Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-06-04
HONEYMOON HALL.

The sun strikes hot at Kurrachee
in Scinde.
Kurrachee is built upon the sand
and sand is a terrible spoilsport
With no pig sticking, no shooting anC
no cricket except ON sand puddled int
asphalt, the chief amusements of the
British warrior are brandy and sodi
| and Irritation.
Kurrachee is the lovemalcingest
station in all the glowing east, ant
the lovemal1ing is of the sort that
ends in surplices and white favors-
not Of malice aforethought on the
part Of the men, but because there is
no help for them. There is sand all
around and they cannot run
The wary mother of maiTiageable
'spins" knew this, and regards Kur-
rachee with the calm content of a
huntsman, who has got all his earths
nicely stopped.
Thus it was that a great want
came to be felt at Kurrachee in
Scinde. There was no place to spend
the honeymoon in. In that great
sandy plain, the acquisition Of which
cost England oceans of blood, and
one awful pun-grim old Charlie Ma
piers "Peccavi"-there was not an
oasis big enough to accommodate the
smallest pair of love birds that ever
billed in a cage.
At length the g1Tmbles Of rapidly
mating couples grew SO loud and long
that they reached the ears Of one Cow
asjee Readymoney BottlewallaK-an
astute Parsee financier with an eye
TO the main chance.
Cowasjee set about rectifying mat
ters in a truly commercial spirit.
He selected a site five miles out in
the desert, wrested it from its lawful
owners, the jackals, and there build
ed and furnished large bungalow,
which he dubbed Honeymoon Hail.
From that day to this Honeymoon
Hall has lived up to its nomenclature,
and Cowasjee Readymoney Bottle
wallah's rupee bags have grown pie
thoric.
Of all the officers in her majesty's
Two Hundredth Foot who arrived at
Kurrachee in state of single bless
edness, only two remained who had
not passed through period of re-
tirement at Honeymoon Hall.
Colonel Spriggins and Charlie Han
cock remained as yet uncaptured-
solitary monuments to the once in
vincible bachelorhood of the regi-
nent.
The chief was a confirmed woman
hater and never gave the ladies a
chance, while the gay lieutenant was
such an arrant flirt that the most
strategic mamma could not lay him
by the heels.
The colonel and Hancock sat in
the veranda of the mess bungalow.
1t was the day before the regimental
ball, and the two were discussing ar
rangements.
Look here" growled the colonel
at last. 81 hope to goodness, Han
cock, you won't go and get foored
tomorrow night. 1 must have one
unmarried man in the regiment be-
sides myself for common decency's
sake. "
Right you are, colonel, laughed
Charlie; never fear for me. Well
be the last of the Mohicans together
but l mean to have my bit of fun
tomorrow all the same"
There's that Miss What's-her-
name-Bella Beamish, isn't it3-she's
got her knife into you tight. She'll
land you as sure as fate if you amt
spry."
"She is a dear little thing, said
Hancock, "but her mothers ter
ror."
The chief dived into his peg glass,
When he came out again he an
swered oracularly, Its my private
opinion, Charlie, that the widow is
just as busy on her own account as
on her daughters. "
Hidden in the maze of imported
greenery the string band of the Two
Hundredth was reeling out waltz
after waltz. The assembly rooms
were full to overtlowing.
Behind group of palms in one of
the recesses a pair of tired dancers
were sitting out. If they were not
tired they ought to have been, for
out of the eleven times ON the pro
gramme that had been negotiated,
they had danced nine--together
There was an air of propIietorship
about the lady and of suppressed ex-
element about the gentleman, which
would have agitated the colonel had
he seen them.
"Well, that's all settled, then,
said he. IN tell the padre TO be
ready Mt the church at g ON Monday
morning, and Wen get it done strict
ly on the quiet should never have
the face TO break it TO old Spriggins
after the way I've vowed never
to-
"But, you silly Charlie" interrupt
cd Miss Beamish, "the colonel is
bound TO know all about it long be-
fore we come back TO the lines. Be
sides, you'll have to get leave"
"Oh, I'll tell the old boy I'm going
auuuunnunuuuuun.usuuuu.s.s.u