Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-03-22
BEAUTIFUL JIM.
By JOHN STRANGE WINTER
CHAPTER KIM.

IN NEW QUARTERS.
At last the time of young Stuart Earle's
FIRST long leave was over, and he went to
Blankhampton 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 ct his very first appearance
among them on each and all of his brother
officers, from his commanding officer down
to the latest Joined subaltern, SO that
every one of them was on the look out
for the smallest sign of that "cheek"
which every man Of them felt it was his
personal and particular duty to try to
eradicate. A difficult task even for the
united strength Of whole regiment, for
T0mmy's native bounce was apparently
Of unlimited quantity, while in quality,
~ bounce, it was Of the very first water.
50 far rs his manners In the mess room
were concerned, he was in an incredibly
short time Whist Beautiful Jim called
clicked into shape" but In other ways
Tommy proved himself to be simply in
corrigibie. For instance, he never could
be brought to zee 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
edo about openly chatting Beautiful Jim.
or telling an absurd tale at 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 graced the Blank
shire regiment or the old city Of Blank
hampton by his presence.
It must be owned that the women had
had good deal to do with it-they ut
terly spoiled him, for they allowed him to
take almost any liberties that he chose.
partly because he was 30 young, partly
because be was 10 actually beautiful in
person, partly because he was the last Of
. very old and rich and eminently distin-
guished race.
Not day passed, II he was not on duty,
that as soon rs he was free from work he
did not 60 flying of to some feminine
charmer, and he neither could nor would
understand that 1.-The fellows" objected
to going to tea parties where Tommy was
the central figure, to dinners where
Tommy monopolised the whole Of the
conversation, and to dances where Tom
~ - 0s9<Amo1VukB AlIt0bUBx0 QNMQ0 0NX0 -L06
observed Of I'll obeervero.
But, though Tommy did not hocome
very popular IA Ids regimant. he WAS pop
ular enough in tho town TO satisfy NV
ordinn1y eraving after tho approval Of the
weeks, III intimate friend Of I'll closses
10 was Tommy" from one End of
BlAnkhAmpton to the other.
beautiful Jim did his best. but his In.
duence went very short way, for his
advice was anything but palatable to tho
last OF the Eaxles. cad It must indeed be
. very strong and firm win which can fol.
low the most excellent advice In thew world
II II Is unpleasant, to the exclusion of all
that makes life worth having, . much
stronger viii than Tommy was blessed
with. In truth. al Tommy's strength Of
purpose went in an opposite direction.
that Of serving his own ends and crafty.
ing his own sense Of pleasure.
Look hsfe, you young beggar," said
Jim one day to him, being moved thereto
not by any desire to do Tommy good, but
BY m Uncomfortable feeling that she
wonld Be grieved II she could see all that
went On In Blankhampton society, III you
60 on like this, what do you mean to come
to-heyr
Tommy looked up with his own una
dashed gaze.
"What ON earth have I been doing to
upset you nowf" he demanded.
well, saw You myself kiss no fewer
than three women last night" Beautiful
Jim growled The greater fools they TO
let you"
Like to have been there yourself. chi"
remarked Tommy. fiippantly.
II Beautiful Jim felt half a. oontemptu-
GUS a. he looked at that moment he 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 Blankhampton, that would
give you 20 much - look II ! took the
trouble to be civil to herf Bless You,
child. don't fatter yourself Why, its
because these women think you're such
baby-such anothing-such q non daneer.
GUS scrap OF humanity-that they let you |
make the young show Of yourself that |
you 90: But what l want to know Is, |
what the devil do You mean to come tor" |
well. really. JIM" Tommy replied,
VIII . Itaau l6St Oh the E0fle8 0AuQhtt.
ness in his tone. lit seems to me you're |
troubling yourself In q very unnecessary |
way about my private affairs, and
But Beautiful Jim had broken into |
shouts Of deriEivs laughter. Tommy,
Tommy, you'll b the death Of me vet.
you win. 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. Il dare
'ay it's very funny. Jim. he said. easily,
but where's the joker"
The joker In yourself. Tommy. my
hid. and you can't be expected to see It,"
But. after that. Jim gave up trying to
'eep the lad from making fool Of him
elf with the Blankhampton women. and
aimed nothing whatever BY the attempt
70 had made. except to make Tommy
rmly believe from that time forward that
be senior subaltern was eaten alive with
,alousy OF him. And il he had only