Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-12-12
"THE WORM"
An Interesting Story Of the One
That Turned.

An Interesting Story Of the One
That Turned.
Shakespeare says something about
worms, or 1t may be gnats or beetles,
turning If you tread on them too Sc
verely. The safest plan is never to
tread on worm-not even on the last
new subaltern from home, with his but
tons hardly out Of their tissue paper,
and the red Of sappy English beef in his
checks This is the story of the worm
that turned. For the sake of brevity we
will call Henry Augustus Ramsay Faiz-
anne "The Worm," although he was an
exceedingly pretty boy, without a hair
on his face, and with waist like
girls, when pc came out to the Second
''Shikarris" ind was made unhappy in
several ways. The "Shikarris" are
high-caste regiment, and you must be
able to do things well-play banjo or
ride more than little, or sing or act-to
get on with them.
The Worm did nothing except fall off
his pony and knock chips out of gate
posts with his trap. Even that became
monotonous after time. He objected
to whist, cut the cloth at billiards, sang
out of tune, kept very much to himself,
and wrote to his mamma and sisters at
home. -Four Of these things were vices
which the "Shikarris" objected to and
set themselves to eradicate. Every one
knows how subalterns are, by brother
eubalterns, softened and not permitted
70 be ferocious. 1t is good and whole
some, and does no one any harm unless
sempers are lost, and then there is
trouble.
The "Shikarris" shikarred The Worm
very much, and he bore every thing
without winking. He was so good and
SC anxious to learn, and flushed SO pink
that his education was cut short, and he
was left to his own devices byevery one
except the senior subaltern, who contin-
ued to make life burden to The Worm.
Tho senior subaltern meant no harm,
but his chaff was coarse and he didn't
quite understand where to stop. He
had been waiting too long for his COM
pany, and that always sours man.
Also he was in love, which made him
worse.
One day after he had borrowed The
Worms trap for lady who had never
existed, had used Ii himself all the aft
ernoon, had sent note to The Worm
purporting to come from the lady, and
was telling the mess all about it, The
Worm rose in his place and said,
in his quiet lady-like voice:
'That was very pretty sell, but I'll
lay you a months pay to months pay
when you get your step that work a
sell on you that you'll remember for the
rest of your days, and the regiment
after you when you're dead or broke.
The Worm wasn't angry in the least,
and the rest Of the mess shouted. Then
the senior subaltern looked at The Worm
from the boots upward and down again,
and said: Done, Baby" The Worm
took the rest of the mess to witness that
the bet had been taken, and retired into
DOCK WIN sweet smile.
Two months passed, and the senior
subaltern still educated The Worm,
who began to move about little more
rs the hot weather came on. l have
said that the senior subaltern was in
love. The curious thing is that a girl
was in love with the senior subaltern.
Though the Colonel said awful things,
and the Majors snorted, and married
Captains looked unutterable wisdom,
and the juniors scoffed, those two were
engaged.
The senior subaltern was so pleased
with getting his company and his ac.
ceptance at the same time, that he for
got to bother The Worm. The girl was
apretty girl, and had money of hel
own. She does not come into this story
at all.
One night, at the beginning of the
hot weather. all the mess except The
Worm, who had gone to his room tx
write home letters, were sitting on the
platform outside the mess-house. The
: band had finished playing, but no one
wanted to 60 In. And the Captains
wives were there also The folly of 6
man in love Is unlimited. Tho senior
subaltern had been holding forth on the
merits Of the girl he was engaged to
ard the ladies were purring approval
while the men yawned, when ther,
was rustic of skirts in the dark, ant
tired, faint voice lifted Itself:
where's my husband?"
l do not wish in the least to reflec
on the morality of the "Shikarris," bu
tits on record that four men jumped uI
as II they were shot Three of then
were married men. Perhaps they were
afraid that their wives had como from
home unbeknownst The fourth said tina
he had acted on the impulse of the mo
ment Ee explained this afterward.
Then the voice cried: ~, LionelI
Lionel was the senior subsltern's name
A woman came into the little circle o
light by the candles on the peg table
stretching out her arms to the darl
where the senior subaltern was, ani
sobbing. We rose to our feet feelinl
that things were going to happen, anC
ready to believe the worst In this bad
small world of ours one knows so little
nf tho lifo Of tho poxt man which afka