Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-19
CHAPTER ].


take q h~and-there's a good chap"
Capt. Algeinon FerTers, more commonly
known as "Bootles," looked up.
81 dent mind if | do he said, rising and
moving towards them. "What do you want
me TO dot Who's my partner"
The three other men stared at one another
in surprise, for Boot!ei was one of tie bcst
whist players in the regiment, and in an
ordinary way would as soon have thought Of
counting konors as Of settling the question
Of partn rs other than by cutting, except in
the case Of a revenge.
"Why, take a card, Of course, my friend"
laughed Lacy, in a ridiculously soft voice.
Lacy was a 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,es, looking at the three
faces before him in an uncertain way-"I
believe I've got o headache"
'tOh, nothing like whist for a headache"
answered Hartog, turning up the last card.
SAGE Of diamonds" However, after STUN
bling through one game after twice trump
ing his partners trick, a revoke, and sew
eral such like blunders-he rose to his feet.
SITS 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 a fresh
start
why, you'reil Bottles cried Preston.
"What is ita'
'It's a devil of a 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 Boobies seedy before" said
Lacy.
'oh, yes; he gets these headaches some
tines answered Hartog. mot often,
though. Miles, your lead"
Meantime Boobies went YEARLY away, al
most feeling bis road under the veranda Of
the mess rooms, along the broad pave in
front OF the officers quarters, and up the
wide fight Of stone steps to his rooms fac
ing the green of the tarrack 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 a 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
q suficiency of great easy travelling chairs,
plenty Of fun rugs and lots Of pretty little
pictures AMI k~nick-knacks.
The fire in his sitting-room was fast dy-
ing out, but a bright and cheerful blaze il
lumined his ~sleeping-room, shining on the
brass knobs of his cot, On the silver orna-
mentations at the corners Of his dressing
case, on three or four scent bottles on the
tall, cretonne- petticoated toilet table, and
on the tired but resplendent figure OF
Bottles himself.
He dragged the big chair pretty near to
the fire, and dropped into it with q sigh Of
relief, absolutely TOO sick and weary to
think about getting into bed just then. As
Hartog had said, sometimes these headaches
seized him, but it did not happen often; in
fact, be had not had one for more than a
year-quite often enough, he said.
Well, he had Leen 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 asoft, r~ustling move.
ment behind him. His first AMI not I'M
natural thought was that the fellows had
come to draw him, SO, without moving, he
called out, "Ohi confound it all, don't come
boring a poor devil with a headache. By
Jove, it's cruelty to animals, neither more
nor less
The soft rustling ceased, and Bottles closed
his eyes again, with a devout prayer that
they would, in re spouse to this appeal, take
themselves off. But presently it began
agai,.. accompanied by a sound which made
his heart jump almost into his mouth, and
beat 20 furiously as to be simply suffocating.
It stoppsd-was reDeate1-"The-DEVIL,n
mut.esed Boobies.
But it was not the devil at all-more like
a littl9 angel, in truth; for after a moments
irresolution he sprang from his chair and
faced the horror behind him. 1t really was
a horror to him, fer thsre, sitting up among
the Ii,lows Ct the cot. with the clothes
pushed back, was a baby, a baby whose
short Golden curls shoae in the firelight-a
ltd cnld dressed in white, with a pair OF
wide itn, wondering eyes, as bright as
stars TIL as blue as sapphires.
Boobies 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 a safe distance lest it should sud-
denly start bowling.
But the little stranger did not howl; on
the contrary, as its bswildered eyes fell upon
Bottles respondent figure, his gold laced
scarlet jacket and gold embroidered waist
coat Of white velvet, his gold laced overalls
and jingling spurs, it stretched out its little
arms and cried, boo, boo, boo-T
Boobies took a step back in his surprise, and
his headache vanished as if by magic.
''By- Jovel' he exclaimed.
"Boo-boc-booF crowed the usurper Of
the cot, cheerily.
Bottles went stepnearer. why, you're
q queer little beggar," he remarked. "Where
did you come from, ehg"
TIE queer little beggar" suddenly changed
its tone, and started another system of crow.
ing more triumphant and CHEEKY than the
first.
"Chucka- chucka - chucka - chuckp il
went.
Boobies began to laugh. "Can't talk. heyi
Wen, what do You wantg' as it struggle
fercely to rise, and stretched out its small
arms more impatiently than before. t'Want
to be lifted up, heyl Oh, but dash it,
scratching his head perplaxedly, ~ can't
lift you up, you know; it's out Of the ouss.
hon-impossible. By Jove, / might let Won
drop and smash your
ucka-chucka-chuck B-oo-oo-oog