Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-04-02

ana q CHOSEN 1eW were retained from
the millions of volunteers to close up the
records and accounts Of that vast estab-
ishment, the bureau announced that it
couldn't get along without Maj. Lawler,
and Lawler was shrewd enough to see
his way to life position. With the
brevet of lieutenant colonel for faithful
and meritorious services during a war
in which he had not once heard the
whistle of bullet, he was presently an
nounced as transferred to the permanent
establishment and duly commissioned
one of the array of officers of the regular
army.
At this time his sole acquaintance with
the gentlemen with whom his future lot
was to be cast was what he had derived
from the court martial proceedings
which for three years he had spent ten
to twelve hours a day in reviewing; and
knowing them through that medium
alone, it became somewhat difficult for
him to estimate them through any other
when at last he was ordered to duty at a
far western city as judge advocate Of a
division. He had been so many years
within the shadow of the war depart
ment that army life in any other shape
looked to him as might strange garret
to an exiled cat When he met an Of
fcer for the first time his mind reverted
to the records which he had reviewed:
this was not the man who led the as
sault on Bloody Angle at Spottsylvania,
who planted the first colors on the
heights of Mission Ridge, who made the
perilous night ride to Crook after the
disaster of the Little Horn, but the Of
ficer who preferred the charges against
Col. Blank, or who was tried for dupE-
eating pay accounts at Nashville, or who
was the unwilling witness in the case of
old Barry at Fort Fetterman.
To his pragmatical mind every soldier
was past or prospective figurant before
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 officer stood SO high as to be above
suspicion, none SO impregnable that,
judiciously handled, court could not
down him. II consider it my bounden
duty" he had once said, ssto convict an
officer if I possibly can" And while in
his regard an acquittal might temporari-
" 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
flied his original views as to teach him
that until charges were actually pre-
ferred it was not well to look upon any
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 Ienient 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
Rceived telegraphic orders to proceed at
once to Ryan and look into the matters
thus loudly heralded by the press.
Standing not upon the order of his GO
ing, he had taken the first train and
reached the post at nightfall, eager to
begin. 1t was source Of positive dis
comfort to him to find that he was ex-
pected by the post commander to dine at
Capt. Lanes; but his uneasiness was in
no wise due to the lack of proper ap-
parel. The colonel and the other officers
were in full uniform, as was army Gus
tom then, before a merciful and level
headed general authorized the wearing
of civilian evening dress on such occa-
sions. But Col Lawler was quite at
ease in travelling suit of rusty tweeds.
Morris had offered the colonel the use of
his own dress suit, and in fact had
rather urged it as due to Mrs. Lane, but
Lawler promptly replied that Mrs. Lane
must have known when she asked him
that he did not travel around on military
duty with spike tailed coat, and de-
clared that he thought it all unneces-
sary. Spike tailed coats are TOO high
toned for me, anyhow. never see a
man in one but what he reminds me of
some butler I've seen in Washington.
Morris said no more, but Mrs. Morris
had looked volumes, and it was very rue
fully indeed that the colonel presented
his visitor to their gracious hostess
Dinner was announced almost immedi-
ately, and ignoring for the time being
the young lady whom he had taken in
on his arm Lawler sat for some minutes
looking in no little surprise about him.
The sight of so much elegance at 'front.'
ier table could only convey to his mind
the vague impression of peculation in
the past. He was surprised to find that
Lane could have had no connection what
ever with section cases during the war.
And now was this young girl with the
big dark eyes, looking so frankly yet
scrutinizingly up into his face, quizzing
him? The fact that for nearly quarter
of century he had been a commissioned
officer and was now high in rank, if not
in public esteem, had given him cer-
tain self confidence of manner, and the
consciousness Of being the custodian Of
a host of official secrets added to his
sense of self Importance. Yet small and
suspicious by nature hewas forever look
ing for some covert ridicule. He had
come TO tine Doard a roraI Stranger 70
Capt. and Mrs. Lane, yet he felt a GER
tain sense of superiority to them be-
cause he could, were he so disposed, tell
that young matron a host of ugly things
about her first husband.
OF Lane himself he knew little or
nothing beyond the fact that the pro-
ceedings of courts martial Of which he
had served as judge advocate were al
ways correct. That he was known in
the fighting force of the army as brill
liant and gallant soldier, who had been
through many hard campaign and had
twice or thrice been wounded. was of no
avail in LAWYERS eyes. That might be a
very proper thing in its way, but did