The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-09-10

from the shadow of the war depart
ment. For the last three weeks he had
haunted its anterooms and audience
chambers, in the vain hope OF righting
himself before his supcriors, who were
content, without formulating charges
against him, to keep him in this dis
grace Of inaction and the anxiety Of
suspense. Unable to ascertain the de-
tails Of the accusation, and conscious
Of his own secret, he was debarred the
last resort Of demanding court-mar-
tial, which he knew could only exoner-
ate him by the exposure Of the guilt
of his wife, whom he still hoped had
safely escaped. His division command
er, in active operations in the field had
no time to help him at Washington.
Elbowed aside by greedy contractors,
iorestalled by selfish politicians and dis
daining the ordinary method Of infu.
ence, he had no friend to turn to. In
his few years Of campaigning he had
lost his instinct OF diplomacy without
acquiring soldiers bluntness,
The nearly level rays Of the sun forced
him at last to turn aside into one OF
The openings Of large building fa-
nous caravansary of that hotel.haunted
capital-and he presently found himself
IN the luxurious barr0om, fragrant with
uint and cool with ice slabs, piled sym
netrically on its marble counters. A
few groups OF men were seeking cool
ness at the small tables, with glasses be-
fore them and palm-leaf fans in their
hands, but O larger and noisier assem-
blage was collected before the bar,
where man, collarless and in his shirt
sleeves, with his back to the counter,
was pretentiously addressing them.
lirant, who had moodily dropped intoa
chair in the corner, after ordering
rooling drink az an excuse for his tenn
iorary refuge from the sitting street,
half regretted his enforced participa-
ton in their rconyiviality. Buta sudden
lowering of the speakers voice into
note Of gloomy significance, seemed fa-
miliar to him. He glanced at him quick
ly, from the shadow of his corner. He
was not mistaken--it was Jim Hooker.
For the first time in his life, Brant
wished TO evade him. In the days of
his own prosperity his heart had al
waya gone out towards this old com.
panion Of his boyhood; in his present
humiliation his presence Jared upon
him. He would have slipped away, but
to do so he would have had to pass be-
fore the counter again, and Hooker,
with the self-consciousness OF story
teller, had an eye on his audience.
Brant, with palm leaf fan before his
face, was obliged to listen.
"Yes, gentlemen" said Hooker, ex-
amining his glass dramatically, "when
IL mans been cooped up in rebel
prison, with a death line before him
that he's obliged to cross every time
he wants square drink, 1t seems sort
OF like dream of his boyhood to be
standin' here conf BILE before his liquor,
alongside O. white men once more. And
when he knows he's bin put to all that
trouble jest to save The reputation of
another man, and the secrets Of few
high and mighty ones, it's almost
enough to make his liquor 60 agin
him!" He stopped theatrically, seemed
to choke emotionally over his brandy
smash, but with o pause of dramatic
determination finally dashed it down.
mo, gentlemen" he continued. gloom
lily. 81 don't say what I'm back in
Washington for--I don't say what I've
bin sayin' to myself when I've bin pick
ing the weevels outer my biscuits in
Libby prison--but ef You don I see some
pretty big men in the war department
obliged to climb down in the next few
days my name amt Jim Hooker, of
Hooker, Meecham & Co., army beef
contractors, and the man who saved
the fight at Gray 0aks!"
The smile Of satisfaction that went
around his audience,-an audience quick
to seize the weakness of any perform
ance--migbt have startled a vanity less
obliyious than Hooker's, but it only
aroused Brants Indignation and pity,
and made his position still more in
tolerable. But Hooker, scornfully ex-
pectorating a thin stream Of tobacco
Juice against the spittoon, remained
for an instant gloomily silent.
"Tell US about the fight again" said
. smiling auditor,
Hooker looked around the room with
o certain dark suspiciousness, and then
in an affected lower voice, which his
theatrical experience made perfectly
audible, went on: 1T amt much to
speak Of, and If it wasn't for the prin-
ciple Of the thing wouldn't be talk
in. A man who's seen Injin fghtin'
don't go much on this here West Point
fightin' by rule-of-tbree--but that amt
here or there. Well, I'd bin out a-scout-
in'--just to help the boys along, and
was sittin' in my wagon about day
break, when along comes a brigadier
general, and he looks into the wagon
flap. l Ioughter to tell you first, gentle
men, that every mint he was expect
In an attack-but he didn't let on @
hint ~ H. IN mo How are Won limp