The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-09-09
KIDS"
DY CHARLES d. DEVON.

"What's this bit of lead, captnin?"
asked the coloners nephew, who had
dropped in on the surgeon at his plain
quarters facing the parade.
"Apache bullet !" replied the doctor
sententiously, with a carelessness that
evidently was assumed. "Dug it out
of Bristow"
"Would you mind ynrning me the
tale?' continued the visitor, with n
pardonable inquisitiveness.
"Certainly, I'll tell yon what
know about the lead," said the sur
geon, laying down the instrument he
had been cleaning, and Offering his
civilian guest an armchair upon
the voranda. "But 'tis only short
story" And then wizened- faced, but
kind-hearted, old Sawbones con-
tinued:
"Bristow was little dude-one
among many dandies at the Point
back in the '70s. l took note of him
when was on duty there as assistant
surgeon. He came to the academy as
dapper young city chap, inclined to
air his pedigree and social advantages,
until the yearlings knocked all that
sort of thing out of him in plebe
camp. Bat one thing those gray
coated tyrants never knocked out of
Bristow, and that was the style. He
was dandier fellow in cadet-gray than
ever he had been in dress suit and
kids, and the first man in his class to
take colors. But he was always
thought to be n bit too foppish and
airy in his manners, and his slight
build and rather eifeminate look ex-
posed him to frequent ridicule at the
hands of some of the strapping upper
classmen. And, indeed, I did
not very much take to him myself,
though he was distant relative. You
see," and here the doctor dropped his
voice, impressively, "there are some
poor sticks at the academy, as else
where, and it has been we'll said by
Jones of the staff that the only point
about some men in the army is West
Point Accordingly did not give
Bristow credit for the possession of
much grit and backbone, until one
day, in his second-class year, when he
was brought over to the hospital, hav-
ing had fall in the riding-hall, and
there and then bore himself with such
undeniable pluck while some of us
worked over him that /, at least, be.
gan to think that Kids, as his class
mates called him, was worth his salt
after all, and might make a soldier
some day."
"But all that doesn't explain tho
bullet!" interrupted the colonels
nephew.
"No, that's a fact" replied the
surgeon. "We doctors are too garrul-
ous. Well, the explanation of the
bullet was n girl of course-Gertrude
Creighton, the blithest belle Of that
season at the Point. Bristow was in
fatuated with her, little fooll 1t was
the old story of the moth singeing its
wings at the candle. He thought the
Point paradise so long as Gertrude
trod its walks. He was devotion
itself, and she, who had been without
heart, let him think she favored
him.
"But the fond dream of bliss was
dissipated when graduation day ar.
rived and the girl threw him over,
never having had the least IDEAS
any of us older ones could have told
him-of roughing it upon the frontier
as soldiers bride.
"Bristow followed Gertrude to New,
port on his graduating leave; but hi,
entreaties We're all in vain, and sick al
heart he joined shortly after the --th
Cavalry, then in Arizona for he could
always ride and chose that arm of the
service. Out on the frontier he could