Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1894-01-20
CAPT. SPINKS' STORY.

Internal weather into the bargain
Confound you, Spinks, why can't yor
say something to a fellow when he:
down on his luck, and inclined II
chuck the whole show? You're a.
glum as graVestOne.
Spinks took his pipe out Of hi:
mouth, and after careful eXami
nation OF the ashes in the bowl, he
answered slowly "Pm thinking"
II say, old man, out with it
Duns:"
Spinks shook his head.
"Then you're in love"
"You'll never guess, jameson.
Something happened to me here
years ago, and the sight Of the place
brings it all back as though it had
only been yesterday"
"Let US have it, old man; it'll re-
lieve your mind and it'll pass away
this beastly afternoon"
II have never told living soul
before" began Spinks dreamily, ''but
! believe it would do me good to tell
you, Jameson. You've had expert
ences, and you'll understand.
The pleasure on Jameson's counte.
nance grew visibIy. otis a woman,
Of course" he said, and glanced at
himself in the shadowy mirror oppo-
site with a smile of extreme salts.
faction.
ii think I'd better begin at the
beginning" said Spinks, rearranging
himself in his chair. II have often
spoken to you of the time when [
was a Lieutenant in the Calypso
It was then it happened, and we had
put into Valetta for coal as we have
done now Heavens! now every de-
tail comes back.
Il was feeling a bit hipped and
low. I'd been on leave for the
greater part of the summer and had
seen a good deal of a pretty cousin
down in DevonShire. After we had
sailed I felt what fool / was not to
have settled matters one way or the
other, and l wondered whether the
weakened slit Of curate was hahg-
ing round her as usual and longed to
strangle him."
Jameson began to whistle under
his breath, and the tune he whistled
was THE Girl Left Behind Me-"
Spinks looked at him reproachfulIy
and he subsidized with blush.
''Of course the other fellows found
it out and chaffed no end. and I
hated The whole lot of them more or
less. So when we touched here l was
glad to stroll off by myself to have a
look round. l had seen about all
there is to see when. coming out of
the mosque, to my disgust I found
myself face to face with TWO of my
fellow officers, Smith and Langton.
They were with stranger, so at first
thought Of passing them with
nod. But they no sooner caught
sight of LIE than they stopped and
Langton roared out-he had voice
like the below of bull
"'Hullo, Spinks, we've been look
ing for you everywhere. What do
you say to ball at the Auberge de
Potion tonight"
81 didn't care two straws for ball
where / shouldn't know a creature,
and / said so.
"'He,s taken it badly, this time,
Sneered Smith, Spinks refusing a
ball, and bal masque, too! Who
would have thought it this time last
year,
'tAs we talked we walked along to-
gether. 1t was very fine day, had
scarcely noticed it until now, and I
had been moping round by myself
for three hours and was getting a bit
sick Of it. On second thoughts there
was something interesting about a
bal masque. l began to think it
would be better than nothing.
"'Well let us hear about it, I
said, after some more chatting. 4
daresay l shall be bored to death, but
may as well be bored to death with
that as with nothing at all.
Smith patted me on the back-he
had very, very irritating ways-and
said:
+" That's right old man, you've
worn the willow long enough. AS
Shakespeare or some other Johnny
says, When we're far from the lips
that we love, we've but to make love
to the lips that are near"
e Smith, I'm ashamed Of You,'
laughed Langton; how can you cor
rupt the soul of the faithful S2inks
like that? Think Of this innocent
boy, too; you are old enough to know
better
1.-The innocent boy was the stranger
with them, and at this point they in
troduced him. He was a slim, fair,
STRIPPING, attached to the Govern
ment House in some way, and a
cousin of Smiths His name was
Clyde.p
Spinks paused in his narrative and
glanced fercely at spot on the wall
above Jameson's head, where hung a
cumbrous, old-fashioned rife. Jane
son spoke no word, but sympathetic
calIy filled up the glass Gradually
SpinKs' countenance relaxed and he
went on:
'fWell, needn't tell you how we
passed the rest of the day. We met
at the appointed time, put on mask
= Al