San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-30

iooh al Ills TugSeu Ola IflenQ. But L ran
no risk; l have never caught anything in my
life, except a wigging from you! AS you
know, fire and water, ~fevers, accidents, and
bullets have all been near me, but all of
them missed me. I'm not afraid"
Don't make too sure, my boyl ANY way,
you stuck to me and, cross grained old char
though l am, 1 can't forget it. AS for your
wife, she and l were always chums-ever
since her p~inafore days, when her father
and i were friends. You will, l assure
you, be doing me the greatest of favors by
accepting this offer of minel Just think Il
over"
Jim Blake walked the length of the veran-
da, a thoughtful look on his handsome reso-
Lutte face-he was loath to disappoint hi,
dear old friend but, when he turned, the
Colonel saw at a glance that his mind was
made up, and the expression on his own face
changed.
"You don't mind my saying exactly what
/ think, Colonel, l know" Jim began, when
he had stationed himself, with his hands in
his pockets, exactly in front of the Colonel.
His thoughts must have been loving ones,
for Jim's honest gray eyes were filled with
a tender light and his voice was very gentle.
sit is this way. That plan of yours would
be awfully jolly, and, whatever you may
say, l can't thank you enough. But the
truth is, l feel sure my little wife would
rather come to a place Of our own, no matter
how small. / mean she will think such lot
of anything l do. She will be delighted
with all my little lodges; and-and it will
seem more like home to Nelly"
sJ ,aa n cold tha Colo,ol dolof,nr. ,yTo~-
do nothing! It's always the way whenever
l try. It's something in my manner, l sup
pose-some nasty"
'Oh, l say, don't!" cried Jim, in genuine
distress. 'You can do lots of things"
The old man was unfurling his white UNI
brella and preparing to dart forth into the
sunshine, a look of childish wrath and dis
appointment on his red face; but Jim laid .
OBTAINING hand upon his arm.
'You can help us in heaps of ways. Yo'
mentioned flowers Just now. Why, il yor
don't come to the rescue, l shall be in .
difficulty over the gardenl 1t has all to
be made. Luckily, though, we have a big
well in the compound and abundance of
water! The thing must be set going a.
once!"
81 can stock the garden, if that's all, said
the old man, in a grumbling tone.
"And chairs, " continued Jim, serenely-
'chairs are not to be had at Muncheriee's
for love or money-at least not the kind"
You shall nave piles of chairs of all
shapes" said the Colonel, with returning
amiability.
"Oh, and-well, we're not proud-cooking
pots! You take your meals at mess, know.
and 1 dare say you have kit Of a sort doing
nothing. That would be something like .
help now-pots are so COMPOUNDED dear te
buy"
The Colonel frightened up considerably,
and, when he had been asked for a few more
concessions, was himself again. Then, af.
ter assisting to plan the future garden
and devoting some little time to ways and
means, he marched off, in a measure con.
soled. Z
Jim watched him as he proceeded along
the straight glaring road leading into the
camp, till the stout figure dwindled to a mere
dot beneath the huge umbrella. q
The doctor had strolled in, and, with o
frown, he stood beside his brother-oficer
watch the umbrella till IT was out Of sight. 4
"Poor old boy, I'm afraid he's seedy-he's
so confoundedly touchyl" remarked jim.
Rum old chap, but as good as goldl It's
about time he cleared out, though 1 should
not wonder if he hangs on for a brigade. He
will hate handing over the reins. l believe,
when it comes to his last parade, he'll cry
like a baby" =
There's no use my speaking to him." the
doctor remarked, with a shrug. "Five-and-
tb;rtv n,, l.. ths. nLA-,.rolI. .o,,-A.-
without going home, is about as much as Q
man can standl He is as yellow as a guinea,
and his heart is like a sponge. A spell OF
excessive heat or the least excitement would
carry hin off like a shot. By the way, ]
came to tell you that that ill-conditioned
brute Shaik Ibrahim is off the sick-list at
last" ]
"Oh, all right! I've been suspecting him
Of malingering-in fact, l suspect him of
more than that-but the Colonel won't listen
to a word against him.. The %scoundrel knows
I've got my eye upon him; but he's deuced
cunning" 1
"He is a COMPOUNDED rascal, and no mis-. !
take; but his illness was genuine enough
this time. For days we had a job to make
him taste food. He's all right again now;
but there are two men l should be thankful
to see safe out of the regiment-our poor oil
c. o. and Shaik Ibrahim."
1t was only a four-wheeled cab, laden
with luggage, driving away, and five little
hearts that were breaking, and five little
sodden handkerchiefs that would not wave
because they were so wet and heavy with
tears, and, when the cab had turned the cor!
ner and they had looked their last upon the