Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-08-22
sTAUNToN, VIRGINIA, AUGUST %, $780,

middle of US all, sometimes choking with
crying, then hard and proud, and then
holding out her arms to the senior subal-
tern. 1t was like the fourth act of trag
edy. 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 criminal he looked, esteemed
him a 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.
It was SO sudden, rushing out of the dark
unannounced into our dull lives. The cap
tains' wives stood back, but their eyes
were alight, and you could see that they
had already convicted and sentenced the
senior subaltern. The colonel seemed five
years older. One major was shading his
eyes with his hand and watching the wom-
an from underneath it. Another was chew
ing his mustache and smiling quietly as if
he were witnessing a play. Full in the
open space in the center by the whist tables
the senior subalterns terrier was hunting
lOE Illus. IcIllCllDCI I'LL UulS us CltdI1y Dis
though photograph were in my hand.
remember the look of horror on the senior
subaltern's face 1t was rather like seeing
a man hanged, but much more interesting.
Finally the woman wound up by saying
that the senior subaltern carried 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: II
presume that your marriage certificate
would be more to the purpose?"
That reused the woman. She stood up
and sneered at the senior subaltern for a
cur and abused the major and the colonel
and all the rest. Then she wept and then
she pulled paper from her breast saying
imperially: "Take that! And let my hus-
band-my lawfully welded husband-read
it aloud if he dare!"
There was hush and the men looked
into each others eyes as the senior subal-
tern came forward in dazed and dizzy
way and took the paper. We were won
dering, 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 blackguardr'
But the woman had fled through door,
and on the paper was written: "This is to
certify that I, The Worm, have paid in full
my debts to the senior subaltern, and fur
ther, 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 cur
rency of the India empire
Then a deputation set eff for The Worms
quarters and found him, betwixt and be-
tween, unlacing his stays, with the hat,
wig, serge dress, ETC., on the bed. He
came over as he was, and the "Shi-
harris" shouted till the gunners' mess
sent over to know if they might have
share of the fun. I think we were all, ex-
cept the colonel and the senior subaltern,
a little disappointed that the scandal had
come to nothing. But that is human ma
ture. 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, "I don't
think you ever asked me. 1 used to act at
nome WIN my S1SIerS. bu6 no actlHS
with girls could account for The Worms
display that night. Personally think it
was in bad taste, beside being dangerous.
There is no sort of use in playing with fire
even for fun.
The "Shikarris" made him president 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 'Mrs. Senior Subaltern."
and as there are now two Mrs. Senior Sub
a1terns in the station this is sometimes
confusing to STRANGERS -RudYard Kinlino