Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-11-13
"THE WORM"
An Interesting Story Of the One
That Turned.

Shakespeare says something about
worms, or it 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
cheeks. 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 hair
on his face, and with waist like a
girls, when he came out to the Second
''Shikarris'' and was made unhappy in
several ways. The "Shika-ris" are a
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 of
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
subalterns, softened and not permitted
to be ferocious. 1t is good and whole
some, and does no one any harm unless
tempers are lost, and then there is
trouble.
Tho 'Shikarris" shikarred The Worm
very much, and he bore every thing
without winking. He was so good and
so 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.
The 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 a man.
Also he was in love, which made him
worse.
One day after he had borrowed The
Worms trap for a lady who had never
existed, had used it himself all the aft
ernoon, had sent note to Tue 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 months pay to months pay
when you get your step that l 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
a book with sweet smile.
Two months passed, and the senior
subaltern still educated The Worm,
who began to move about little more
as 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
a pretty girl. and had money of her
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 to
write home letters, were sitting on the
platform outside the mess-house. The
band had finished playing, but no one
wanted to go in. And the Captains
wives were there also The folly of a
man in love is unlimited. The senior
subaltern had been holding forth on the
merits of the girl he was engaged to,
and the ladies were purring approval,
while the men yawned, when there
was rustic of skirts in the dark, and
tired, faint voice lifted itself:
where's my husband?"
l do not wish in the least to reflect
on tho morality of tho "Shikarris," but
it is on record that four men jumped up
as if they were shot Three of them
were married men, Perhaps they were
afraid that their wives had como from
home unbeknownst- The fourth said that
he had acted On the impulse of the mo-
ment He explained this afterward.
H. -.
Lionel was the senior subaltern's name.
A woman came into the little circle of
light by the candles on the peg table,
stretching out her arms to the dark
where the senior subaltern was, and
sobbing. We rose to our feet, feeling
that things were going to happen, and
ready to believe the worst In this bad,
small world of ours one knows so little
of the life Of the next man, which. after
ell. is entirely his own concern, that
one is not surprised when the crash
comes.
ANY thing might turn up any day for
any one. Perhaps the senior subaltern
had been trapped In his youth. Men are
Gippled that way occasionally. We
didn't know; we wanted to hear, and
the Captains wives were as anxious as
we. If he had been trapped he was to
be excused, for the woman from mo-
where, in the dusty shoes and gray
travelling dress, was very lovely, with
black hair and great e-es full of tears.
She was tall. with fine figure, and her