Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-30
BU[LESTON'S SUBSTITUTE,
BY JOHN HABBERToN.
Copyright, 1867

tereStlnS cluDmen ana 1aSnlonaDle class OF
today. He wore a heavy gold chain and
diamond shirt studs and trousers with pro-
nounced figures, and broad side whiskers
and rattle: long hair with a lot of per-
fumed oil on It.
Yet there was lot of manliness to him,
or he would not have seemed most IA
vored in the eyes of the magnificent Miss
NIalase, who was adored by all the young
fellows and old fellows at the club-there
was but one club in those days.
Had 1t not been for the magnificent Miss
Malaise Bulleston might have gone to the
war-as an officer-although at some sacri-
flee to his own feelings, for he was quite
particular about the company he kept, and
he lad seen officers. at home on leave Of
absence, no appeared on the streets with
cut white collar at the throat of their
Uniform Goats. and even without gloves
But Miss Malaise existed-she was really
as magnificent as was implied by the ad
jeCtive with which her name was always
coupled; and there was everything to ia
vor Eulleston' suit. for the young man
was handsome, had much taste, abundant
leisure and plenty of money. Indeed, all
the other men at the club enVied him his
wealth. for Bulleston was the only heir of
a rich man who had died several years be-
fore, and he really could not spend the In
single executor and administrator. Older
men advi:;ed Bulleston to go into business,
If only to learn how to retain what was
his own, but the yourg man objected
hadn't the core of the same property killed
his father? Bulleston wished to live-not
to die.
But there came a day when the army
claimed Bulleston, though not as an Off
Ger. Men had ceased to volunteer as SOL
diers. so the government had resorted to
CONSUMPTION, and Bulleston was drafted
into the army" He did not greatly mind
it, except that he felt insulted by the i'm
plication that he, Charley Bulleston, a gen
tleman who never had worked in any way.
could be compelled to serve a private
soldier, sleep on the ground. eat from n tin
plate, and have but one suit Of clothes for
all hours of the day and every day of the
week He felt sorry for other men who had
to lead such life. and he admitted that 1t
must have required high grade of patriot
ism to nerve them to it-far too high for
him to display.
But the government was rnerciful; 1t al
lowed another man to take a conscript's
place. Should the unwilling conscript fail
to lind a substitute, the government would
of 500
Bulleston was about to pay over the
money and get the provoking affair off of
his mind, when the thought came to him
that by the outlay of $500 he was really
appearing. by deputy or substitute, in the
ranks under the flag.
This placed the affair in a new light Who
ever might stand in his place ought to be al
least as tall. strong, loyal and courageous
or course. the substitute could not be ex-
pected to be gentleman, but Bulleston ad-
mltted to himself that one couldn't expect
a $500 man to be everything. At the south
al that very time a solid black man Of sound
physique cost several times $500 In gold.
Still there was much room for choice among
men, 50 Bulleston determined himself to be
the chooser of his substitute
W men a man starts find another al
most as good as himself he Is quite likely
10 lind large job on his hands. The city
contained quite number of men who were
willing to accept for $500 the chance of
being killed or wounded or of deserving,
but none of them suited Rulleston. The
young man became so particular as to his
substitute that he began to search the sur
rounding country for a possible preSenta-
tiVe-a man who would be, III camp and
field, as creditable private soldier as Bull
lesion himself would be. could he by any
possibility be in the position of a private
soldier. Some privates, so BullcSton had
heard, became cOrporalS and SergeantS,
and Were raised by the fortunes of war to
the rank of lieutenant, or captain. or even
higher. The substitute, therefore, must
not only be man of good physique and of
manly courage, but he must have enough
of the higher manly qualities to maintain
any position to which his bravery might
raise him.
Really, the case was nowhere near as
simple at first it seemed. Buleston
studied it until he fell to broodng. it made
him lose sleep, after which, as a matter of
course, he lost temper, and when he learn
ed from good authority that at least one
private soldier had won his way to the
command of regiment Bulleston also
most lost his senses. To get a really COM
petent substitute was evidently as hard
task a proud man could select for him
self. Buleston began to wonder seriously
whether his better plan would not be to
hire dozen or twenty men to enter the
service so that some one of them might in
time fifty represent him.
His ply sician told Bulleston to take much
outdoor exercise to overcome his sleepleSs-
ness and low spirits. so the young man
spent several hours of every day in driv-
ing about the suburbs and surrounding
country. He usually drove alone, except
for his consuming thought, which was
company SO bad that one day it impeled
him to give his horse cruel cut with the
whip. The horse resented this indignlty so
vigorously that he and the carriage parted
company. having first spilled the driver in
to the dust of the country road. A man
came to his assistance from little farm
near by. and asked the somewhat injured
driver to go to the farm house for rest
and repairs, and the young man gladly
consented.
The farmer seemed of about Bulleston's
age, yet extremely grave for a man so
young. Soon there appeared the farmer
wife. woman young and not at all bad
looking. except that she also seemed very
grave. then a GIRL SIX or seven years Old
quite pretty, approached the party. but she
also wore a very serious face. All three
were as hospitable and attentive to the in
jured man personal friends could have
been, yet BulleSton made haste to get away
from the sight of their faces, which seemed
absolutely gloomy. AS he turned toward
the party to express his thanks and say
goodbye, he saw that on the front of the
house were several large placards announc-
ing sale of the estate
Selling out eh?'' said Bulcston. Haven't
you found it a pleasant place to live?"
The man looked strangely at his WIFE
the woman returned glance quite as
strange, and the child's lip trembled.
"Pleasanter than any Wen ever find
again, I'm afraid the man finally said
Indeed? Then whv-its none Of my
business, but why do you sell?"
The man looked Indignant: the woman In
trembling tones said Certainly, sir you
can read?"
Excuse me-" said Bulleston, "I-iet me
see-foreclosure sae'-Im not sure that
know the meaning of that term"
We'll, sir" said the farmer. setting his
lips firmly, Il hope you'll never have to
learn It. by anything that comes to your
own property. The long and short of it is
that between bad crop last year and
drought and the loss of a horse this year
L can't pay the interest on my mortgage
much less the principal, and the mortgage
Is selling me out. l suppose I can earn