Sedgwick," as the cavalry
trumpeter remarked to the gunner
when they were going out to stir the
echoes with their reveille; only these at
Sedgwick, and one stulwnrt old captain
with his devoted half-hundred, Trc
jiiniue, still doing duly at the canton
ment fond, lonely old father, lhosc
heart was wrapped up in that one child,
yet could not deny her to the man she.
loved so well. Sedgwick was begin
ning to yawn and stir. The night owls
in the canyons were hooting back to
their nests, dismayed by the bowlings
of the human night owls tacking home
to duty, already half regretful of the
wfliisky wasted, while before them was
that remorseless wrath to come. The
cooks were astir in the barracks, and
filmy smoke-veils were sailing straight
aloft from the chimneys of half a dozen
company kitchens. Already, too, the
household servants nlong the row of
cavalry ofllcers' quarters, that which
backed to the south, were lighting their
little morning blazes, for Sedgwick lay
beyond range and nntlhracite. In the
good old days of 20 years before, the
cocktail, not coll'ee, was the necessary
prelude to reveille and morning stables.
Now, with the wisdom that conies long
after war, only case-hardened, bandy
legged old dragoons ever dreamed of n
drink at that hour of leap from sleep
to life; the inner cavalryman ernvesthe
juice of Mocha and mocks at rye. From
every "set" of cavalry quarters then the
kitchen chimney sent aloft its feathery
plume, with one exception a sub
altern's house well over toward the
western end of the row; and toward
the gate thereof, edging away from the
ribald homeward-bound of the main
rood and shuflling stolidly across the
mesa, Hop Ling was making his rapid
way. Fun-tnn had gone against him,
and but for his hands his pockets were
empty. Hop boro with him an air of
depression, and was followed by n faint
fragrance as of mnndrngorn. His bleary
little eyes were searching furtively
along that lino of fence and stables for
the gleam of the sentry's carbine and
cap ornaments. Ho must place that
watchman of the night and know his
ground before he entered post. 'Spose
the ollicer of the guard had happened
to meet him during the night. 'Spose
somebody sick. " 'Spose Misse Mel
lium sho wnnttec chow-chow?" Hang!
the morning gun roared its lusty sum
mons to be up nnd doing, and skulking
coyotes squatted lower as they sneaked
nway from the outlying quarters, no
chicken the richer, and the guard
turned out with 120 additions to com
pany Q and more still u-coming and the
telegraph instrument in the clerk's of
fice began to call "Lalarrup Lnlarrup
Lalarrup," and tho soldier operator,
washing his faco in a tin basin outside,
glunceil up and said: "The deuce with
you. You always call when I'm wash
ing. What's up now?" and had to drop
ablutions, and, wringing his hands as
(he ran, to answer the sharp, insistent
summons; and as he listened his face
grew keen and excited, nnd, checking
tho rapid clicking of the key one in
stant, he yelled to the drowsy clerk in
the ndjoining onice: "Hilly quick!
Tumble up nnd seo if Lieut. Merrinni's
back. I've u message for him," nnd
then clicked and listened and noted
agulu; but the reveille wns chirruping
its merry music, and the sweet, cool,
morning nir rang with the melody, and
tho troopers were tumbling out from
the barracks and ever across the parade
ofllcers came stalking forth from their
doorways, for the th were sticklers
about morning stables nnd roll call;
and, most prominent figure of nil,
streaking across the mesa with pig
tails and pajamas n-tlylng, with his felt
bottomed boots fairly Hashing, with
flaring eyes, distended for once at least
with mad nppenl and dread in every
feature and shrill distress In his chat
tering tones, came Hop Ling, straight
for the guardhouse and shricklnir for
"Mclllum."
A new officer of the guard, a scowling
and unresponsive man, turned from his
survey of the nrrny of grinning prison
ers, forgetting their own troubles in
Hut contemplation of Hop's grotesque
misery, and this newolllelal, Whlttaker
by name, sternly shouted: "Stop your
Infernal noise, you clapper-Jawed
lieathen. What tho doll'H tho mat
tor?" "Molllmnl Mollluml" was all poor
Hop could pant,
"Mr. MorrlMiu Imi't hro," wild Whlt
taker, majestically.
"Oh vthn ho gonoV Sib., Mellluin
gomtl Slmgono Minion alio gonul"
"Vhvl"iMtld Whlttaker. "Hargoit,
lake charge of the guard. I've got to go
up to Cnnt. Qrafton'B and report this,
Come on with mc, you lieathen," and,
forgetful of the officer of the day, and
only too ready to visit Grafton's and
bask under that window, the lieutenant
hastened awny, Hop obediently and
hopefully following. Matters weren't
so bad perhaps, then, uftcr all, thought
he. Odd though the freak might be,
his mnstcr and mistress might possibly
have trotted away together for a very
early morning rldo and would soon be
back demanding brenkfast.
