The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-03-29
THOMPSON OF OURS,


nasty, biting, clustering cold that nips
the liver and shortens the temper; that
comes whistling round your mud hut
with northwest wind from off the I
SHOWS, and cracks the shriveled skin /
of you like old parchment.
The colonel blew on his fingers.
howled for fresh wood to be piled upon
the fire and fell to the contemplation
OF his thumb, which was frost bitten.
Before him upon the table lay the
loathsoIne sheets Of foolscap known as
the Annual Confidential Reports"
Some Of these were already filed in,
some blank as yet. Each was headed
by the name of an officer, and fringed
by the impertinent personal riddles set
yearly for coIunandants to answer.
Now, even when forced to look from
the point Of view of disapproval upon
any one of his boys" this honorable,
kindly English gentleman held the sys-
tenn of confidential disparagement in
horror. But really this morning what
with the cold, and the maggots in the
rice which had put him off his break
fast,-and the extraordinary delay in the
mail letters, he felt inclined to damn
every man jack of them, himself in
cluded. With q roaring blizzard search
ing your bones, and a suspicion of fever
in your blood, and nothing decent to
eat, you don't feel like certifying that
every soul under your command is re-
markable for all qualities that go to
make saints upon earth.
Anyhow, the colonel did not feel like
it. He began turning over the sheets
with that sickly, languid feeling of re-
volt with which monotony in its I'M
pleasant forms is apt to inspire one
after long years Of patient grind. He
hated these grim skeleton sketches in
black and white. 1t was always the
same thing--the same weary struggle
to combine strict truth with fair words;
to put Eyes" where it ought to be
mo" and No" where it ought to be
Yes" For were they indeed-al
these youths-zealous in well doing, all
talented, all tactful, all of equable tenn
PERI Had they every one of them been
endowed from their cradles with I'M
natural sagacity and aptitude for COM
HSIo biACyJ III SlOAO ASS1Ny
made generals from the moment they
entered the service. Alas, moi The
colonel's eye wandered to his crippled
thumb again and then back to the
sheets under his other hand, and pres
emily fell upon certain name heading
one of them. Whereupon he cursed
the authorities in his heart for pack
of fools and sighed. 1t was Thompson
Lieutenant William Thompson-known
by the name of BILLY"
The colonel took it in his hand and
sighed again There was not one, OF
hardly one, of those cut and dried ques
tons that could be answered grace
fully yet conscientiously as regarded
this young man II could describe him
in three words" groaned the colonel
''harum scarum young devil"
Then, for he liked the lad, he began
to wonder how on earth he was to I'll
up that report. He was keen soldlel
himself and, if the truth be told, had
partially for the type so pithily de
scribed in those three words. He would
rather have such with him in the t1elc
than some others for whom nerchanct
more could be said on paper. OF suct
he knew was the kingdom of heroes.
The ghosts of many haunting TRACE
dies came crowding into the old sol
dier's mind as he sat lingering that In
fernal paper. Did any Of these harsh
moral photographs of them, wit
''Yeses" and Noes" in the most unbe
coming places, lie rotting still perhap
in the adjutant generals offices2
He got up shivering and kicked tn
logs into blaze, then returned wit
stern determination to the study of tn
yexing questions in hand. What coul
he say for Billy Thompson7 The la
had the temper of bull terrier, II
tact and Judgment of a Newfoundlan
puppy and about as much ability an
requirement as the average schoolbo
The thought of Billy Thompson as c
uarpnrted with the complete list
"Contidentiai Report" virtues W.
nothing less than grotesque.
He glanced down the list. Why, tn
very morning he had spent bad Ia
hour in wigging the younster for shol
comings in almost every item. La
again for parade. Violent with
Sepoy Hadn't the faintest notion
his drill, and SO on.
49, What on earth am to say for &c
sir2" he had asked angriIy, tapping t
bundle of uncompromising papers
which Billy glanced with rueful I
SPAR in his honest eyes. you are c
tinctly careless, wanting in tact, u
less at Office work-what's the use
complaining of your writer's, sir-in
tentive and argumentative. Ride2
course; and that's about all you're
for That and tennis, but unlucl
these won't advance you in your (
fession, nor gain you respect, nor
YOU for a command"
- Then the colonel had stolen Il
at the frank, bright face, and thou
for the millionth time how ridiculou
all was. The lad was honorable
brave. Why not trust to time
training to do the restl He wante
tight hand over him of course, but
be forced to send up nasty, dispa
ing report of him to headquarters
Somehow the colonel could not
II in his heart to do it, and was