Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-10-30
CHAPTER I.

1t was considerably after midnight when
one CT three officers seated at whist table
i'll the messroom of the Cavalry BARRACKS at
I'd eninster, where tie Scarlet Lanc-rs were
CHARTERED, called out, "Bootles, come and
take a hand-there's a good chap
Capt. Algernon Fe1rers, more commonly
known es ''Bootles," looked up.
II don't mind if do" he said, rising and
moving towards them. "What do you want
me to do? Who's my partner"
The thre, other men stared at one another
in surprise for Bootle; was one of the best
whist players in the regiment, and in an
ordinary way would as soon have thought of
counting honors as of settling the question
of partners other than by cutting, except in
the case Of revenge.
'sWhy, take card, of course, my friend"
laughed Lacy, in ridiculously soft voice.
Lacy was q recent importation from the
White Dragons, and had taken possession
of the place left vacant in Bottles every
day life by Scott Laurie's marriage
''Ah, yes: to be sure-cut, of course L
believe" said Boot,e5, looking at the three
faces Lefore him in an uncertain way-'I
believe I've got headache"
sob, nothing like whist for a headache"
answered Hartog, turning up the last card
ACE of diamonds" However, after STUN
bling through enc game-after twice trump
ing his partners trick, revoke, and sew
eral such like blunders-he rose to his feet
''lt's no use, you fellows; I'm no good to-
night can't even see the cards. Get some
one to take my place and make fresh
start
''Why, you're i'll, Bottles cried Preston.
''Whatis it?
''It,s a devil of headache" answered
BOTTLES promptly. Here's Miles-the very
man. Good night"
"Good night called the fellows after him.
Then they settled down to their game, and
Preston dealt.
"Never saw Bottles seedy BEFORE" said
Lacy
ooh, yes; he gets these headaches some
times" answered Hartog. ''Not often,
though Miles, your lead"
Meantime Boobies went YEARLY away, al
most feeling his road under the veranda of
the mes rooms, along the broad pave in
frcpt of the officers quarters, and up the
wide flight CT stone steps to his rooms fac
ing the green of the barrack square Being
the senior captain, with only one bachelor
field officer in the regiment, he had two
large and pleasant rooms, not very grandly
furnished, for, though rich man, he was
not an extravagant one, and saw no fun
in having costly goods and chattels to be at
the tender mercies of soldier servants; but
they were neat, clean and comfortable, with
sufficiency of great easy travelling chairs,
plenty of fun rugs and lots of pretty little
pictures AMI knick-knacks.
The fire in his sitting-room was fast dy-
inc out, but bright and cheerful blaze il
lumined his sleeping-room, shining on the
brass knobs of his cot, on the silver orna-
meatations at the corners of his dressing
case, on three OF four scent bottles on the
tall, cretonne- petticoated toilet table, and
on the tired but respondent figure of
Bottles himself.
He dragged the big chair pretty near to
the fire, and dropped into it with a sigh Of
relief, absolutely too sick and weary to
think about getting into bed just then. As
Hartog had said, sometimes these heada ches
seized him, but it did not happen often; in
fact he had not had~one for more than a
year-quite often enough, he said.
Well. he had Teen lying in the big and
easy chair, his eyes shut and his hands hang
ing idly over the broad straps which served
for arms, for perhaps half an hour, when
to his surprise he heard soft, rustling move
ment behind him. His first and not un-
natural thought was that the fellows had
come to draw him, so, without moving, he
called out, ooh! confound it all, don't come
boring a poor devil with headache. By
Jove, it's cruelty to animals, neither more
nor less"
The soft rustling ceased, and Bottles closed
his ey es again, with a devout prayer that
they would, in response to this appeal, take
themselves off. But presently it began
again, accompanied by sound which made
his heart jump almost into his mouth and
bsat so fur1ously as to be simply suffccating.
1t stopped-was "1he-DEV1L,"
NUT cred Boobies.
But it was not the devil at all-more like
little angel, in truth; for alter moments
irresolutiol he sprany from his chair and
faced the horror behind him. 1t really was
a horror to him, fer there, sitting up among
the pillows Ct the cot. with the clothes
pushed back, was baby, baby whose
short golden curls shone In the tirelight-a
little child dressed il whit, with pair of
wile-open, wondering eyes, as bright as
stars and as blue as sapphire.
BOTTLES stood in dismay staring at it.
Where, in the name of all that's wonder
full, did you come fromg he asked aloud,
keeping at cafe distance lest it should sud-
denly start bowling
But the little stranger did not howl; on
the contrary, as its bewilderei eyes fell upon
Bottles Respondent figure, his gold la ED
scarlet jacket and gold embroidered waist
coat of white velvet, his gold laced overalls
and jinglng spurs, it stretched out its little
arms and cried, boo, boo, boo-r'
Boobies took step back in his surprise, and
his headache vanished as if by magic
"By- Jove!" he exclaimed.
''Boo-boo-boo!' crowed the usurper Of
the cot, cheerily.
Beetles went step nearer. "Why, you're
queer little beggar," he remarked. "Where
did you come from, eh?'
Tie ''queerlttle beggar" suddenly changed
its tone, ami started another system of crow
ing more triumphant and CHEEKY than the
FIRST