Hut Grafton was out in nn instant,
and together did the three hasten to the
pretty nest which Handy had so proud
ly furnished for his bride. Hop ushered
them to the dark, empty parlor, then to
the empty rooms above.
There on the unrumpled bed, just
where she had thrown them, were the
garments Flo hnd hastily discarded.
There on the dressing table were toilet
articles In wild disnrray.- "She's heard
in some way of his orders to chase those
d d greasers," said Whlttaker, sul
lenly. He, who hated the name of
Fanny liny ward a year gone by forlinv
ing jilted his fondest friend, now well
nigh hated him becnusc the woman
sought him again, and Whlttaker knew
it.
"Wo can soon tell," snid Grafton,
briefly, "by following her trail."
Down to the little stable they went;
but first Grafton stepped bnck into
Kandy's bath and dressing-room. Yes,
just as he thought, there was a note
stuck in Knndy's mirror, but no wonian
ly little scrawl, no young wife's cooing
confidence to her devoted mate. It was
in stout envelope, and the superscrip
tion, in a hand that spread itself over
the entire face, was formal, indeed
menacing:
LIKUT. MEKltlAM,
Private
and porsonal. th Cavalry.
The captain's fnee grew quickly grave
ns he came forth and closed the door
behind him.
"Which way did Mcrrlam head?"
abked he of Whlttaker a moment later,
as the three regathcred back of the
line.
"Straight off to the southwest," said
Whlttaker, "und here go her tracks by
Jove! Straight away for the end of the
row nnd from there? "
The two officers looked in each other's
eyes a moment, then strode hurriedly to
vJ A. 'V.v-'V' fv' ' -
r.f i a
f-JSH
a-'
Thero on tho unrumpled bed Just where ho had
thrown them.
the west end of the line. Before them
there broad and fur spreading, brave
in the slanting sunsliine, the rolling
reach of the mesa toward the Santa
Clarn. Heyond that valley the slow
rising stretch of desert toward the old,
old mission miles and miles away. He
yond nil, tho far foothills and glistening
range of the Mescnlcro.
Hut not townrd these did Mignon's
dainty foot-tracks lend. Straight ns the
crow flies they clipped the sandy bar
ren when once well out beyond the line
and hearing of the westward sentry.
Straight, swift nnd sure, like homing
pigeon, Floy had evidently shaken loose
her rein and bade her pet nnd precious
bear her, swerving never, fnr at least
as strength would last, to where there
was ever waiting her the chnngeless
love and pity and protection of the shel
tering arms at the old cantonment,
now her only hope of home.
CHAITEK XIII.
"No word of this to anyone, Whlt
taker," snid Grafton, ns they turned
away. He was beginning to see through
it all. He knew that two ladies of the
garrison were calling at his quarters
just nt that luckless hour near retrent,
when, as he had urged, Merrinm went
thither nnd asked for Mrs. McLane. He
knew that they had left and gone on up
the row while Ids wife wns expostulat
ing with Fanny aloft and Knndy was
waiting below. He knew that one nt
least of their number would be sure to
tell whnt was occurring, not ns a mat
ter of malice by any means, but simply
because rtlio couldn't help telling any
thing and everything that she saw and
heurd. He knew that sympathizing
women were dropping in every few
minutes' to ee "dear Florrle" herself,
if a possible thing, or to inquire how
sho was, and he quickly conjectured
tltnt one or more of these visitors had
let fall the fatal observation. Whnt
Grafton did not know was that such a
visitation had befallen after Florence
had Irtunll. naked Handy to tell where
lie had been, und after his Impious fall
ito to explain Immediately the entire
cliviuuiitiuioe, It roused tlm doinou
of hr pnutlnunte URturo to be told the
truth by other lips than Ills. Hut this
In Itself, reasoned Grafton, win not
mJ r
l?tt 1 1 .$ i l
W V L. L,
T I rtTif2.
W I ( YVI L.-S'J-i''U-
ML ii wH
enough to drive Florence into flight.
She must have watched for his later
coming, must have seen him go oh,
fntal stepl for Which he, George Graf
ton, and no one else, wns responsible!
away from the path that led to his
wife and home, straight to that which
bore Jiim to the side of the woman he
had loved before ever he set eyes on
Floy Trcmainc. And thither she, per
chance, hnd followed; but there what
had she seen? whnt hnd she heard?
