The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-18

ford was young man whose best friend
could not have said that he was anything
but downright ugly.
And yet it was such a pleasant phiz,
clean shavcn and i'll assorted as to feat
ures, though the blue eyes had merry
twinkle in them which made you forget
that they might have been larger with
considerable advantage, and the white
teeth, disclosed every minute or two by
the merrier smile. quite made you forget
also that the mouth was good deal toe
wide for its owner to fairly sustain the
name of Beautiful jim.
Yet. Beautiful Jim he was Beautiful
Jim he had been from the beginning OF
the army chapter, and Beautiful jim he
was likely to remain until he came to the
end of it, and, ugly as he was the name
suited him down to the very ground.
Everybody liked him-everybody. In
deed, in all my life never heard Of but
one human being who did not give in
sooner or later 10 the influence of Beauti-
fui Jim s attractions, and that-but, there,
have a story to tell about him. and that
Serson will come in in due time and
season.
Of course he was lrish-Jim, that is
with all the happy go-lucky, careless
humor which is so often to be found
among the Irish people; all their love of
fun and fund Of mother wit, and as a
story teller, why not another man in the
regiment was in the same street with
Beautiful jim; no. not one
Sure" said he one day after a five
days leave spent in town, 81 have some
cousins in London, real smart girls they
nre, too-wcnt TO see EN- on Sunday and
found some other fellows there One
was Brooke Of the One Hundred and First
ID. q. s, the chap that had the good luck
to be left at home on depot when the
One Hundred and First ID. q. 3 went TO
the Zulu business; the other-well, such
a bowling, haw haw, stiff collared beggar,
that thought lie must be at least half
a dozen cavalry swells rolled into one.
But this chap (wbom | afterward found
belonged TO tho Pill brigade, and was at
taehcd TO the One Hundred and First dur
ing the Zulu business) evidently thinking
Brooke q humdrum, quiet sort Of chap,
not up to much, don't you know, and half
duffcr at that. and evidently not having
the least idea that be had anything to do
with the One Hundred and First, began a
Hundred and First not only ran away on
the smallest proyocation, but even fired
on their officers more times than once.
Course this chap had an eye TO my two
cousins, who are pretty and smart. and
never cast so much as look at either
Brooke or myself. He yawIed on, en-
larging as he went, till some people
mightn't have been very far out of ii if
they'd thought it was all pack Of lies
together; and Brooke got more nervous
and fdgety every minute, his face getting
GUNNER and GUNNER, and his looks
darker and darker
''At last he couldn't stand any more of
1t, but got up and seized the poker and
began smashing the fire with it, while my
cousins were trying to signal the doctor
chap TO shut up. But no; on he went
with detailed account Of how one night
they had been alarmed by their own SEN
tries, and-and then Brooke couldn't
stand it any longer, but just burst out:
80 Pom my word, you re quite right. !
don't know what we could have been
about TO do it,
And what then, Jim?" one of his hear
ers asked.
"Why," returned Beautiful jim, my
little cousin Nell-who's a devilish smart
little girl, no mistake about it-found out
very conveniently that the sun in the
park had been rather too much for her
that morning, and that she felt awfully
a. would mind opening the window and
getting her fan? so | opened the win
dow bit wider and got her a fan; and
then she began TO abuse me and said was
such q Ounce always made her i'll every
time came near her, and I'd got scent
ON my handkerchief, said | knew the
smell of scent always made her feel faint,
and yet would persist IN using it; said
should just have to 60 and fetch the
doctor, and that their doctor lived in
Harley street.
ooh, no, said for | never dreamed
that the other fellow had been anything
less than galloper TO some heavy swell
out there-'lll do no such thing. I'll
Just trot round to the Horse Guards and
get one of the army doctors that arc al
ways loafng round there. They get
plenty Of pay for very little TO do
81 saw Nell making the devils own
faces at me. What's the natter said |,
not knowing what she was after.
Beautiful JIM said she
"'Nell Marchmontp said land then
she tipped me a wink at the Zulu fellow,
and l realized that Id put my foot in it,
as usual. Pom my word, thought he
was an awful swell of cavalryman,
nothing less. Well, and what's the news
while have been awayY'
Nothing much. answered Owen, "but
the colonels going home tomorrow, bless
him"
"Hm--feld day first, of course"
"Oh. yes; the usual thing But Mrs.
Barnes got another baby this morning,
and the colonel's going to stop fort
might"
''Another-thats seventeen, amt it?
BY Joyel don't know how that long
suffering woman stands it. BY the bye,
have you seen anything Of the Lesliesy'
AYES; they were at Mrs. Paget's tennis
yesterday, some Of them. WhyY"
because heard ia town that the Sec
ond ono is going 10 be married, that's
oil"
"Ah; very likely. 81 tho bye. Mrs.
Seton has 6 tea ca this Gfteruoon-music
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