Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1893-06-28

Tsco rntsstues had reached him.
The rain was FLASHING dismally on the
grimy window sill and over the awning
of the shops below. The street cars went
jingling by with dripping load of out
side passengers on both platforms Wag-
ons and drays, cabs and closed carriages,
that ratified or rumbled along the ordi-
narily busy thoroughfare, looked as
though they had been dipped in the river
before being turned loose on the street,
and their Jehus, bedraggled lot, must
needs have something amphibious in
their composition, else they could not
have borne up against the deluge that
had been soaking the city for two days
past. The policeman. waddling aimlessly
about at the opposite corner, enveloped in
rubber cap and overcoat, cast occasional
wistful glancet into the barroom across
the way, wherein the gas was burning
in Difference to the general gloom that
overhung the neighborhood, and such Pc
destrians as had to be abroad hurried
along under their umbrellas as though
they half expected to have to swim before
they could reach their destination. The
dense cloud Of sooty smoke that had
overhung the metropolis for weeks past,
and that wind from any direction could
never entirely dissipate, for the simple
reason that smokestacks by the score
shot up in the outskirts on every side,
now seemed to be hurled upon the roofs
and walls. the windows and the pave
ment, in black, pasty, carboniferorls
deposit, and every object out of doors
that one could touch would leave its inky
response upon the hand. A more depress-
ing "spell of weather" had not been
known for year, and every living being
in sight seemed saturated with the
general gloom-every living being ex-
cept one. Capt. Fred Lane, of the Elev-
enth cavalry. was sitting at the dingy
window of his office in the recruiting
rendezvous on Sycamore street and actu-
ally whistling softly to himself in su-
preme contentment.
Two missives had reached him that
CHASTITY morning that had served to
make him impervious to wind or weather
One-large. formal, impressive and bear
ing the stamp of the war department in
heavy type across its upper corner-had
borne to him the notification of his pro-
motion to the rank Of captain Troop d.
Eleventh cavalry, vice Curran, retired.
The other-a tiny billet-had given him
even greater happiness. 1t might be
hard to say how many times he had reas'
and reread it since he found it On tie
snowy cloth of his particular breakfast
table in his particular corner of hesnug
refractory of THE Queen Cty,"on the
books of which most respectab)I II some
what venerable club his naD' mad been
borne among the list Of 'lIny or navy
members ever since fss "graduatlon
leave" fifteen years beore.
All his boyhood, " to the time OF his
winning his cadetshp at West Point, had
been spent in the lily where for the past
sixteen months he had considered him
self fortunateon being stationed on re-
cruiting seruce. During the second year
of his term 1t the academy he was startled
by the eceipt of sad letter from his
mother telling him briefly that his IA
Their. ung one of the best known among
the business men of the city, had been
compelled to make an assignment. What
vas worse he had utterly broken down
under the strain, and would probably
never be himself again. Proud. sensitive
and honorable. Mr.. Lane had insisted on
paying to the utmost farthing of his
means Even the old homestead went,
and the broken hearted man retired with
his faithful wife to humble roof in the
suburbs. There, few months after
ward, he breathed his last, and there,
during Freds graduating year, she fol.
lowed him. When the boy entered on
his career in the army he was practically
alone in the world. Out of the wreck Of
his fathers fortune there came to him
little sum that started him in the service
free from debt and that served rs nest
egg to attract future accumulations.
This he hadpromptly banked until some
good and sac investment should present
itself, and, uce with his regiment on the
frontier, NJ. Lane had found his pay
ample for al his needs.
1t is unnecessary to recount the history
Of his fifteen years service as subal-
tern. Suite it to say that. steering
clear of mos of the temptations to which
young Officers were subjected, he had
won a reputtion as a capital duty Off
GER" that WIS accented here and there
by some brilliant and dashing exploits
In the numerous Indian campaigns
through which the Eleventh had passed
with no snail credit. Lane was never
one of the ovial souls of the regiment.
His mood vas rather taciturn and con.
templative. He read good deal. and
spent manylays in the saddle exploring
the countryin the neighborhood. of his
post and inlunting and fishing.
But, from the colonel down, there was
not . man the Eleventh who did not