There wero aching hearts in many
households nt Sedgwick that cloudless
morning, but the mnn who suffered
most was Grafton. The whole truth
Unshed upon him as he followed the
prints of Mignon's nimble hoof. lie
would have to tell his wife and Mrs.
Hayne, but no one else.
"No word of Oils to anyone, Whlt
taker," therefore he cautioned, with n.
sigh.
"Well, I'm not nil asinine," was that
troubled subnltern's reply, "though I
dure say ou've thought mo so of late."
"God forbid that I should judge any
man," thought Grafton to himself,
"after whnt I've done this pnst night."
Harriet Grafton was-greatly shocked
when, told her husband's fears, and did
not altogether meekly accept his cau
tion to keep the secrct from Fanny,
who still slept the sleep of the innocent
and virtuous and clear of conscience.
Hop Ling had been told to go indoors,
put all the rooms to rights, have the
breakfast table set, and breakfast pre
pared as usual, and he wondered but
obeyed. Mrs. Hnyne was speedily
aroused by tlieannounccmentthatMrs.
Graf ton wns below, and wns well aware
that something cxtrnordinnry hnd oc
curred to warrant a call at so early an
hour. Even the children, wearied nfter
last night's vigil, were still asleep. Don
ning a wrapper, bIic hastened outon the
landing nnd softly called over the bal
usters: "I know you have news forme,
Mrs. Grafton, please come up."
And in the telling of her tidings, was it
nny wonder that the younger matron
burst into tears?
"Wo must try to mnko it seem that
she has ridden off at dawn in hopes of
meeting Knndy on his return with the
prisoners," wns Mrs. Hayne's decision,
uftcr she hnd recovered from the shock
and hnd heard the whole story; nnd
this commended itself to Grafton ns
wise when his wife came back to him
nnd he had returned from the nevcr-to-bo-neglccted
"morning stables." And
this too wns what they intended nt first
to say to Merrinm when he-should come
in, ravenous for breakfast and aston
ished nt not finding his wife. Hut high
noon came nnd brought no Handy. In
the words of the noting adjutant, high
noon brought only high jinks.
Crane, officer of the day, and a dozen
other officers had seen Hop Ling's
frnntio charge across the parade at
reveille, and numbers of men had heard
his announcement of the gcncrnl hegirn
at Merriam's. Before guard mounting
it wns known that Mignon's trail led
straight uway to the upper fords of the
Santa Clara far from the direction in
which Knndy had gone. Atten n herds
man came in who said he "reckoned the
lady must have dropped this." lie saw
her riding like the wind the short cut
for Jose's ranch on the old Navajo trail,
and he handed over poor Florrie's little
traveling bng, which she had evidently
strapped to her saddle, never calculat
ing perhaps never enring whnt the
strain might be, never missing it when
it wns gone. They sent it to Mrs. Hayne,
who could no longer keep up her brave
f ace but sobbed over it as would a moth
er over some prized relic of a lost and
beloved child.
Then Dux ordered out three of his
swiftest trailers and riders and the best
light wagon nt the post. With the wag
on went the post surgeon nnd Mrs,
Hayne, who left hcrbrood to a neighbor's
care. They took with them such drugs
und restoratives ns seemed necessary,
nnd ut noon they were across the Santa
Clara on the road to the cantonment, ex
pecting to reach Jose's bynightfnllond
find their runaway darling there, ex
hausted by her long hours in saddle and
compelled to stay under that friendly
shelter, us (sometimes with her father
and twice at least with Randy) she had
stayed on her journeys to and fro.
There sho would have to remain over
night until Mlgnon should be able to
go on nguin with the rise of the morning
star.
Meantime the wires from Cimarron
Junction hnd been hot with news, and
McGrnth, the operator, lived the day of
his life, for hours the most important
man at the. post. The rioters had got
wind of the coming of troops and had
sought to block the wnj- by wrecking
a freight caboose In Calamns Gorge.
The Killers swarmed out and had things
in shape within the hour, nnd went
whistling on ngaln. Everyone knew
trouble would end the moment they got
to tho scene of the strike, but what
might not happen meantime?
to nn continukd.1
Th l OtiKht to lln Sfopiiril.
"That was an awful tragedy at St.
louih t ne other nigui.
"What wns it? 1 haven't read the pa
per tO'dny,"
"One of the bridesmaids tit u wedding
playfully threw her sllppor after the
happy couple and hit tho groom."
