Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-01-17
A SPECTRE IN CAMP.

Al 'hp ihOhVh VI NllHJ lpi-, Rlpup
OF officers were assembled at chota-
hazri, under the pleasant shade of q
couple of luXuriant magno.trees. On
the white cloth that covered the table
were eatables of various kinds, the
most inviting being some melons
water as well as musk-which snelt
deliciously. Overhead, deity sluns
from wooden frameN ork, with lazy
even beat, oscilatod light deep
fringed punkha. 1t was pulled by 4
semi-somnolent HindoO cOOlie, attired
in little else save his own bronze col.
ored skin; yet, such was the force of
habit, he did not give one the I'M
preston of being at all too scantily
clad. A short distance Often yards
or so-stood large handsome bunga-
low; this was the mess.hOuso of tho
officers who belonged to the e-- Regi.
ment of Laucers, quartered just now at
Mirabad, ono Of the pleasantcst sta
tions in tho northwestern provinces of
India.
The group referred to were in their
white summer uniform, which, in the
glare of the fierce sunlight, rather
dazzled and distressed the cye; but in
the shadow of the dark green oyorhang-
ing foliage tho effect was both cool and
picturesque.
The leave season had just COM
menced, and the young fellows, while
refreshing the inner man, were gayly
reckoning up their chances Of visiting
the various hill-stations-Simla, Mus
soorie, Nynotal, or even going as far
rs that paradise of sportsmen, Cash.
mere; exception, however, must bo
made in respect of two of their number,
who, comparatively silent, were seated
a little apart, and on whose cOuntcn-
nances there was no sign of merriment
visible.
Suddenly horses hoofs pattcred
along the drive leading TO the bunga-
low, and a second later the rider came
in view. He dismountcd n short dis
tance from the party, and, handing
his horse to q servant, approached tho
chOta-hazri table.
"Well, doctOrP" interrogatively said
one of the quieter men, addressing the
newcomer.
"Not well; indeed, just the contrary,
| am sorry to say" replied DR.. Andcr-
son gravely; poor Mrs. Morgan is
dead"
There was a slight pause.
"Terrible business for Morgan, "
presently remarked the first speaker,
in a thoughtful voice; "sbo was all in
all to him. I'm afraid he'll go to the
bad"
Some years ago, when Thomas Nor
gan first joined the ---- Laucers as
their veterinary surgeon, the verdict of
the officers, not given hastily, but after
due deliberation, was that he was by
no means an acquisition to the corps;
in truth tho more severely critical, ii
asked their private opinion, would have
had but little hesitation in pr0nouncing
him course, self-sullicient and unsteady.
As time passed the general impression
regarding the vets character became
contirmed; moreover, it seemed as if
he were deteriorating TO even lower
level. Then Morgan Unexpectedly did
that which raised him u hundred per
cent in the estimation of every one. He
married a woman whom almost any
man would have been proud to call his
wife.
Handsome, ladylike End accom-
plished, Mrs. Morgan also possessed
tact and discrimination, and in q little
while she became quito a favorite in
the regiment, That q man of Nor
gan's calibre should have persuaded q
woman OF this stamp to marry him
was something in his favor; soon, too,
it became abundantly clear that the
lady thoroughly understood her hus-
bands weak points, for she managed
him with so much judgment that the
improvement in him became marked;
indeed, after few months of mar.
ried life, the vet surgeon was voted
quite altered, and rather ga good fol.
low"
And now, as tho doctor had stated, q
bitter affliction had befallen the hus-
band; the wife whom he had so loved
and looked up to had died, after giving
birth to y still born child, and he, un.
stable and weak. principled, was left
alone, prey to iatense grief. Under
the circumstances, therefore, it was
not surprising that the men at the
breakfast-table who heard the observa-
ton, "Poor Morgan will certainly GO
to the bad" should feel that the dismal
prediction was only too likely to be
verified.
An interval of two or three years
has elapsed since the sad event chroni-
cled above, and now come to the in.
cident on which the interest of this
narrative chiefly depends. At this
time the - Lancers were quartered
at Aldershot, having returned from
foreign service in India. The mess.
house of the regiment was situated in
the centre Of the front row of the
block of buildings known as the West
Cavalry Barracks. These face the
Avenue road and are only few hun
dred yards to the east of All Saints
the garrison church. The mess.room