Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-04-09

cused him from parade
81 reported the absence to Col. Nor
ris, and he tells me there may have been
some such understanding, sergeant. AT
all events, as Col. Lawler has gone. he
would give Welsh the benefit Of the
doubt; SO we have nothing further to do
with that matter"
Wren ground his teeth as he briskly
strobe back to his quarters.
"What does the loot'nant say?, de-
manded Duffy. as he with half dozen
of his comrades clustered about the Of
fee, eagerly watching the sergeants
face and his clinching hands as he re-
turned.
Nothing. Don't ask questions now,
you men. The lieutenant can't do any
thing to him; the colonel won't let
him."
ssThe colonel won't, is it?n said Duffy,
/ with wrathful grin. ''Be jabers, if !
were colonel I'd command my regiment,
and no damned newspaper man would
4 scare me out of it. It's The Palladium
that commands Fort Ryan tonight, and
that blackguard Welsh is post adiutant
more shame to us all!''
ssSilence, there, Duffyl No more OF
I that talkr' ordered Wren, as he banged
| to the door of his own little den, and the
1 knot of troopers scattered away. s'All
the same" muttered he to his faithful
second, Sergt. Ross, ''Duffy only tells the
truth, and damn me if ever thought
the day would come when my old chief
4 would knuckle down like that"
And if in garrison circles that night il
was predicted that something would be
( the outcome of the detail of Welsh fol
4 guard duty, no one was destined to dis
appointment. He appeared at the ap-
pointed time, and was curiously scanned
+ by the other members of the troop, as
carbine in hand, he came slowly and in
differently down the stairway just as
4 the trumpets began to sound the Assem-
bly, of the details. Unluckily for every
body who hoped to see Welsh brought
up with a round turn by the snappy
\ young adjutant, a drizzling rain had sci
in, and undress guard mounting in over
I coats was the result. We1sh's forage
cap and accouterments might past mus
( ter in shower, but his full dress rie
every man knew to be wofully out oi
shape, and such was the fellows unpop
ularity among his comrades by this time
that audible regrets were expressed By
the men that the weather had 'sgont
back on them"
s'Step out, there.'' shouted Wren sharp
! ly to the dawdling soldier, as he gave
the command to fall in.
sect a move on you, Misther Welsh,
laughed Duffy from the upper gallery.
'sOr don't they ever shtep out in the ex
4 cellent family down east? Sure, isn't he
a fine looking, intelligent young man
of 25?p
twenty-five? Faith, it's thirty-si,
in months he'd get if / was command
ing" muttered Kerrigan. '.How are
your patriotic motives this morning, Mis-
ter Americana -Blood-with- th-the-Asshumed
Name?7
Sure his name is Dennis" laughed
Duffy again. 'tQuit your sneering, Ker
rigan. The young soldiers eyes are
blazing with pent up feelings again
don't you see!" And indeed most ma,
lignant scowl was that which Welsh
launched aloft at his prosecutors, whose
fun was cut short by the stern voice OF
Sergt. Ross ordering silence. And in an
other moment the detail Of g troop was
dancing away in double time, with a
parting adjuration from Duffy not to gC
too fast; sits to aisy to set the blood
boiling in Welsh's veins, anyhow"
1t was in the ugliest possible mood
that Welsk tossed up his carbine for the
inspection Of the officer Of the guard
He had expected to pose as a hero and
martyr. But whatever might be the
mistaken sentiments aroused in the east
by the efforts of paper that had ex
hausted local well springs of scandal anG
sensation, here among those who knew
the facts, and, above all, knew him, ht
had gained only ridicule and contempt
In all the garrison, now that Goss was
gone. there was not soldier who hat
ever stood his friend. In his own trooI
especially, where the rank and file were
devoted to their young lieutenant, there
was wrath and indignation at his ex
pense, and well he knew that nothing
but discipline saved him from ducking
in the river or a hearty kicking down ths
barrack stairs. Still, with Abrams II
stand by him and The Palladium tc
champion his cause, he felt secure
against fate; only he had thought to b.
looked upon as hberator and Leader
among the men, and they were all laugh
ing at him. This was bitter indeed. HI
almost hoped that the adjutant woulC
order him back, replaced by the super
numerary, for the rust he knew to b
about the breech block of his carbine
and which the officer of the guard woult
be sure to discover. But the young lieu
tenant contented himself with pointing
to it with white gloyed finger and pass
ing on, probably thinking it best to ge
him on duty at any price.
All day long on guard the men ha'
taken frequent occasion to declaim quo
tations from The Palladium, until b,
evening stables they had rung tn
changes on Welsh's excellent fa1nil,
connections, his American blood, hi
patriotic motives in enlisting, his ardo
for the flag and his fidelity to his oath
until he was ready to wish to HEAVIER
The Palladium had singled out anybod.
else to be the martyr for its preconcert
ed exposition of official tyranny in tn,
army, and heartily sick of the part h
! had been induced to play.
But where, meantime, was Abrams
The day wore by, and not once had h
come to the garrison, and Welsh. sullil,
plodding up and down his muddy pos
near the stables, and knowing well tina
every time the men looked at him o
nudged each other in the ribs they wer
guying him, had earnest desire to Sc
his champion. and to prevent the publ
cation of other letters they had project
ed, since the only effect, locally, of tn
assault upon the good name of his younI
officer was to bring down the indigna
ton of the enlisted men upon himself
1t only made him rage the more spite
fully against Hearn, and he longed TO
an opportunity to vent his spleen.
When the devil is working in tn
human breast opportunity is seldom
lacking. The evening gun had thun
dered, the last notes of the retreat
had died away, and the sun, that ha'
been obscured all morning, went dow
in golden radiance, leaving sheen o
, beautiful color lingering along the cres