Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-03-27

eyebrows at the senior subaltern, ana
the colonels face set like the day OF
Judgment framed in gray bristles, and
no one spoke for awhile.
Next the colonel said very shortly,
well, sir?" and the woman sobbed
afresh. The senior subaltern was half
choked with the arms round his neck,
but he gasped out. Its d lie!
never had a wife in my life!" Don't
swear" said the colonel. Come into
the mess. We must sift this clear
somehow" And he sighed to himself.
for he believed in his ''Shikarris," did
the colonel.
We trooped into the ante-room under
the full lights, and there we saw how
beautiful the woman was. She stood
up in the middle of us all. sometimes
choking with crying, then hard and
proud, and then holding out her arms
to the senior subaltern. 1t was like
the fourth act of a tragedy. She told
us how the senior subaltern had mar
ried her when he was home on leave
IS months before, and seemed to know
all we knew, and more, too, OF his
people and his past life. He was white
and ashy gray, trying now and again
to break into the torrent of her words;
and we, noting how lovely she was
and what a criminal he looked, esteemed
him a beast OF the worst kind. We
felt sorry for him, though.
shall never forget tho indictment
nj 1>,l l. 4.
Nor will he. 1t was so sudden, rush
ing out OF the dark unannounced into
our dull lives. The captains wives
stood back, but their eyes were alight,
and you could see that they had al
ready convicted and sentenced the Sc
Nor subaltcrn. The colonel seemed
five years older.
Finally the woman wound up by say
ing that the senior subaltern carried a
double F. M. in tattoo on his left shout
der. We all knew that, and to our in
nocent minds it seemed to clinch the
matter, But one Of the bachelor majors
said very politely, II presume that
your marriage certificate would be more
to the purpose?"
up and sneered at the senior subaltern
for a cur. and abused the major and
the colonel, and all the rest. Then she
wept and then she pulled a paper from
her breast, saying imperiously, Take
that! And let my husband-my law.
fully welded husband-read it aloud IL
he dare!"
The senior subaltern's throat was
dry; but, as he ran his eyes over the
paper, he broke out into hoarse
cackle of relief and said to the woman,
"You young blackguard"
But the woman fled through door,
and on the paper was written: This
is to certify that /, The Worm, have
paid in full my debts to the senior SUBJ
altern; and, further, that the senior
subaltern is my debtor, by agreement
on the Esd of February, as by the mess
attested, to the extent of one months
captains pay In the lawful currency of
the Indian Empire"
Then a deputation set off for The
Worms quarters, and found him, be-
tvfxt and between, unlacing his stays,
AVA oAAO AAoo, W. oOA q y III Cooy OoSsy vi
the bed. He came over as he was, and
the "shikarris" shouted till the gum
ners' mess sent over to know If they
were all, except the colonel and the
senior subaltern, a little disappointed
that the scandal had come to nothing.
But that is human nature. There
could be no two words about The
Worms acting. 1t leaned as near to a
nasty tragedy as anything this side of
a joke can.
The "Shikarris" made him president
of the regimental dramatic club, and
when the senior subultern paid up his
debt, which he did at once, The Worm
sank the money in scenery and dresses.
He was good Worm and the "Shi-
harris" are proud of him. The only
drawback is that he has been christen-
ed "Mrs. Senior Subaitern," and. az
there are now two Mrs. Senior Sub
alterns in the station this is sometimes
confusing to strangers.
RUDYARD KILLING.