Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-01-22
AN ARIZONA EXPERIENCE.
1t Ends in a Wedding-Trip With
the Colonies Daughter.


Charles Parker, being young man
from the East, and a newly-fledged
graduate of the Military Academy, was
not looked upon with sublime awe by
the frontiersmen around his Arizona
post, and certainly not with fearful
respect by the military.
The frontiersmen from their proud
height of dyspepsia and dirt recognized
tidy Mr.. Parker only as ''tenderfoot, !"
while the older officers and soldiers
were naturally slow to concede mill
tary merit to a youngster who had
escaped death or court-martial for a
shorter period than themselves.
In reality Lieutenant Parker knew
very little of the energetic West as it
r,atarialized aropnd Fort, McDowell,
and what little he knew did notsswell
him with pride. 1t was his idea that if
knowledge is power, knowledge of Ari-
IONA was only mule power and not to
be coveted He was not in deadly fear
of that truculent creature, the Arizon-
ian in red shirt, but if he had chosen
an individual to stand betwixt the wind
and his nobility, the gentleman in the
carmine camsa would not have OBJ
tanned the situation. His life was not
totally without charm, for he was in
love with his Coloners daughter, one
of those charming young ladies found
only in army circles, who have all the
polish of their more fortunate city sis
tiers with seductive frankness and
abandon developed in their Bohemian
existence.
When not engaged in love-making--
and he was an expert in that pleasant
amusement-young Parker sat in his
quarters with big pipe, as befitted an
army man. rested his feet gracefully on
the mantel, and consclentously kept
up his French" by reading lurid Gascon
novels. Besides, as mentally he lived
still in the East, he followed in a dozen
papers the society, theater, and sport
ing news of civilization. If at any
moment he had been translated to Chi
cago, his choice for the evening theater
would have already been made; he
would have been entirely an fait with
current gossip; and his baseball bets
would have been marked by knowl-
edge of the NEST startling intimacy.
1t was arranged between Miss Helen
and Parker that when he could get a
leave it should be for wedding jour
ney. 1t was the peculiar charm of
this arrangement that it was made
without the Colonels assistance or
knowledge. Lovers must have their
secrets. A lover without a weighty
secret would cut as poor figure as a
secretless statesman. However the
chances of Parker's getting furlough
were dim. His Captain was on an in
time and entering heartily into bust
ness, while his First Lieutenant was
engaged in Washington on some oner-
Gus duty which required peculiar tai
ents and considerable ''infiuence. "
Zone officer" said the law, must be
with the troop" and when the law ut
tered these words, it ignored the astute
Captain and the powerful First Lieu
tenant, and pointed with its crooked
finger directly at our fried Mr.. Parker.
The morning when history finds him,
the lone Lieutenant, acting as Post
Adjutant, was sitting at his desk in the
Coloneps Office, = gravely referring
official papers to himself in some OF
his many capacities, such as Quarter.
IudSltTs OlnCCIi
Post Treasurer, Chief of Scouts, Over
seer of Schools or Perpetual Officer OF
the Day. BY his formal words one
would have thought him on very frigid
terms with himself. Instead, for in.
stance, of saying, Parker, will you
take a sduint at thisi' he wrote: IRE
spectfully referred to Lieutenant
Parker, who will take the action re.
quired."
Meanwhile the Colonel was knitting
his brows over an order from head
quarters.
What do you think of thatP" he
said at last, handing the paper tC
Parker.
The young man read the order, bu
made no answer. He liked to have
his opinion asked, but he did not sup
pose that his crude ideas would be o
value to an officer of SO much greater
experience.
''What do you thinkP" repeated The
Colonel, mildly.
81 suppose It'll have to be done,
said the Lieutenant, vaguely, no
knowing on what point a reply wa
wished
YES" unused the Colonel, ''bu
howp This says he is supposed to b.
at Sanford, but the description
vague to make search on"
20, that" said Parker, ''why thinl
know the man already. l saw hin
last summer when / was surveying tn
line from ella Bend to Tucson. Ill
keeps n saloon in Sanford"
The Colonel shook his head. IL wa
going to send for an older officer, bu
Il YOU can identify the man you'll hav
to go. Humph not very pleasant o
easy duty"-and he looked hard at tn
young mans smooth face; tits wors
than Indian fighting. Maybe bette
have an older officer with you"
"If You think il necessary" /.
II don't" said the Colonel, instanu
determined by Parker's look; and h
wrote in pencil the draft for an order
.Lieutenant G.. Parker viii procee
Immediately to Sanford, Arizona, wit
A detail of six men, and arrest escape
.-..ls.. -. n<,,,viof .Iohn DOyino.D