Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-03-26

with black hair and great eyes full OF
tears. She was tall, with a fine figure,
and her voice had a running sob in it |
pitiful to hear. As soon as the senior /
subaltern stood up she threw her arms |
round 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 quiet like lady's way of speak
ing. 1t was too demonstrative.
Things seemed black indeed, and
the captains wives peered under their
eyebrows at the senior subaltern, and
the coloners face set like the day OF
Judgment framed in gray bristles, and
no one spoke for awhile.
Next the colonel said very shortly,
''Well, sir?" and the woman sobbed
afresh. The senior subaltern was half
choked with the arms round his neck,
but he gasped out, ''It's a d lie!
l never had n wife in my life!' DON'T
swear" said the colonel. "Come into
the mess. We must sift this clear
somehow" 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
choking with crying, then hard and
proud, and then holding out her arms
to the senior subaltern. 1t was like
the fourth act of tragedy. She told
us how the senior subaltern had mar
ried her when he was home on leave
Is months before, and seemed to know
all 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 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, rush.
ing 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 al.
ready convicted and sentenced the Sc.
Nor subaltern. The colonel seemed
five years older.
Finally the woman wound up by say
ing that the senior subaltern carried {
double F. M. in tattoo on his left shoul
der. We all knew that, and to our in
! l, 70 ali hx
matter, But one of the bachelor majors
said very politely, II presume tina
your marriage certificate would be more
to the purpOsep"
That reused the woman. She stoo(
up and sneered at the senior subalterI
for cur, and abused the major ant
the colonel, and all the rest. Then sh'
wept, and then she pulled paper from
her breast, saying imperiously, 'Tak
that! And let my husband-my law
fully welded husband-read it aloud
he dare"
The senior subaltern's throat wa
dry; but, as he ran his eyes over tn
paper, he broke out into hOars
cackle of relief and said to the woman
''You young blackguard!"
But the woman fed through door
and on the'paper was written: ''Thi
is to certify that I, The Worm, hav
} paid in full my debts to the senior sub
altern; and, further, that the seniO
subaltern is my debtor, by agreemen
on the Esd of February, as by the mes
: attested, to the extent of one month
captains pay in the lawful currency 9
} the Indian Empire"
} Then a deputation set of for TIL
/ Worms quarters, and found him, be
twixt and between, unlacing his stays
with the hat, wig, serge dress, ETC., o
the bed. He came over as he was, an
| the .sshikarris" shouted till the CUR
ners' mess sent over to know if the
, were all, except the colonel and tn
senior subaltern, little disappointe
l that the scandal had come to nothing
: But that is human nature. Thei
: could be no two words about III
l Worms acting. 1t leaned as near to
r nasty tragedy as anything this side
a joke can.
The ..Shikarris" made him presidel
t of tho regimental dramatic club, al
!, when the senior subultern paid up h
9 debt, which he did at once, The Wor
: sank the money in scenery and dresse
Q He was good Worm and the ISL
e harris" are proud OF him. The on
; draw back is that he has been christie
a ed Mrs. Senior Subaitern," and.
T. there are now two Mrs. Senior Su
n alterns in the station, this is sometim
d confusing to strangers.
|. RUDYARD KILLING.
Is