Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1890-10-16
HIS Welded WIFE.

BY RUDYARD KIPLING.

BY RUDYARD KIPLING.
Shakespeare says something about
worms, or it may be gnats or beetles,
turning if you tread on them too severely.
The safest plan is never to tread on a
W orm-nOt even on the last new subal-
tern from home, with his buttons 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 Faizanne "The
WOrm," although he was an exceedingly
pretty boy, without hair on his face,
and with a waist like a girls, when he
came out to the Second Shikarris" and
was made unhappy in several ways. The
Shikarris'' are high-caste regiment,
and you must be able to do things we'll
play banjo, or ride more than little, or
sing or act-to get on with them.
Tie 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 them
selves to eradicate. Every one knows
how subalterns are, by brother subal-
terms, softened and not permitted to be
ferocious. 1t is good and wholesome,
and does no one any harm unless tempers
are lost, and then there is trouble.
The Shikarris' shikarred The Worm
very much, and he bore everything with
out 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 lis own devices by every one
except the senior subaltern, who contin-
ued to make life a burden to The Worm
The senior subaltern meant no harm, but
his chaH was coarse, and he didn't under.
stand where to stop. He had been wait
ing too long for his company, and that
always sOurs man. Also he was ir
love, which made him worse.
One day, after he had borrowed The
Worms tap for lady who had never
existed. had used it himself all the after
noon. had sent note to The Worm, pur
porting to come from the lady, and was
telling the mess all about it, The Worn
rose in his place and said, in his quiet
lady-like voice "Tha5 was very
pretty sell; but I'll lay you a month:
pay to a months pay when you get youl
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 up
ward 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 book with a
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. | 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
scof1ed, those two were engaged.
The senior subaltern was so pleased
with getting his company and his accept
ance at the same time, that he forgot to
bother The Worm. The girl was 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. wee sitting on the platform out
side The "a. - house. The band had fin
ished pla,:ug, but no one wanted TO 90
in. a nu Tie captains wives were there
also. The folly of man in love is I'M
limited. The senior subaltern had been
holding forth on the merits of the girl
he was engaged TO, and the ladies were
murmuring approval, while the men
yawned, when there was rustic of skirts
IN the dark, and tired, faint voice lifted
itself:
Where's my husband?"
do not wish in the least to reflect on
the morality of the "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 come from home
unbeknownsr. The fourth said that he
had acted on the impulse of the moment.
He explained this afterward.
Then the voice cried: 80 Lionel,
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
sohbing. We rose to our feet. feeling
that things We're going 10 happen, amt
ready To believe the worst. ia this bad
small world of ours, one knows So little
of the life of the next man, which,