The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-15

that trltie like the query we are said to
PROFOUND to Englishmen who have Just
landed? How do you like American
But | inferred that you had been
here long enough to form an opinion"
ITO form enc vaguely, perhaps, but
probably not long enough to subject it
TO the test of experience"
And do you never express opinions
until assured Of their justice? Really.
Miss Marshall, must compliment YOU
on such wisdom and discretion. You
should have been a lawyer
Eyes, colonel?-and that, understand,
is your profession. Now 1 am indeed
conplimented.
Col. LAWYERS eyes had been wander
ing about the table as lie spoke, bat now
he turned suddenly and suspiciougly
upon the girl at his side. He was Il man
CT singular mental mold. He had been
clerk il the Office Of LIS uncle. t. prom
inent lawyer in the distant east; had
had merely a common school education,
and was laboriously reading law when
his patron found himself suddenly called
upon to assume responsible duties at the
national capital, and fastened thither.
taking his clerk with him. Lawler at
that time was nearly thirty five, and had
not yet been called 10 the bar. 1t was
TIE third year of the great war. His
patron soon found that the requirements
of his Office were such that Il man OF far
higher attachments would be needed as
secretary, and, being thrifty and IN
willing to pay the salary OF clerk out
Of his own pocket, he decided on the not
unusual eXDedien5 of shunting MIN Off
on paternal government. LawIer had
no idea whatever OF entering the army
as one Of the lighting force. but the
proposition Of his uncle was almost daz-
zing. He wasn't much OF q LAWYER. TO
be sure, but quite good enough for the
purpose, said the old gentleman to him
self.
And so it resulted that the green New
Englanaer was transferred to a clerk
ship in the bureau CT military Justice.
and speedily blossolned out as a major
and Judge advocate OF volunteers. with
station in the city Of Washington. The
first thing the excellent fellow did. after
getting his uniform and sword. was to
post of to the Granite State and marry
the middle aged maiden Who for ten
years had been patiently waiting the
day when he could accumulate enough
money to buy httle home. and with
his bride he returned to honest toll at
the department. No man ever worked
harder to master the details of unaccus-
toned duties, and no man. probably.
ever encountered greater difficulties.
Eut such was his perseverance that he
became 4 walking glossary OF informa-
ton on army legal affairs. II was not
that he ever mastered the ricatias Of
marital Jurisprudence, but he knew the
inside history 0f every case that came
mp for trial in the bulky records of tie
bureau. lie could quote the charges
and Specifications preferred against any
and every officer, the findings of thn
;ourr, the names Of tne principal wit
1esses, Of tho jEdge advocate and tho
members, and little by httlG the Sep
ors il the Office had grown so to laal.
7pon his memory and his opinion that
ae became an almost Indispensable
feature.
And So when Peace once more spread
aer wings over the troubled walls OF the
capitol, and the army was sent home,
md q chosen few were retained from
5he millions Of volunteers to close up the
and accounts of that vast estab-
ishment, the bureau announced that it
get along without Maj. LAWYER,
and Lawler was shrewd enough to see
his way to q life position With the
orevet OF lieutenant colonel for faithful
and meritorious services during war
IN which he had not once heard tie
whistle Of a bullet, Inc was presently an
bounced as transferred to the permanent
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, 1t became somewhat difficult for
him to estimate them through any other
when at last he was ordered to duty at a
tar 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 garnet
20 an exiled cat. When ne met an Of
1cer for the first time his mind reverted
20 the records which he had reviewed:
ms was not the man who led the as
'atllt on Bloody Angle at Spottsylvania,
Who planted the first colors on the
heights Of Mission Ridge, who made the
1erilous night ride to Crook after the
lsaster of the Little Horn, but the of
icer who preferred the charges against
col. Blank, or who was tried for dupli-
'atlng pay accounts at Nashville, or who
vas the unwilling witness in the case Of
I'D Barry at Fort Fetterman.
10 his pragmatical mind every soldier
vas past or prospective fgurant before
court martial, and long contemplation
II innumerable counts in the shane of