Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-06-10

From a round leather box Ananias now
extracted a new gold-wire fourragere,
which he softly wiped with silk hand
kerchief, handled lovingly an instant
the glistening tassels, coiled it care
fully upon the sash, then producing
from the same box long scarlet
horsehair plume he first brushed it
into shimmering freedom from the
faintest knot or kinlz, then set it firm
ly through its socket into the front of
a gold-braided shake whose black
front was declSed with the embroid-
cred cross cannon of the regiment, sur
mounted by the arms of the United
States. This he noiselessly placed
upon the edge of the mantle, stepped
back to comp1acently view his work,
ficked off apostolic speck of dust on
the sleeve of the coat, touched with
chamois-skin the gold crescent of the
nearest epaulette, then softly, noise
lessly as before, vanished through the
doorway, tiptoed to the adjoining
window, and peeked in. Mr.. Doyle
had thrown himself into Pierce's arm
chair, and was trying to read the
morning paper.
"Wunner what Mars'er Pierce will
say when he gifts back from break
fast" was Ananias' comment, as he
sped softly down the stairs, a broad
grin on his black face, a grin that al
most instantly gave place to prefer
natural solemnity and respect as, turn
ing sharply on the sidewalk at the
foot of the stairs, he came face to face
with the battery commander. Ananias
would have passed with low obei-
sance, but the captain halted him
short.
"Where's Mr.. Warning, sir9"
''Dressin' fo' inspection, captain
''He is? just heard in the mess
room that he didn't propose attending
that he had an engagement to break
fast and was going in town."
"Ye-as, sub, yeas, sub, Gen. Rosseau,
sub, expects de lieutenant in to break
fast, but the moment he hyuhd twas
review he ordered me to git every
thing ready, sub. rs goin' for de bay
colt now. Beg pahdon, captain, de
lieutenant says is de captain goin' to
wear gauntlets or gloves dis mawnin'?
He wants to do just as de captain does,
subj"
What merciful interposition of Di-
vine Providence it is that the African
cannot blushi Capt. Cram looked sus-
piciously at the earnest, unwinking
black face before him. Some memory
Of old college days fitted through his
mind at the moment. so Kunopes!"
C"thou dog-faced oner0 he caught
himself muttering, but negro dip1o-
macy was too much for him, and the
Innocence in the face of Ananias would
have bafded man far more suspicious.
Cram was fellow who loved his battery
and his profession as few men loved be-
fore. He was full of big ideas in one
way and little oddities in another. I'm
doubted ability had been at the bot
tom Of his selection over the head Of
many senior to command one of the
light batteries when the general dis
mounting took place in '66. Unusual
attractions of person had won for him
a wife with fortune only a little later.
The fortune had warranted a short
leave abroad this very year. (He
would not have taken a day over sixty,
for fear of losing his light battery.
He had been a stickler for gauntlets
on all mounted duty when he went
away, and he came home converted to
white wash-leather gloves because the
British horse-artillery wore no other,
land they, sir, are the nattiest in the
world" He could not tolerate an Off
Ger whose soul was not afame with
enthusiasm for battery duty, and SO
was perpetually at war with Warning,
who dared to have other aspirations.
He delighted in a man who took pride
in his dress and equipment, and so
rejoiced in Warning, who, more than
any subaltern ever attached to SIX, -
was the very glass of soldier fashion
and mold of soldier form. He had
dropped in at the bachelor mess just
in time to hear some Cabling young
ster blurt out q bet that Sam Warning
would cat review and keep his tryst in
| town, and he had known him many a
| time to overpersuade his superiors into
| excusing him from duty on pretext of
| social claims, and more than once into
| pardoning deliberate absence. But he
| and the post commander had deemed it
high time to block all that nonsense in
| future, and had so informed him, and
were nonplussed at Warnings CHEEKY
| acceptance of the implied rebul1e and
most airy, graceful and immediate
change of the subject. The whole gar
rison was chuolxling over it by night.
"Why, certainly, colonel" said he,
ST have been most derelict of late
during the visit Of all these charming
people from the north; and that re-
minds me, some of them are going to
drive out here to hear the band this
afternoon and take a bite at my quar-
tiers. Twas just on my way to beg Mrs.
Braxton and Mrs. Cram to receive for
me, when your orderly came. And,
colonel, want your advice about the
champagne. OF course needn't say
hope you both will honor me with
your presence" Old Brax loved cham
payne and salad better than anything
his profession afforded, and was dis
armed at once. AS for Cram, what
could he say when the post commander
dropped the matter? With all his
daring disregard of orders and estab-
lished customs, with all his consum-
mate sang-froid and what some called
impudenee and others "cheek," every
superior under whom he had ever
served had sooner or later become
Il yTT