The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-07-18


note in his waistcoat pocket lie nelrner
knew nor cared what old Vincent was
worth; all he wanted was Mabel's own
sweet self, for he loved her with his
whole heart and soul, with all the
strength and devotion of his deep and
loyal nature. He could hardly control
his voice so as to speak in the conven-
tional official tone to the sergeant in
charge as the latter saluted him at the
doorway and made the customary report
of the presence of the detachment. Lane
stepped into his little dressing room and
quickly appeared in his neat fatigue uni
form. There wasn't ghost of chance
of would be recruits wandering in that
day; but he was stickler for discipline.
He required his men to be always in
their appropriate uniform, and never
neglected wearing his own while in the
office; yet in all the Queen City no one
but his little party, the applicants for
enlistment and the few citizens who
came in on business, had ever seen him
except in civilian dress.
"These reports and returns all go in to-
morrow, believer" said Lane to his SER
geant.
"They do, sir"
"Well, will you take them in to the
clerk again." said Lane, blushing vivid
ly, "and tell him to alter that first lieu
tenant to 'oaptain' wherever it occurs?
The-official notification is just here"
he added, almost alphabetically.
"Sure I'm glad to hear it, sir. All the
Lo Id 81 nj 10
think that was the first man to salute
the captain today" was the sergeants
delighted answer. "Ill call Taintor in
at once"
But Lane was blissfully thinking of
the little note, now transferred to the
breast pocket of his uniform blouse, and
of how not his honest old sergeant but
sweet Mabel Vincent was the first to
hail him by his new title, and in think
ing of the note and of her he failed to
notice that, so far from coming at once,
it was fully ten or fifteen minutes before
Taintor, the clerk, put in an appearance,
and when he did that his face was ashen
gray and his hand shook as though with
palsy.
1.-THE sergeant will tell you what is to
! be done with the papers, Taintor," said
Lane, conscious thst he was blushing
again, and consequently striving to ap-
pear engrossed in the morning paper.
The man picked them up one after an
other and without word; he dropped
one to the floor in his nervousness, but
made quick dive for it, and then for
the door, as though fearful of detention.
He hurried through the room in which
| the sergeant and one or two men were
seated, and, reaching his big desk at a
rear window, where he was out of sight,
dropped the papers on the floor and
buried his face in his shaking hands.
A few minutes later the sergeant,
coming into the little cubby hole Of q
room in which Taintor had preferred to
do his work, found him with his arms
ON the desk and his face hidden in them,
and the soldier clerk was quivering and
twitching from head to foot.
whats the matter with you, Tain
tor?' growled the old soldier. Didn't
you promise me you'd quit drinking?"
The face that looked up into his was
| CHASTITY.
sit isn't drink, sergeant" moaned the
man. cat least, haven't exceeded
for month. I've got a CHILEAN ague
of some kind. Just net me run
down to the drug store and get some
quinine-with perhaps little brandy.
Then I can do this work. Do, sergeant.
1 won't abuse your kindness"
"Well, go, them" was the reluctant
answer; "but get back quick. And only
one drink, mind you."
Taintor seized his cap and fairly tot
tered through the adjoining room to the
stairway, down which he plunged mad
ly, and, needless Of the pelting rain,
| darted across the street to the gas light
ed bar room.
"Theres something worse than either
whisky or ague back Of this" muttered
the veteran sergeant, "and could swear
| to it"