The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-11-24

anias. 81 fixed it all right wild de
gyahd dis mawnin, sub. Deg won tell
bout his cuttin' up las night. He'd
forgot de whole ting, sub; he allays
does; he never does know what's hap
pened de night befo'. He wouldn't "a
known about dis, but / told his boy
Jim to tell him bout it ahter stables.
l told Jim to sweah dat dey'd re-
pointed it to de cunnle.''
every well, Ananias; very well, sir;
you're credit to your name. Now go
and carry out my orders. Don't forget
Capt. Grams wagon. Tell LETTERS to be
here with it on time" And the lieu
tenant returned to his bath without
waiting for reply.
"Ye-as, suh," was the subordinate
answer, as Ananias promptly turned,
and, whistling cheerily, went banging
out upon the gallery and Gathering
down the open stairway to the brick
paved court below. Here he as promptly
turned. and, noiseless as a cat, shot up
the stairway, tiptoed back into the sit
ting-room, kicked off his low-heeled
slippers, and rapidly, but with hardly
an audible sound, resumed the work on
which he had been engaged-the ar
rangement of his masters kit.
Already, faultlessly brushed, folded
and hanging over the back CT chair
close by the chamber door were TIE
bright blue, scarlet-welted battery
trousers then in vogue, very snug at
the knee, very springy over the foot.
Underneath them, spread over the
square back of the chair, a dark-blue,
single-breasted frock-coat, hanging
nearly to the floor, its shoulders decked
with huge epaulettes, to the right one
of which were attached the braid and
loops of heavy gilt aiguillette whose
glistoning pendants were hung tenn
porarily on the upper button. On the
seat of the chair was folded broad
soft sash of red silk net. its tasseis
carefully spread. Beside it lay pair
| of long buff gauntlets, new and spot
| less. At the door, brilliantly polished,
stood pair of buttoned gaiter boots,
/ the heels decorated with small glisten-
/ ing brass spurs. In the corner, close
at hand, leaned a long. curved saber.
! its gold sword-knot. its triple-guarded
hilt. its steel scabbard and plated
| bands and rings, as well as the swivels
and buckle of the black sword-belt,
showing the perfection of finish in
manufacture and care in keeping.
/ From a round leather box Ananias now
extracted a new gold-wire fourragere,
which he softly wiped with a silk hand
lzerchief, 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 link, then set it firm
! " through its socket into the front of
! a gold-braided shake whose black
! front was declxed 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 complacently view his work,
f1icl1ed off apostolic speck of dust on
| the sleeve of the coat. touched with a
| chamo:s-sl1in 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, broad
grin on his black face, 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 a low obei-
sance, but the captain halted him
| short.
where's Mr.. Warning, sir?"
'-Dressin' TO inspection. captain"
"He is? l 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"
Yeas. 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. is 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 blush! 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. 30 kunopes!
(''thou dog-faced one") he caught
himself muttering, but negro diplo-
macy was too much for him, and the
innocence in the face of Ananias would
have baffled a 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
wav and little oddities in another. I'm
doubted ability had been at the bot
tom of his selection over the head OF
MANY a senior to command one of the
light batteries when the general dis
mounting took place in &c. Unusual
attractions of person had won for him
a wife with fortune only little later
The fortune had warranted a short
leave abroad this very year. Gle
would not have taken day over sixty
for fear of losing his light battery
He had been a stickler for gauntlet.
or al mounted duty when he wen
away. and he came home converted K
white wash-leather gloves because the
British horse-artillery wore no other
and they, sir, are the nattiest in thu
world" He could not tolerate an off