Betty at Fort Blizzard

ed through the big window at the plaza with its tall flagstaff, from which the splendid regimental flag floated in the crystal cold air of Dece

the giant flagstaff dominated the frozen world around it, and its stars were a part of the firmament. When the sun rose a

ars, Sergeant Patrick McGillicuddy, rose to their feet and stood at "attention," as the flag fell slowly. Then it was reverently furled, and the

ers. Two horsewomen-Mrs. Fortescue, she who had been Betty Beverley, and her seventeen-year-old Anita-followed by a trooper as escort, were coming through the main entrance. Colonel Fortes

he straight young stripling now training to be a soldier at West Point, and Anita, the violet-eyed daughter, the adored of her father's heart, but Kettle had not come into his own until the two-year-old baby, John Hope Fortescue II, had arrived in a world which did not expect him, but welcomed him the more rapturously on that account. The new baby had taken everybody by surprise, and immediately acquired the name of the After-Clap. He coolly approved of his fat

. More than once Colonel Fortescue had reminded Mrs. Fortescue that it was somewhat beneath the dignity of a Commanding Officer's wife to ride a kicking horse. But Mrs. Fortescue had a sneaking affection for Birdseye and much preferred her to Pretty Maid, the brown mare Anita rode, and who was considered as demure as Anita, and Anita was very demure, and very, very pretty. At least, so thought Lieutenant Victor Broussard, watching her out of the tail of his eye, as he passed some di

salute, without a smile, to Mrs. Fortescue's greet

that Mrs. Fortescue would have to submit to

oitness the color sergeant saved the flag from being dropped to the ground. Meanwhile, the two troopers, falling backward, collided with the chaplain, a small, meek man, as brave as a lion, who stopped to look and was ignominiously bowled over. Sergeant McGillicuddy, just coming out of the office entrance, made a dash forward and grabbed Birdseye by the bridle. The mare,

mare suddenly threw her h

sound well in public. Unlike Kettle, Colonel Fortescue had no fear whatever for Mrs. Fortescue, and watched calmly from the window as Sergeant McGillicuddy brought Birdseye to her four feet. Mrs. Fortescue sprang

n, smiling while he rubbed a bruised shi

seye. After their kind, they preferred a kicker to a non-kicker, and accepted, with delighted grins, Mr

olonel Fortescue gave him two soft kisses and a lovely smile, and t

ectly clear, Elizabeth, in regard

thought you wouldn't mind. And please don

hat mare again," answered the Colonel sternly, withou

Mrs. Fortescue. "Don't you remember, the first h

esist, but hardest of all the look of wide-eyed innocence in the dark eyes uplifted to his. Mrs. Fortescue would never see forty again, and her rich hair had a wide streak of silver running fro

d running lightly into the drawing-room took the After-Clap from Kettle's arms, and, throwing him pick-a-back on her shoulders, tripped with her

and ended with her lips. The woman's cunning was too much for the man's strength. Colonel Fortescue put his arm around his wife, as she laid the baby's rose-leaf face against his father's bronzed cheek. Husband and wife looked into each other's eyes and smiled. With this baby their lost youth was restored to them. Once more the Colonel was a slim young lieutenant, an

an't-I won't let you ride that black

tescue. "You know I can ride as we

!" replied the b

trouble to get angry with me," Mrs. Fortescue kept on,

escue made a

et angry with you

rrupted Mrs. Fortescue, and the

harge of the After-Clap, who commanded to be taken back into the office. Kettle, as always, promptly obeyed

and advice upon the nurse, she decided she would not stand being "bossed by a nigger," and took a train for the East. Then, Mrs. Fortescue determined to return to first principles and imported from Virginia, at great cost and trouble, a colored mammy, most capable and experienced. But the complications with Kettle grew more acute, and the mammy, in a blaze of indignation, took even stronger ground than the trained nurse, and declared she "warn't goin' to be bos

guerilla warfare between Kettle and the Sergeant. The Sergeant alluded scornfully to Kettle as "the naygur," while with Kettle the Sergeant was always "ole McGillicuddy." Mrs. McGillicuddy was invariably on Kettle's side, and one blast upon her bugle horn was worth ten thousand men in what Kettle called his "collusions," with

he full glare of the electric light, a shadow passed the window. The next minute Sergeant McG

