The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-16

pened to man think of this" he cried.
s'Major Wayne, didn't you promise me
from the field to send that dispatch to
Hatfield the moment you got to the post?"
that kept it. l sent it the very first post
L struck"
4 "You did, for a fact, you moonstruck-
Or, but Just listen, all of you. Instead of
my travelling suit here's what find-a let
ter from Hatfield, forwarded from Fort
Washakie. Dear Sir: In accordance with
your telegraphic instructions we have this
day forwarded to you a cutaway tweed
travelling suit by American Express, and
trust the same is ETC., also statement Of
UNI, never mind that-'We are'-now,
mark this, all of you, good people-'we are
somewhat at loss to understand your
sudden change of address, but are COM
PEELED to act on your telegram, copy of
which is inclosed. Fort Washable. May
%. Have tweed cutaway travelling suit
here by 18th prox. without fail. w. Far
rar.''' Fort Washable! Gracious powers!
Think of my travelling suit at Washable
and l here and the train comlngF
soothingly, surely you can wear for just
day or two last years suit.
"That? NowP Why, heavens ablaze!
Rorke couldn't squeeze me into 1t with
shoehorn. I'll have to travel IN my
pajamas Oh. couldn't murder you, Ma
Jor Herclyal wayne.
Poor Wayne's cup was indeed full 70
OVERLOOKING. Martin and some of the
youngsters logged Will off to squeeze him
into his last years garments, made on
cadet measure, and then down came Kitty,
the bonniest of brides, in the daintiest and
most coquettish of costumes, and while
Rorke and his satellites were passing the
champagne, and everybody-no, almost
every body-was crowding about the bride,
there stood poor Wayne still diving into
those long forgotten placer mines OF his
pockets and fetching up bills and billets
and odds and ends, while Lucretla tremu-
lousy. and Fenton, Farwell and Amory
delightedly, watched him, and then came
new excitement. Enter Will, squeezed
at lact into the light-gray tweeds he had so
complacently donned a year before and
that now fitted him like the skin of
sausage A sudden move of one arm car
ried away the breast button.
"It's no use!' he cried. I'm worse off
than Peggoty. Every jumps a button?"
and then Kitty caught sight of him and
then there was scene.
whats that?" she exclaimed. "That
isn't the man | married / won't stir
step with him in those things
"But haven't any other, pleaded Will,
in despair. :,
"Who wants you to wear such things"
she fairly screamed, in almost hysterical
laughter. II married a soldier. Your uni
form, sir, your best blouse and trousers
and forage cap, and don't you dare wear
cit till I tell you"
And. as it was manifest that he couldn't
wear these now encasing him, the groom
third time fastened away to the upper re-
gions, and while dozens clustered as before
about Kitty, an absorbed group still hung
upon the movements of the major. The
light, as of other days, was dawning on
his face. He was searching still, and at
last he found and drew forth tiny box, at
sight of which Lucretia's maiden heart
huttered almost out OF her throat
"And, now, what have you unearthed,
old Rip Van Winkle?" doomed Fenton.
ga ring, by all that's gorgeous-a ring,
and beauty, and an inscription on it-P.
w. to L. F., 1874. Who's P. W? WHOSE"
but glance at his sisters TRANSPORTED
face as she tottered there at mis- side
warned the old warrior to desist.
Wayne was painting with excitement. ~
know, !" he cried. ''Of course, it wasn't my
class ring; it was this. l got it for"-and here
he turned and drew her to his arm and the
others considerably moved away, as at
last that ring was fitted to the finger that
had been waiting for it twenty long years,
Five minutes more, and with Rorke lead
ing OF In the cheers, with music and sun
shine, mirth and gladness, smiles and
tears, and prayers and blessings, the young
couple were whirled away to the station,
bound for the bliss of the honeymoon.
But what made that wedding day so re-
markable was that it seemed to lead to so
many more. There came letter from
Martin to Jack Ormsby only the other day.
The latter, being a New York guardsman,
was sweltering in his tent at Peekskill,
while Mrs. Jack Consoled herself by brief
visit to the Leales at West Point. The for
mer, being West Pointer, fell back nat
urally into the vernacular of his cadet
| days and this was somewhat as he wrote:
| "Your blessed brother-in-law continues to
| be the Joy of the Twelfth and the dovecote
| is every whit as hospitable as Amory's. But
of course, Will and Mrs. Will haven't out
| lived their salad days, and their tits and
make-ups are too funny for anything. Will
| is Just as true soldier as ever, but we al
| ways know when the winds in the east
at the cote by his becoming even more
aggressiyely, austerely, selfdenyingiy
military. Just now all is bliss, for dear
Lady F arrar, Queen Mother as we learned
| to call her from your sweet wife-my salu-
tations to her ladyship-is, as you know,
in the third week of her first visit to the
children and this, Jack, old boy, brings
me to a prediction. In our cadet
| days we used to say, extras breed extras,
and Pm thinking what that wedding day of
| Will is responsible for. First, there's you
and Miss Ellis-God bless 'em-there sLeale
and Mrs. Royle Farrar-God reward 'em
| There's Old Man Heap Mashed in the
Moon and Miss Lucretia-God help 'em.
| But do you know, we believe our bully old
colonel has the promise now of being made
at last just the happiest man in old Fort
! Frayne."
iClt