Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-01-10
CHAPTER IIL-CoNr1NUrD.
1893. by ]. B. Lippincott Co.

Suspicion attacked to several heads,
including Tintop's, whose head, by the
way, had been cracked by shell dur
ing the war, and portion of whose
skull, so rumor had it, had been re-
placed by silver plate, which led to
his wearing a nickname and a wig.
But one and all the accused established
what Mrs. Whaling once pronounced
an abb, because they had sent some
thing else.'' Then they thought of
Trooper Schramm, now a fine-looking
dragon, consummate1y at home in his
business; but Schramm hadn't been
near the house for two weeks. A pay
masters escort was needed to convoy
that official to distant winter canton
anents, and Schramm had promptly
asked to be allowed to go. This time
he didn't say init dem fellerS'' as he
had in the field the autumn before,
neither did he add ''once'' or ''alretty."
Schramm was studying book English"
said the first sergeant. The paymaster
got home to his Christmas all right-he
needed no escort when his money was
sgone-but Schramm and his squad
trotted in two days later, after the tur-
key and cranberry sauce were all de-
voured, so Schramm could have had
nothing whatever to do with the gifts
sent out from town. So long as they
had them, Lot and Billy didn't care
who was the donor. They believed all
the more in Santa Claus. 1t was Con-
ME who thought and wondered; it was
Connie, alas! who hoped and dreamed.
Among the daily visitors to the house
Perry Thornton, second lieutenant of
Manning's troop, had been prominent
all winter, and there wasn't a hand
;somer, blither boy in all the regiment
when he joined. He was barely twenty
two, with a face almost womanly fair,
and a form as slender and graceful as
a boys could be. He rode and danced
and sang well. He didn't drink; he
wouldn't gamble. He was a soldiers
son, an enthusiastic youngster who had
seen somesyears of schooling and travel
in Europe, and who had much to tell
of soldiers who had won the V. G. or
the Iron Cross. ''Now in Europe" said
he, ''the officer is held as hero who,
at the risk of his life, bore off a wound
ed comrade to whom it meant death if
abandoned The cross for valor,
pinned on his breast by royal hands,
was the last reward to which he could
look. Joining the regiment just at the
end of the autumn work, and reading
I'll LnC hdIIOW III A1Cop' 4AOA 6 Gil
on the way, Thornton's first longing
was to make the acquaintance of the
gallant suba1tern who had SO bravely
stood by the humble recruit and got
his wound in saving him. Down went
his ideal to dust when a grizzled, care
worn, sad-faced veteran was. borne
from the ambulance into the homely
quarters, and somebody said: 1.-THE
old mans about petered." Thornton
could not understand it. "fn England
or in Germany officers and men would
have been lining the way and stand
ing at. salute" said he, .'for fellow
who did what Mr.. Morgan did"
''O-h, up there when he went deer
hunting, do you mean? Oh, yes, I re-
Misunderstanding Schramm out when
he got hit. Ye-es, that was all right, :"
said one of the young gentlemen of the
regiment, and in so saying conveyed
the idea to the newcomer that there
was nothing in that sort of thing to
excite remark. It was the rule, not