Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-23
(contissed from yesserd.y.)
BEAUTIFUL jim.
By JOHN STRANGE WINTER.
CHAPTER Kill

CHAPTER Kill
IN NEW QUARTERS
At last the time of young Stuart Earles
first long leave was over. and he went to
Blankhamp,on to join his regiment. when
for several months his life was certainly
not Of the most pleasant kind, and was
very different from any experience he had
had before.
For one thing he had made bad i'm
preston NJ his very first appearance
emong them on each and all of his brother
Officers from his commanding officer down
10 the latest joined subaltern, 80 that
severy one OF them was on the look out
kfor me smallest sign of that cheek"
(which every man of them felt 1t was his
personal and particular duty to try to
geradicate. A difficult task even for the
SunIted strength of a whole regiment, for
sTommys native bounce was apparently
Of unlimited quantity. while in quality.
as bounce it was of the very first water,
So far as his manners in the mess room
were concerned. he was in an incredibly
short time what beautiful Jim called
clicked into shape but In other ways
Tommy proved himself to be simply in
corrigIble. For instance. he never could
be brought TO see that in Blankhampton
society he was in any way inferior TO his
senior officers. and even IN the palace OF
the lord bishop himself he made no more
ado about openly chatting Beautiful Jim.
or telling an absurd tale NJ the majors
expense, than he did of flirting desper-
ately with little Violet Leslie. who was
barely out Of the school room. Indeed,
before six months had gone by, Tommy
had the name OF being the most impudent
young cub who had ever grsced the Blank
l 10. Ina4 ttN..r.
hampton by his presence.
IL must be owned that the women had
had a good deal to do with it-they ut
tery spoiled him, for they allowed him to
take almost any liberties that he chose.
partly because he was SO young. partly
because he was so actually beautiful in
person. partly because lie was the last of
a very old and rich aud eminently distin
guished race
Not a day passed. If he was not on duty,
that as soon as he was free from work he
did not go flying off to some feminine
charmer and he neither could nor would
understand that the fellows objected
to going to tea parties where Tommy was
the central figure. to dinners where
Tommy monopolized the whole Of the
conversation. and to dances where Tom
my's audacious hirtations made him he
observed OF ali observers
But, though Tommy did not become
very popular in his regiment he was pop
ular enough in the town to satisfy any
ordinary craving after the approval of the
many. He became after the first few
weeks, the intimate friend of all classes
he was Tommy" from one end of
Blankhampton to the other.
Beautiful Jim did his best but his in
fuence went very short way, for his
advice was anything but palatable to the
last of the Earles and it must indeed be
very strong and firm will which can fol
lew the most excellent advice in the world
if it is unpleasant, to the exclusion OF all
that makes life worth having, a much
stronger will than Tommy was blessed
with. In truth. all Tommys strength of
purpose went in an opposite direction.
that Of serving his own ends and crafty
ing his own sense of pleasure.
Look here, You young beggar, said
Jim one day to him, being moved thereto
not by any desire to do Tommy good. but
by an uncomfortable feeling that she
would be grieved if She could see all that
went on in Dlankhampton society, If you
go on like this, what do you mean o come
to-heyy'
Tommy looked up with his own una
Dashed gaze.
What ON earth have | been doing to
upset you now he demanded
We'll, law you myself kiss no fewer
than three women last night, Beautiful
jim growled. The greater fools they 10
let you
Like to have been there yourself, eh?"
remarked Tommy. fippantly.
II Beautiful jim felt half as contemptu-
GUS as he looked at that moment lie must
have attained to the very furthest limits
of disdain, for his ugly face seemed petri-
fed with unutterable disgust.
Like to have been there, he repeated.
why, you young idiot, do you suppose
there's single woman. married or maid,
| in the whole OF Blarkhampton, that would
give you SO much as look if | took the
trouble to be civil 10 her? Bless you.
child, don't hatter yourself Why, it's
because these women think you re such q
baby-snch anothing such a non danger
Gus scrap of humanity-that they let you
make the young show of yourself that
| you do But what | want to know is,
what the devil do you mean to come TOT"
well, really. Jim Tommy replied,
with a certain last of the Earles' haughti-
ness in his tone, lit seems to me you're
troubling yourself in very unnecessary
way about my private affairs, and
But Beautiful jim had broken into
shouts of derisive laughter, Tommy,
Tommy, you'll be the death of me yet
! you will. indeed. - he said Your private
affairs-why, bless me, child the last
( joined sub hasn't got any private affairs
except in applying for leave Private
affairs, indeed! Well, it s too lovely. that
simply too lovely.
Tommy looked blandly blank II dare
say it's very funny, Jim" lie said easily,
but where's the joker
The joker In yourself, Tommy. nv
child and you can't be expected TO see it..
But, after that, Jim gave up trying to
keep the lad from making fool of him
self with the Bankhampton women, and
gained nothing whatever by the attempt
he had made except TO make Tommy
firmly believe from that time forward that
the senior subaltern was eaten alive with
jealousy of him And if he had only
known that Beautiful Jim's whole heart
and mind was wrapped up in his own sis
ter II he had only known that to him,
he-Tommy-wa simply nothing but an
impudent young cub whose only claim to
interest. or even notice, lay in the fact he
was the brother OF that insignificant and
not to be counted creature. Nancy Earle
well. 1t would have helped to take down
the young gentleman idea Of his own
greatness and his own Importance mar
velously