The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-08-13

" n
|W'NitHf&21 The safest plan is
M1E4S$32S(SqX never to tread on a
worm not even to the last new sub
altern from home, with his buttons
hardly out of tissue paper, and the
red OF sappy English beef in his cheeks.
This is the story OF the worm that
turned. For the sake of brevity we
will call Henry Augustus Ramsay Faiz-
anne "The Worm" although he was
an exceedingly pretty boy, without a
hair on his face and with a waist like
a girls, when he came out to the Sc
cond "Shixarris" and was made I'M
unhappy in several ways. The "Shi-
harris are high-caste regiment, and
you must be able to do things we'll
play a banjo, or ride more than little,
or sing, or act-to get on with them.
The Worm did nothing except fall
off his pony and knock chips out of
the gate posts with his trap. Even
that became monotonous after time
He objected to whist, cut the cloth at
billiards, sang out of tune, kept very
much to himself, and wrote to his
mamma and sisters at home. Four
OF these five things were vices which
the "Shikarris" objected to and set
themselves to eradicate. Every one
knows how subalterns are by brother
subalterns softened and not permitted
to be ferocious. 1t is good and whole
some and does no one any harm I'M
less tempers are lost, and then there
is trouble. There was man once
but that is another story.
The "Shikarris" shikarred The
Worm very much, and he bore every
thing without winking. He was so
good and so anxious to learn, and
flushed so pink, that his education
was cut short, and he was left to his
own devices by every one except the
senior subaltern, who continued to
make life a burden to The Worm.
The senior subaltern meant no harm,
but his chaff was coarse, and he didn't
quite understand where to stop. He
had been waiting too long for his COM
pany, and that always sours a man.
| Also, he was in love, which made him
) | worse.
One day, after he had borrowed
. The Worms trap for o. lady who
\ never existed, had used it himself
all the afternoon, had sent q note
!. to The Worm, purporting tc
I come from the lady, and was telling
the mess all about it. The Worn
rose in his place and said, in his quite
lady-like voice: "That was q very
pretty sell; but I'll lay you MONTH
pay when you get your step that
work sell on you that you'll remem
Der for the rest of your days, and tn,
regiment after you when you're deat
or broke" The Worm wasn't angr.
in the least, and the rest OF the mes
shouted. Then the senior subalterl
looked at The Worm from the boot
upward and down again, and said
"Done, Baby" The Worm took tn
! rest of the mess to witness that TIL
bet had been taken, and retired int
book with q sweet smile.
Two months passed and the senio
u subaltern still educated The Worn
ssh who began to- move about q littl
4. more as the hot weather came on.
have said that the senior subalter
CHI was in love. The curious thing il
=, that girl was in love with the senic
est subaltern. Though the colonel sal
US awful things, and the majors snorte'
ssfn and married captains looked unutte
III.
IN. able wisdom, and the juniors scoffe'
ut those two were engaged.
ose The senior subaltern was so please
oe, with getting his company and h
Tho acceptance at the same time that
are forgot to bother The Worm. The q
sell was a pretty girl and had money
est her own. She does not come into tn
story at all.
10. One night at the beginning of the h'
Ind weather all the mess except The WorI
s. who had gone to his own room
- write home letters, were sitting on t.
platform outside the ss-hous
The band had finished playing but
8 one wanted to- go in. And the captain
wives were there also. The fol
of man in love is unlimited. T
senior subaltern had been holdi
forth on the merits of the girl hew
engaged to and the ladies we
purring approval, while the m
yawned, when there was rustic
skirts in the dark and tired, TAI
n voice lifted itself:
F., IA "Where my husbandY"
o. I do not wish in the least to refi'
on the morality of the "Shikarri'
but it is on record that four m
Jumped up as if they had been sh'
Three of them were married mi
Perhaps they were afraid that tn
wives had come from home un
knownst. Thefourth said that he h
acted on the impulse OF the nome
= He explained this afterward.
The voice cried "Oh. Lionell' Lio
!, a. was the senior subaltern's name.
woman came into the little circle
. lipht by the candles on the peg tab
stretching out her hands to the d.
where the senior subaltern was, 9
sobbing. We rose to our feet feel
that things were going to happen,
ready to believe the worst. In
bad. small world of ours one knt
so little of the life OF the next m
which after all is entirely his own
Germ, that one is not surprised W
a crash comes.
ANYTHING might turn up any
for any one. Perhaps the senior
atern had been trapped in his yo
Men are crippled that way occasl
ally. We didn't know-we wal
l. to hear; and the captains wives
as anxious as we. II he had I
trapped he was to be excused, Tor
woman from no where, in the dt
shoes and gray travelling dress,
very lovely, with black hair
rrent eyes full of tears. She was
With a fine figure, and her voice
a running sob in it pitiful to h