Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-12-12
one is not surprised when the crasl.

the Captains wives were as anxious as
we. II he had been trapped he was to
be excused, for the woman from no
where, in the dusty shoes and gray
travelling dress, was very lovely, with
black hair and great eyes full of tears.
She was tall, with fine figure, and her
voice had running sob in it pitiful to
hear. As soon as the senior subaltern
stood up she threw her arms around his
neck and called him my darling and
said she could not bear waiting alone in
England, and his letters were so short
and cold, and she was his to the end Of
the world, and would he forgive her?
This did not sound quite like lady's
way of speaking. 1t was too demonstra-
tive.
Things seemed black indeed, and the
Captains wives peered under their eye
brows at the senior subaltern, and the
Colonel's face set like the day Of judg-
ment framed in gray bristles and no
one spoke for awhile.
Next the Colonel said, very shortly:
swell, sir?" and the woman sobbed
afresh. The senior subaltern was half
choked with the arms around his neck,
but he gasped out: "It's false! l never
had wife in my life!"
SWELL" said the Colonel, ''come into
the mess. We must sift this clear some-
how," and he sighed to himself, for he
believed in his "Shikarris," did the
Colonel
We trooped into the ante-room, under
the full lights, and there we saw how
beautiful the woman was. She stood up
in the middle of US all, sometimes chok-
ing with crying, then hard and proud,
and then holding out her arms to the
senior subaltern. 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 peo-
pie 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 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-
| u{o foI o1I canfnnnnd hn oaninr h
altern. 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 mustache and smiling
quietly, as if he were witnessinga play.
Full in the open space, in the center,
by the whist tables, the senior sub.
altern's terrier was hunting for fieas.
/ premember all this as clearly as
though photograph were in my hand.
/ remember the look of horror on the
senior subaltern's face 1t was rathez
like seeing "a man hanged, but much
more interesting Finally the woman
wound up by saying that the senior sub
altern carried double +. M. in tattoo
on his left shoulder. We all knew that,
and to our innocent minds 1t seemed tc
clinch the matter. But one Of the
bachelor Majors said, very politely; 80
presume that your marriage certificate
would be more to the purpose"
That reused the woman. She stood
up and sneered at the senior subalterr
for a cur, and abused the Major ant
the Colonel and all the rest. Then she
wept and then she pulled paper from
her breast, saying imperially: "Taks
that! and let my husband-my Lawful
husband-read 1t aloud II he darep'
There was hush, and the men looked
into each others eyes as the senior sub
altern came forward in dazed and
dizzy way and took the paper. We
were wondering, as we stared, whether
there was any thing against any one o
us that might turn up later on. Th'
senior subaltern's throat was dry; but
as he ran his eyes over the paper, h'
broke out into a hoarse cackle of relief
and said to the woman: "You younl
blackguardp
But the woman 'had fed through {
door, and on the paper was written
'"This is to certify that l, The Worm
have paid in full my debts to the senio
subaltern, and further, that the senio
subaltern is my debtor. bYnagreemen
on the 9Sd of February,!as ~ the mes
attested, to the extent u onA month
Captains pay, in the lawful Currency @
the Indian Empire"
Then deputation set off for Tn
Worms quarters, and found him, be
twixt and between, unlacing his stays
with the hat, wig, serge AFess, ETC.. OF
the bed. He came over asshe was, an,
the "Shikarris" shouted until the gun
ners' mess sent over to know II the.
might have share of the fun. i thinl
we were all, except the Colonel and tn
senior subaltern, little disappointed
that the scandal had come tp nothing
But that Is human nature - Their
could be no two words ABOUT Tn
Worms acting. 1t leaned assnAar to
nasty tragedy as any thing ide O
joke can. ~
When most of the subalterns set upo1
him with sofa cushions to find out VIII
he had not said that acting was hi
strong point, he answered, very quietly
81 don't think you ever asked me.
used to act at home with my sisters
But no acting with girls could &C
count for The Worms display tina
night Personally, | think it was 4
bad taste, besides being dangerous
There is no use in playing with fire
even for fun.
The "Shikarris" made him presiden
of the regimental dramatic club, an
when the senior subaltern paid up hi
debt which he did at once, The Worr
sank the money in scenery and dresse:
He is good Worm, and the ''Shikarris
are proud of him. The only drawbac
is that he has been christened "Mr:
Senior Subaltern," and as there are no,
tive Mrs Senior Slbalterns in the sta