Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-06-13
WARNINGS PERIL.
By Capt. Chas. King, of the U. s. Army
Copyright by Lippincott.

III
1t was one of Sam Warnings oddities
that, like the hero of Happy
Thoughts" other peoples belongings
seemed to suit him so much better
than his own. The most Immediately
dressed man in the regiment, he was
never satisfied with the result of the
efforts of the New York artists whom
he favored with his custom and his
criticism. He would wear three or
four times q new coat just received
from that metropolis, and spend not a
little time, when not on duty or In
uniform, in studying critically its cut
and fit in the various mirrors that
hung about his bachelor den, gayly
humming some operate air as he con-
Quoted the survey, and generally wind
ing up with wholesale denunciation
of the cutter and an order to Ananias
to go over and get some other fellows
coat, that he might try the effect OF
that. These were liberties he took
only with his chums and intimates, to
be sure, but they were liberties all the
same, and it was delicious to hear the
laugh with which he would tell how
Pierce had to dress in uniform when he
went up to the opera Thursday night,
or how, after he had worn Ferry's
stylish morning suit to make a
round of calls in town and that young
gentleman later on went up to see
pretty girl in whom he felt a growing
interest, her hateful little sister had
come in and commented on his ''bor-
rowing Mr.. Warnings clothes" No man
in the battery would ever think
of refusing Sam the use of any
thing he possessed, and there were
half a dozen young fellows in
the infantry who were just as
ready to pay tribute to his whims.
Nor was it among the men alone that
he found such indulgence. Mrs Cram
had not known him a fortnight when,
with twinkHng eyes and betraying
twitch about the corners of his mouth,
he appeared one morning to say he
had invited some friends down to
luncheon at the officers mess and the
mess had no suitable china, therefore
he would thank her to send over hers,
also some table cloths and napkins, and
forks and spoons. When the Forty
sixth infantry were on their way to
Texas and the officers families were
entertained over night at the barracks
and his rooms were to be occupied by
the wife, sister and daughters of Capt.
Craney, Warning sent the battery team
and spring wagon to town with a note
to Mrs. Converse, of the staff, telling
her the ladies had said so much about
the lovely way her sparerooms were
furnished that he had decided to draw
on her for wash bowls, pitchers, mos
quito frames, nets and coverlets,
blankets, pillows, slips, shams, and
anything else she might think Of And
Mrs Converse loaded up the wagon &C
cordingly. This was the more remark
able in her case because she was one
of the women with whom he had never
yet danced, which was tantamount to
saying that in the opinion of this social
bashaw Mrs. Converse was not consid-
cred good partner, and, as the lady
entertained very different views on
that subject and was passionately fond
of dancing, she had resented not a
little the line thus drawn to her detri-
ment. She not only loaned, however,
all he asked for, but begged to be in
formed if there were not something
more she could do to help entertain
his visitors. Warning sent her some
lovely flowers the next week, but
failed to take her out even once at the
staff german. Mrs. Cram was altern-
ntely aghast and delighted at what
she perhaps justly called his in
comparable impudence. They were
coming out of church together one
lovely morning during the winter.
There was crowd in the vestibule.
Street dresses were then worn looped
/ e -.
rent and tear, and n portly woman
| gathered up the trailing skirt of q
| costly silken gown and whirled with
humiliation in her eyes upon the own
er of the offending foot.
"That is far too elegant q skirt to be
worn unlooped, madam" said Mrs
Grams imperturbable escort, in hi
most suave and dulcet tones, lifting {
glossy silk hat and bowling profoundly
And Mrs. Cram laughed all the way
back to the barracks at the recollec
ton of the utter discontinue In thu
woman's face.
These are mere specimen bricks from
the fabric which Warning had buildeC
in his few months of artillery service
The limits of the story are all too con
tracted to admit of extended detail
So, without further expansion, it ma,
be said that when he drove up to tow
on this eventful April day in Cram
wagon and Larkin's hat and Ferry
Hatfield clothes, with Pierce's preciou
, London umbrella by his side and MeI
tons watch In his pocket, he was a
stylish and presentable a fellow a
ever issued from battery barracl
and LETTERS, Grams English groom
mutely approved the general appear
ance Of his prime favorite among tn
officers at the post, at most of whom h
r opened his eyes in cockney amaze
D and critically noted the skill wit
which Mr.. Warning fooled the spirite
bays along the level road.
, Nearly a mile above the barracls
midway between the long embanhme1
- to their left and the tall white pickG
fence surmounted by the olive-gree
foliage of magnolias and orange tree
!, on the other hand, they had come upo
a series of deep mud-holes in the wa.
where the seepage water from the RAJ
= idly rising flood was turning the roa'
way into a pond. Stuck helplessly
the mud, an old-fashioned cabriol
was halted. Its driver was out and I