The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-21
CHAPTER III.

The night before had been unusually
dark. A thick veil of clouds overspread
tho heavens and hid the stars. Moon
there was none, for the faint silver cres-
cent that cleaned for moment through
the swift sailing wisps of vapor had
dropped beneath the horizon soon after
tattoo, and the mournful strains of
"taps," borne ON the rising wind, seem
ed to signal "extinguish lights to the
entire armament as well as to Fort Sib-
ley. There was dance of some kind at
the quarters Of one of the staff officers
living far up the row on the southern
terrace. Chester heard the laughter and
chat as the young officers and their con-
voy of matrops and maids came trip
ping homeward after midnight. He
was a crusty old bachelor, to use his
own description, and rarely ventured
into these scenes of social gayety, and
besides he was officer of the day. and it
was q theory he was fond Of expound-
ing to Juniors that when ON guard no
soldier should permit himself to be
drawn from the scene of his duties.
With his books and his pipe Chester
whiled away the lonely hours o. the
early night and wondered if the wind
would blow up rain or disperse the
clouds entirely. Toward O'Clock a light,
bounding footstep approached his door,
and the portal flew open as a trim built
young fellow, with laughing eyes and
an air of oxuberant health and spirits,
came briskly in. 1t was Rollins, the
junior second lieutenant of the regiment
and Chester's own and only pet-so said
the envious others. He was barely a
year out Of leading strings at the Point
and as full Of hope and pluck and mis-
chief as colt. Moreover, he was frank
and teachable, said Chester, and didn t
come to him with the idea that he had
nothing to learn and less to do. The
/ boy won upon his gruff captain from the
very start and, to the incredulous de-
light of the whole regiment, within six
months tho old cynic had taken him into
his heart and home, and Mr.. Rollins
occupied a pleasant room under Ches-
ter's rooftreo aud was the sole accredited
sharer Of the captains mess To q
youngster just entering service, whose
ambition it was to stick to business and
make record for zeal and efficiency,
these were manifest advantages.
There were men in the regiment to
whom such close communion with q
watchful senior would have been most
embarrassing, and Mr.. Rollins prede-
cessor as second lieutenant of Chester s
company was one of these Mr.. Jerrold
was happy man when promotion took
him from under the wing of Crusty
Jake and landed him in Company B.
More than that, it came just at time
when, after four years of loneliness and
isolation at an up river stockade, his
new company and his old one, together
with four others from the regiment,
were ordered to join headquarters and
the band at tho most delightful station
in the northwest. Here Mr.. Rollins had
reported for duty during the previous
autumn, and here they were with troops
of other arms of the service, enjoying
the close proximity of all the good things
of civilization.
Chester looked up, with quizzical
smile, as his "plebe" came in:
"Well, sir, how many dances had you
with Sweet Alice, Ben Bolt? Not many,
/ fancy, with Mr. Jerrold monopolizing
everything as usual. BY CAD some good
fellow could make a colossal fortune IL
buying that young man at my valua
ton and selling him at his own. "
"Ob, come, now, captain, " laughed
Rollins, "Jerrold's no such slouch a.
you make him out. He's lazy, and ht
likes to spoon, and he puts up with 9
good deal Of petting from tho gills-
who wouldn'ti if he could get it?-but ht
is jolly and big hearted and don't put
on any airs-with us, at least-and the
mess like him first rate. 'Tain't hi
fault that he's handsome and regular
lady killer. You must admit that h'