Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-11-08
FROM THE RANKS.
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
Copyright, 1894, by the ]. b. Lippincott Co.
CHAPTER IL

The night before had been unusually
dark. A thick veil of clouds overspread
the 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 we'll 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 matrons 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 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 of the
early night and wondered if the wind
would blow up rain or disperse the
clouds entirely. Toward o'clock light,
bounding footstep approached his door,
and the portal flew open as trim built
young fellow, with laughing eyes and
an air of exuberant health and spirits,
came briskly in. It was Rollins, the
Junior second lieutenant of the regiment
and Chester's own and only pet-so said
the envious Others He was barely q
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 the old cynic had taken him into
his heart and home, and Mr.. Rollins
occupied pleasant room under Ches-
ter's rooftree and was the sole accredited
sharer of the captains mess. To q
youngster just entering service, whose
ambition ir 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 a
watchful senior would have been most
embarrassing, and Mr.. Rollins prede-
cessor as second lieutenant Of Chester S
company was one of these. Mr.. ,Terrold
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 the 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,
I fancy, with Mr.. Jerrold monopolizing
everything as usual. By CAD! some good
fellow could make colossal fortune in
buying that young man at my valua-
tion and selling him at his OWL
'Oh, come, now, captain, " laughed
Rollins, "Jerrold's no such slouch as
you make him out. He's lazy, and he
likes to spoon, and he puts up with a
good deal of petting from the girls
who wouldn't if he could get it?-but he
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 his
fault that he's handsome and regular
lady killer. You must admit that he
had pretty tough four years Of it up
there at that cussed old Indian grave
yard, and it's only natural he should
enjoy getting here, where there are the
aters and concerts and operas and dances
and dinners -
Eyes, dances and dinners and daugh-
tiers, all delightful, l know, but no ex-
cuse for mans neglecting his mani
fest duty, as he is doing and has been
ever since we got here. Any other time
the colonel would have Strengthened him
out, but no use trying it now, when both
women in his household are as big fools
about the man as anybody in town-
bigger, unless I'm born idiot And
Chester rose e1citedly.
81 suppose he had Miss Renwick pref
ty much to himself tonight?' he pres
emily demanded, looking angrily and
searchingly at his junior, as though half
expecting him to dodge the question.
"Oh, yes Why not? It's pretty evil
dent she would rather dance and be
with him than with any one else. So
what can a fellow do? Of course w ask
her to dance and all that, and think
he wants us to, but cannot help feel
ing rather bore to her, even if she is
only 18, and there are plenty of pleas
ant girls in the garrison who don't get
any too much attention, now we're SC
near a big city, and l like to be with
them"
eyes and it's the right thing for YOU