Chicago Dally News.
p.tlNtll1
Manima That's a nico little boy you
play marbles with, Hobby,
Hobby You bechorl An' ho's had
th' measles four times. Judge.
M QUAD'S FUN !
KUniUNCS A GOOD THING.
The cabin stood close to the road run
ning over the bottom lauds, and on
three sides of it the swnnip and the
slimy water came up to within 20 feet
of the logs. Seated on the ground, with
his back to the house on the front, whk
a "settler," and before I was within
speaking distance 1 saw him shaking
with u chill. -J gave him a "howdy?"
as I came up, but it was a full min
ute before he could replj.
"S-s-snme to yo', stranger. Miglfty
nlce day?"
"Anything wrong?" Insked.
"No, sah. Jest got my usual chill on.
this artemoon. Tliar's the ole woman
out on that log. and she's got her cliHl
on, too. Hill nnd Nancy orter be around
sumwhar'. All of us chill at the same
time." "This must be a great place for the
ague." "It is, sah. Yes, sah, yo' might look
all over the state of Mississippi and not
find another place like it. Can't be
bent fur ague. Anybody tonkin' fur
chills don't want to go no further."
"how long have you been here?"
" 'Bout IS y'nrs, I reckon," he snid.
as he shivered in a way to shake the
chinking out of the crevices between
the logs.
"And how long have vou had the
ague?"
"Jest the same 'bout IS y'nrs. Got
it right away, sah, and it dun hangs on
to us. Over nt the sawmill the ugcr
cums and goes, but here it stnys right
by yo' and yo' know what to de
pend on."
"Any good drinking water around
here?"
"Nuthin' but swamp."
"Could I get a bite to ent?"
"Not to-day, sah, as the co'nmenl i.
all out."
"Anything for the horse?"
"Nuthin', sah."
At this point the woman came over
nnd sat down beside her husbund and
shivered and shook and rattled her
teeth together, and finally asked:
"Say, Jim, what's he'un nxin 'bout?'"
" 'Hout the ager," replied the man.
"I should think you'd move-away," I
said, as f looked at the desolate sur
roundings. "What fur?" promptly asked t lie
man. "Well, to get rid of the ague, for one
thing."
"Stranger, yo' don't know this ken
try very well, 1 take it?"
"No, I don't."
"Kase if yo' did, yo' wouldn't talk
that way. We could lie n-gittin' this
very day if we wanted to, but we don't.
We've had this ager fur 15 y'nrs and
dun got used to it and know all about
it, and we ain't gwine to be n-gittin'
fur some other place and trade it iff
fur swamp-fever or yaller jandioe!
We's pore folks and low-down, but we
ain't mnkin' fules o' ourselves!"
Fixing It "With tho Cuii.U.Inte.
Soon nfter we nrrived nt Green
Springs a passenger named Hop
kins came back to the hotel nfter a
stroll on the streets and excitedly in
quired of the landlord where the slier
iiT could be found. The landlord an
swered that he was the sheriff, and
asked what was up.
"Why, I just ran across a man who
held up a stage I was in a month ago
and robbed mc of $300!" explained .Mr.
Hopkins.
"Shoo! Is he tall, dark-faced and
wears long whiskers?"
"Thiit'Hthcone!"
"Left shoulder lops n leetle, and he
hnslost a front tooth?"
"He's the man the very one, and I
want him arrested at once!"
"I wouldn't go for to arrest Bill Pow
ers," snid the landlord in his easiest
way. "Bill ain't holdin up stnges any
more."
"But he robbed me of $300," persisted
the victim.
"Reckon he did, but you can git that
back without any fuss. Jest sit down,
till 1 find him."
The landlord went out nnd was gone
about ten minutes. When he returned
he handed a roll of bills to Mr. Hop
kins and said:
"There's your $300 and $20 over. I
told you Hill would be willin' to do what
was right."
"He he paid it bnck, did he?"
"Of course."
"Well, 1 wouldn't have believed it.
What arguments did you Imve to use
to get it back?"
"None 'tall, stranger none 'tall. I
jest went to him nnd told him that ir
he was goin' out of the stagc-roblTin'
bizness and into the legislature he'd
better square up with you before you
blabbed too much about a trlllin' leetle
incident, and he handed over the
money. I wouldn't my any more about
it if r was you. His party might git
the idea you was down on its eundldute
and in favor with the other feller!"
The Mult- Did Not Apply.
Park I'olleeinnn- Don't you kw t lm t
slgii, madam? "No dogh allowed at
large."
Lady Oh, yes; but my dog Is uo.vury
Hliull.--N. V, Journal.
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