The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-08-06

afresh. The senior subaltern was halt
choked with the arms around his neck,
but he gasped out: " It's falsel / never
had wife in my life" WE'LL" said
the colonel, "Come into the mess.
We must sift this clear somehow"
and he sighed to himself, for he be-
lieved in his Shikarris," did the
colonel.
We trooped into the ante-room, UNI
der the full lights, and there he saw
how beautiful the woman was. She
stood up in the middle of us all, some
times choking with crying, then hard
and proud, and then holding out her
arms to the senior subaltern. 1t was
like the fourth act of a tragedy. She
told us how the senior subaltern had
married her when he was home on
leave eighteen months before; and she
seemed to know all that we knew, and
more too, of his people and his past
life. He was white and ashy gray,
trying now and again to break into the
torrent of her words; and we, noting
how lovely she was and what a criminal
he looked, esteemed him beast of the
worst kind. We felt sorry for him,
though.
shall never forget the indictment of
the senior subaltern by his wife, nor
will he. 1t was so sudden, rushing out
of the dark unannounced into our dull
lives. The captains wives stood back,
but their eyes were alight, and you
could see that they had already con-
victed and sentenced the senior subal-
tern. The colonel seemed five years
older. One major was shading his
eyes with his hand and watching the
woman from underneath it. Another
was chewing his moustache and smiling
quietly, as if he were witnessing play,
Full in the open space, in the center,
| by the whist tables the senior subal-
terms terrier was hunting for fleas.
remember all this as clearly as though
photograph were in my hand. l re-
member the look of horror on the
senior subaltern's face. 1t was rather
like seeing man hanged, but much
more interesting. Finally the woman
wound up by saying that the senior
subaltern carried a double F.M. in
tattoo on his left shoulder. We all
knew that, and to our innocent minds
it seemed to clinch the matter. But
one of the bachelor majors said, very
politely: {" presume that your mar
riage certificate would be more to the
purpose"
That reused the woman. She stood
up and sneered at the senior subaltern
for cur and abused the major and the
colonel and all the rest. Then she wept,
and then she pulled a paper from her
breast, saying, imperially: Take that
and let my husband my lawfully
welded husband-read it aloud if he
darer'
There was hush, and the men looked
into each others eyes as the senior sub
altern came forward in a dazed and
dizzy way and took the paper. We
were wondering, as we stared, whether
there was anything against any one of
us that might turn up later on. The
senior subaltern's throat was dry but,
as he ran his eye over the paper, he
broke out into hoarse cackle of relief,
and said to the woman: You young
blackguard!"
But the woman had fled through
door, and on the paper was written:
"This is to certify that l, The Worm,
have paid in full my debts to the senior
subaltern, and further, that the senior
subaltern is my debtor, by agreement
on the 23d of February, as by the mess
attested, to the extent of one months
captains pay, in the lawful currency of
the India Empire"
Then a deputation set off for The
Worms quarters and found him, be-
twiXt and between, unlacing his stays,
with the hat, wig, serge dress, etc., on
the bed. He came over as he was, and
the " Shikarris " shouted till the gun
ners' mess sent over to know if they
might have a share of the fun. think
we were all, except the colonel and the
senior subaltern, little disappointed
that the scandal had come to nothing.
But that is human nature. There could
be no two words about The Worms
acting. 1t leaned as near to a nasty
tragedy as anything this side of joke
can.
When most of the subalterns sat upon
him with sofa cushions to find out why
he had not said that acting was his
strong point, he answered, very quietly:
4" l don't think you ever asked me.
used to act at home with my sisters"
But no acting with girls could account
for The Worms display that night.
Personally | think it was in bad taste,
besides being dangerous. There is no
sort of use in playing with fire even for
fun.
The "Shikarris " made him presi-
dent of the regimental dramatic club,
and When the senior subaltern paid up
his debt, which he did at once, The
Worm sank the money in scenery and
dresses. He was a good Worm, and
the " Shikarris " are proud of him.
The only drawback is that he has been
christened I" Mrs. Senior Subaltern, -
and as there are now two Mrs. Senior
Subalterns in the station this is some
times confusing to strangers. -Rud-
gard Kpling.
Deafness Can't he Cured