ly, "you take that baby off my desk and out of thi

ass," replied

figure was seen approaching from the region back of the dining-room, and she

llicuddy, sailing into the office, "the father of eig

e naygur?" ask

with Kettle following marched out. It was not really judici

, coming in later to glance over the evening newspaper, found McGillicuddy

th an eye to a commission, but an old-timer, unlearn

Sergeant?" as

pectfully, "I was thinkin' a man ought to

exercised no forethought at all, after once falling

ttle woman in my hand as would follow me around like a poodle dog. Then I went to a reg'lar fortune teller, and she told me the same thing, for a dollar. And I went to a mind reader, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and she promised me the little woman, too. I bought a dream book and there was the same little woman again, sir. Wit

married life was known intimately for nineteen years, "Mrs. McGillicuddy

in' the right of the line, Missis McGillicuddy herself bein' the rear guard, the line properly dressed, no stragglers, everything done soldier-like. But Missis McGillicuddy don

es as they rested on this darling of his heart. The Sergeant had a pretty daughter, Anna Maria by name, who was just Anita's age and of whom the Sergeant was extravagantly fond. The two fathe

a fine girl," s

nything on earth that skeers me stiff it is a horse hitched to any kind of a vehicle. I don't mind ridin' 'em because then the horse's heels is behind me. But in a vehicle the horse's heels is in front

olonel Fortescue looked annoyed. The junior officer running after Anita bothered him even more than Briggs, the artillery corporal, bothered Sergeant McGillicuddy. Anita was but a child-only seventeen; the Colonel had proclaimed

ch money to spend, and spent it wildly, so the Colonel thought; he, himself, had something handsome besides his pay, but he had also a sensible father who held him down. Broussard had too many motors, too many horses, too many dogs, too many clothes, too many fighting chickens, and, above all, was too intimate with a certain soldier, a gentleman-ranker who was disapproved, both of officer and man. A gentle

wing-room toward the little glass room at the end, which had

room, and had closed the glass door after him. As Anita gave Broussard her hand, a great wave of delicate color flooded her face. This quickened the beating

ignant questions, Broussard sat a long way off and talked common-places, chiefly about birds, of which he showed a surprising knowledge, gleaned that afternoon from the encyclopaedia, in anticipation of his visit. Also, Broussard had,

o place a quarter whenever they met, and at the same time to wink

. McGillicuddy's duty to put the After-Clap to bed. The dining-room

h Colonel Fortescue liked. As she passed the open door of the handsome dining-room, Kettle beckon

which Kettle meant the aviary. "Miss Anita is in there with Mr. Broussard, an' he go

ita is in there with Mr

hes, an' they's jest

n' bab

he Colonel had imbued her with disapproval of the man of too ma

rched into the hall, where she met Colo

," she whispere

flushed. Her beloved white dove fluttered, unnoticed, about her white-shod feet. When the glass door opened and Colon

tesy which a Colonel shows to a subaltern and which makes the subaltern look and feel the size of the head of a pin. Natural

they could be close together. Mrs. Fortescue wore around her white throat a locket with a miniature in it of her boy soldier. He was to her what Anita was to the Colonel, but being a sto

visit from Mr. Broussard?

dy dear. He knows s

"Mr. Broussard's knowledge comes chief

of his quarters," said Mrs. Fortescue, willing to

rected the Colonel, and then

r gamecocks, with cruel spurs upon their feet, tearing each

r first post after we were married, that you were sometimes missing on Sunday morning, and used to tell me

lonel

e circumstances, E

" tartly respond

skies were serene, and when it became John an

rving dinner, felt that his duty

ussard doan' keep them chickens in his cellar fur to

onel, "all of Mr. Broussard'

less ardent partisan, but

cock chickens, but Mr. Broussard, he keep 'em for fryin' chickens and bri'ler

ch. She disliked the notion of a cockpit, but she

Broussard, the Kun'l is mighty strict, an' kinder queer in his head, an' he ain't no dead game sport like me an' you, so if you will oblige me, Mr. Broussard, jes' keep my fightin' chickens in

Colonel, and Mrs. Fort

ttle, there isn't a word of tru

Broussard ain't got no chickens at all in his cellar, he keeps duc

the After-Clap caught sight of Broussard he would shout for "Bruvver." This, Kettle carefully explained, was the