San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-27

~. ic:snk, or VINO was tried fSl~dupI
eating pay accounts at Nashville, or VIII
was the unwilling witness in the case Q
old Barry at Fort Fetterman.
To his pragmatical mind every soldie
was past or prospective figurant befor
a court martial, and long contemplation
of innumerable counts in the shape Of
specifications had so charged his MIND
with distrust of his fellow men that
whatsoever might be his rank or record,
no oiIcer stood so high as to be above
suspicion. none so impregnable that,
iudiciously handled, a court could not
| down him. Il consider it my bounden
duty" he had once said, Ito convict an
officer if possibly can" And while in
his regard an acquittal might temporari-
ly and partially vindicate the party ac-
cused, it must forever blight the fair
fame of the judge advocate who tried
the case
Some years of rubbing had so far mod
lied his original views as to teach him
that until charges We're actually pre-
ferred it was not well to look upon anv
of his new associates as actually and alb
solutely attainted; but once that formal
ity had been accomplished, prima facie
evidence of guilt was firmly established,
and only with reluctance and inward, if
not active. rebellion could he bring him
self to accept verdict otherwise. Pro-
ceedings of courts which convicted he
skinned through with lenient eve:
there could be no error there; but when,
as was his invariable custom, he glanced
at the findings before beginning the re-
view. and there discovered the unwel-
come words mot guilty." no vigilance
could exceed that with which he scruti-
nized every line of the record, hoping
anywhere to light upon flaw. Friends
in the service at large he neither sought
nor made Secure in his position, abste-
mious, frugal and even niggardly, he had
no small vices on which to trip. Life to
him was one long contemplation of the
failings of his fellow men.
And this was the gentleman who
being on some temporary investigation
within the lines of the department, had
telegraphic orders to proceed at
once to Ryan and look into the matters
;hus loudly heralded by the press.
not upon the order of his 60
ng, he had taken the first train and |
cached the post at nightfall, eager to |
'egin. 1t was source of positive dis
comfort to him to find that he was ex-
,ected by the post commander to dine at |
apt. Lanes; but his uneasiness was in
10 wise due to the lack of proper ap-
'&rel, The colonel and the other officers
we're in full uniform, as was army Gus !
ON then, before a merciful and level
leaded general authorized the wearing
# civilian evening dress on such occa-
ions But Col. Lawler was quite at I
ase in travelling suit of rusty tweeds. |
1orris had offered the colonel the use of
rs own dress suit, and in fact had |
ather urged it as due to Mrs. Lane, but
4awler promptly replied that Mrs. Lane
must have known when she asked him
hat he did not travel around on military
uty with spike tailed coat, and de-
Jared that he thought it all unneces-
airy. Spike tailed coats are TOO high
oned for me, anyhow | never see a
nan in one but what he reminds me of1
o1le butler I've seen in Washington"
Morris said no more, but Mrs Morris
ed looked volumes, and it was very rue
ally indeed that the colonel presented
is visitor to their gracious hostess.
Dinner was announced almost immedi.
-, and ignoring for the time Icing
he young lady whom he had taken in
II his arm Lawler sat for some minutes
boxing in no little surprise about him.
he sight of so much elegance at 'front.'
er table could only convey to his mind
he vague impression of peculation in
he past. He was surprised to find that
Iane could have had no connection what
yer with cotton cases during the war
And now was this young girl with the
ig dark eyes, looking 50 frankly yet
up into his face, quizzing
nm? The fact that for nearly a quarter
# a century he had been a commissioned |
'ficer and was now high in rank, if not |
n public esteem, had given him a GER
ain self confidence of manner, and the |
of being the custodian of |
host of official secrets added to his |
ense Of self Importance Yet small and |
uspicious by nature he was forever look
ng for some covert ridicule. He had |
ONE to the board total stranger to |
apt. and Mrs. Lane, yet he felt a GER
ain sense of superiority to them be- |
anse he could, were he so disposed, tell
hat young matron host of ugly things
bout her first husband.
Of Lane himself he knew little or