The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-06-02
AN ARIZONA EXPERIENCE.
It Ends in a Wedding-Trip With
the ColoneTs Daughter.

Charles Parker, being a young man
from the East, and a newly-fedged
graduate of the Military Academy, was
not looked upon with sublime awe by
the frontiersmen around his Arizona
post, and certainly not with a 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
materialized around Fort Mcdowell.
and what little he knew did not swell
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 camiSa would not have OBJ
tanned the situation. His life was not
totally without charm, for he was Ill
love with his Colonel's daughter, one
of those charming young ladies found
only in army circles, who have all the
polish of theiI more fortunate city sis
tiers with a 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 conscientiously kept
up his French" by reading lurid Gascon
novels. Besides, as mentally he lived
still in the East, he followed in 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 au fait with
current gossip; and his baseball bets
would have been marked by a knowl-
edge of the most startling intimacy.
1t was arranged between Miss Helen
and Parker that when he could get
leave it should be for a wedding Jour-
ney. 1t was the peculiar charm of
this arrangement that it was made
without the ColoneIs 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 -"
definite sick leave, having splend.-
time and entering heartily into b. y
ness, while his First Lieutenant VS.
engaged in Washington on some oner-
Gus duty which required peculiar tai
ents and considerable influence.
"One 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
Colonel's Office, gravely referring
official papers to himself in some of
his many capacities, such as Quarter
master, Commissary, Ordinance Officer,
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 saving, Parker, will you
take squirt at thisr' he wrote: ere
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 that?" he
said at last, handing the paper to
Parker.
The young man read the order, but
made no answer. He liked to have
his opinion asked, but he did not sup
pose that his crude ideas would be OF
value to an officer of so much greater
experience.
''What do you think?" repeated the
Colonel, mildly.
81 suppose it'll have TO be done"
SAL. the Lieutenant, vaguely, not
knowins On what point reply wa:
wished.
"Yes," unused the Colonel, "bu'
howP This says he is suppose to be
ct Sanford, but the description il
vecue TO make a search o.