Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-02-01

ifid WIS d NCuli1, HAL WHOSE UGSl lTleuC
could not have said that he was anything
but downright ugly.
And yet it was such a pleasant phiz,
clean shaven aud i'll assorted as to feat
ures. though the blue eyes had a 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 too
wide for it's 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
Heed. in all my life never heard of but
one human being who did not give in
sooner or later to the influence of Beauti-
fui Jim's attractions, and that-but, there,
have story to tell about him, and that
person 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 ono day, after five
lays leave spent In town, Il have some
cousins in London. real smart girls. they
are. too-went to see EN- on Sunday and
found some other fellows there. One
Rrf,otro NJ The On, H,,,d--.l 4 T:..-A
d. G. s, the chap that had the good luck
to be left at home on depot when the
One Hundred and First d. G's went to
tho Zulu business; the other-well, such
bowling. haw-haw, stiff colared beggar,
that thought he must be at least half
dozen cavalry swells rolled into one.
But this chap (whom l afterward found
belonged to the Pill brigade. and was at
tached to the One Hundred and First dur.
ing the Zulu business), evidently thinking
Brooke a humdrum, quiet sort of chap,
not up to much, don't you know, and half
dufIer 1T that. and evidently not having
the least idea that he had anything to do
with the Ono Hundred and First, began q
too delightful account of how the One
Hundred and First not only ran away on
the smallest provocation, but even fired
on their officers more times than once.
Course this chap had an eye to my two
cousins. who arc pretty and smart, and
never cast SO much as o look ct either
Brooke or myself. He yawned on, en-
larging as he went, till some people
mightnt have been very far out of it il
they'd thought it was all pack of lies
together; and Brooke got more nervous
and fidgety every minute, his face getting
GUNNER and GUNNER, and. his looks
darker and darker.
AT lasthe couldn't stand any more of
1t, but otup and seized the poker and
began smashing the fro with it, while my
cousins were trying to signal the doctor
Chap to shut up. But no; on no went
with detailed account Of how one night
they had been alarmed by thcir own sem
tries, and-and then Brooke couldn't
stand it Gny longer, but just burst out:
- Pom my cord. you're quite right. /
don't know what we could havo been
about to do itr
And what then. Jimf" one Of his hear
On asked
Why. returned beautiful Jim, my
little cousin Nell-who's devilish smart
little girl. no mistake about it-found out
very conveniently that the sun in the
park bad been rather too much for her
that morning. and that she felt awfully
III. would mind opening the window and
getting her . fanY SO | opened the win
dow lit wider and got her Q fan; and
then she began to abuse me and said was
such Gence always made her i'll every
time came near her. and I'd got scent
On my handkerchief, said | knew tie
smell Of scent always made her feel faint,
and yet would persist in using it; said
should just have to 60 and fetch tho
doctor, and that their doctor lived in
Harley street.
:" oh. NO. said I-for I never dreamed
that the other fellow had been anything
less than galloper to some heavy swell
out there-'Iu do no such thing. I'll
just trot round to the Horse Guards and
get ono Of the army doctors that are al
ways loafing round there. They get
plenty OF pay for very little to do
II saE Nell making the devils own
faces ct me. What's tbs matterr said |,
- Beautiful Jimr said she.
Nell Narchmontr said land then
she tipped mo wink 1t the Zulu fellow.
and / realized that I'd put my foot in it.
= usual Pom my word, I thought he
wns m awful swell Of . cavalryman,
nothing lea Well, and whats the news
while have been aWsyr
Nothing much. answered Owen. but
the colouslis going homo tomorrow. bless
him.
"Hm-6eld day Grst. Of course"
"Oh. yes: tho usual thing. But Mrs.
Barnes got another baby tkis morning,
and the colonaIs going 70 stop fort
s.Another-that,s seventeen. amt e,
By Jovei don't know how that long
suffering woman stands It. By the bye.
have you seen anything Of the LesliesY'
Yes: they ware ct IRA. Pagets tennis
yesterday. some Of them. Whyf'
sBecauSo heard in town that the sec.
ond one b going to b married. that's
'.Ah; very nEsly. By the bye. Mrs.
Seton has - % this afteruoon-music
and al that. lpromis9d to look in. WIN
any Of you chaps conner
Il viii. said Beautiful Jim, promptly.
He was always ready for feminine society,
even though he had only Just got back
from Eve days. leave spent amid the
rush and hurry Of the best part Of the
London season.
''Jim." said Owen, as they walked down
toward the town together, THAT cousin
Of yours is very pretty, isn't shef"
'sOh. veryr returned Jim. without .
moments hesitation.
ibid you 60 about with her lott"
"A goldfish bit. said Jim, vaguely, yet
in tone which conveyed to his comrade
that he had spent the most of his leave
In the company of Miss Nell Marchmont.
And are you likely to-
"Oh, my dear chap, not q bit Of it'll
Even If were ass enough to 60 in for
that kind Of thing, Nell would Just laugh
in my face. Faith, no. Nell and I have
done the brother and sister dodge too long
for either Of us to have any ideas Of that
kind. But why do you want to know, old
chap7"
Il just did want to know, that's all, i"
Owen replied, lamely.
Beautiful Jim walked on for full Eve
minutes in silence.
Have you ever seen her." he asked, at
last.
Yes. returned the other, shortly.
Him." muttered Jim, q IL he began to
see light At last; then efter another pause
and with q total change of tone: Eyes, she's
pretty little girl and good little girl,
and I'd break any fellows neck who said
. word against her. but that's ALL
never thought any further Of her. and III
stake my life that she never did of me"
And then they walked ON in silence
again. yet feeling different, both Of them.
Owen intensely relieved, for. although a
handsome man and popular, he would not
have cared TO enter the lists against old
Jim, who had been his special pal ever
since they had been together in the regi
meut.
Ao for Reau4if,,I Tim ha vwns erooflv