The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-01-13
PART III.
CHAPTER 1.

CHAPTER 1.
It was sunset of a hot day at WASH
dngton. Even at that hour the broad
avenues which diverged from the capi-
TOT like the rays of another sun were
fierce and g.ittering. The sterile dis
tances between glowed more cruelty
than ever, ana pedestrians. keeping in
the scant shade, hesitated on the curb
stones before plunging into the Sahara
like waste crossings. The city seemed
deserted. Even that vast army OF con-
tractors, spectators, piace-hunters. and
LOBBYISTS. which hung On the heels Of
the other army and had turned this
pacffic camp of the nation into g Dat
flef1eld OF ignOble conflict and conten-
tion-more disastrous than the one to
the south-had SUNK into their holes in
hotel back bedrooms, in shady bar
rooms or in the negro quarters of
Georgetown. as if the majestic, white
robed goddess enthroned upon the dome
of the Capitol had at last descended
among them and was shifting to right
and left with the fiat and fash OF her
insufferaDle sword.
Into this sitting atmosphere of greed
and corruption Clarence Brant stepped
from the shadow Of the War Depart
menJ. For the last three weeks he had
haunted its anterOoms and audience
chambers, in the vain hope of Fighting
himself before his SupeTiOrs, VINO were
content, without formulating charges
against him. 10 keep him in this dis
Erace of inaction and the anxiety of
suspense. Unable to obtain the details
of the accusation. and conscious of his
own secret. ne was debarred the last re-
sort Of demanding court martial,
I ,1x- -,
him 10y the exposure of the guilt of his
wife, whom ne still hoped had safely
escaped. HIS division commander, in
active operations in the field, hdd no
time 70 help him al Washington. FL
bowed aside by greedy contractors.
--forestalled by selfish politicians, and
disdaining the ordinary methods Of in
fiuence. ne had no friend TO turn TO.
In his few years of campaigning he had
lost his instinct OF diplomacy without
acquiring a soldiers biuntness.
The nearly level rays of The sun
forced him al last TO turn aside into
one of the openings Of a large building
"a famous caraVansary Ct that hotel
haunted capitai-and he presently found
himself in the luxurious .b2rroom, fra
grant with mint and cool with ice
slabs, piled symmetricaliy upon its
marble counters \ few groups Of men
We're seeking GOODNESS at small tables,
with glasses before them and palm leaf
fars in their hands. but a larger and
noisier assemblage was collected before
the bar. where man c0llar.eSs, and in
his shirt sleeves, with his back TO the
counter was pretantiously addressing
them. Brant, VINO mad mOOdfly dropped
into q chair in the corner, after order
ing a cooling drink as an excuse for his
tenporarv refuge from the sitting
street, half regretted his enforced par
ticipaIi0n IN Their cOnviviality. But
the sudden lowering Of the speaker 5
Voice into a note Of gloomy signifi-
Sance seemed familiar 70 him. He
R glanced al him zuicllly from the shadow
Of mis- corner. He was not mistaken
i was Jim Hooker!
For the first time in his life, Brant
II wished TO evade him. In the days ol
4 his own prosperity his heart had a.
Always gone out toward this Cd c0mpan-
14ySn of his hoyhOod; in his present hui
Sanitation his presence Jared upon him
ile would have slipped away, but to dc
50 he would have had TO pass before the
counter again, and Hooker, with the
self-coasciouenes of a story teller, had
an eye on his audience. Br9nt, with a
palm leaf before his face, was Obliged
10 listen.
Yes, gentlemen said Hooker, ex,
aiming his glass dramatically, 'Wher
. mans been cooped up in a rebel pris
on. with a death line before him tina
he's obliged Ia cross every time ht
wants a. square drink, il seems sort O.
like 9 dream Of his hoyhood to be stand
in here cJmfble before his liquor
alongside o white men once more. AnC
when he knows he's bin put to all tina
trGahle jest to save the reputation o
another man, and the secrets of a few
high and mighty ones, it's almos
Fcrl, a7oI- h .,.-s,
him" He stopped Electrically. seemed
TO choke emotionally oyer his brandy
smash, hut with a pause of dramatic
determination, finally dashed it down
mo, gentlemen" he continued g-oOm
lily. L don't say what I'm back il
Washington for-I don't say what Tv(
hin sayin' TO myself when I've DIN pick
ing the weeYils outer my biscuits il
Llboy prison-but eff You don't see SOM
pretty big men in the war department
obliged 10 climb down in the next few
days my name amt Jim Hooker. O
Hooker. Meecham & Co., army bee
contractors, and the man who save
the fight at Gray Oaks
The smile of satisfaction that wen
around his audience-an audienc
quick 10 seize the weakness Of any ner
formance-might have startled d van
i5y less obvious than Hcokers, but i
only aroused Brant's Indignation an,
pity, and made his position still NOR
intOlerable. BIT Hooker, scornfuII,
expeCtoTating a thin stream OF tobac
ca juice against the spittoon, remainet
Tor an instant gloomily silent.
Tell us about the fight again. sail
q smiling auditor.
Hooker looked around the room witt
certain dark suspiciousness, and the
in &n affected lower voice which hi
p,-7oo1-ia1,1a 5,,o5a ,,o~eaot1-
audible, went on: 'It amt much +
speak of, and if it wasn't for the prin
ciple Of the thing 1 wouldn't be talk
in. A man who's seen Injin fightiu
don't go much on this West Poin
fightin' by rule-of-tll1 ee-but that ain
here or there. Well, I'd been out
Bcoutin'-just TO help the boys along
end l was Sittin' in my wagon abou
oaybreak, when along comes a brig
adier-geneTal, and he looks into tn
wagon flap. I oughter tell you first
gentlemen, that every mint he wa
eXpectin' an attack-but he didn't le
on a hint Of it to me. How are you
jim" says he. How are you, gener
alp says /. Would you mind lendin!
me your coat and hat?' says he. Nv
got a little game here with our pick
cts, and / don't want to be recognized
Anything to oblige, general saws ]
and with that strips off my coat an,
hat, and he peels and puts them on
Nearly the same figure, Ji1n,' he saws
10okin' at me; suppose you just try q,
my things and see.' With that h
fands me his coat-full uuiform-Hitl
The little gold cords and laces and tn
epaulets with a star, and I puts it O,
quite innocent like. And then h
says, handin' me his sword and belt
Same inches round the waist, 100.
reckon and I puts that on, too 'Yo
:. may as we'll keep 'em on till 1 com
q back SAYS he, for its mighty dam