Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-01-16
THE MYSTERIOUS PRIVATE.

maybe 1t was all his fault. Anyway
they had just had quarrel, one ot
those unpleasant little affairs in which
neither one or the other will give IN
or acknowledge being in the wrong
but thinks it the duty of the other
equally blameless participants, ot
course, to first say, 81 am sorry. And
it was their first quarrel, too.
Then he falls back to the old resort
and says, I'm going to the club.
He gets his hat and coat and is about
to open the door to step out, when she
half repents and asks him not to 60
but to stay at home with her, "at least
one evening in the week. But he is
either obstinate to her appeal or does
not hear her, for he closed the door
with bang and left her alone, to re-
turn, perhaps at midnight, perhaps at
dawn. Then she takes the usual
course, throws herself on a lounge and
cries.
He goes directly to the club. There
he meets few of his friends and they
sit down for a smoke, preparatory to
the nights excitement at the poker
table. Thus they sit for perhaps hall
an hour, when the entrance of a rath-
er fat individual seems to create quite
a commotion among the smokers. He
is besieged on the right and left to
come and join them in their smoke,
and Robert Langdon wonders who is
the rather stout individual who enjoys
such popularity. Major Hunt, one
of the most capital story tellers we
have had for some time answers one
of his friends, in reply to the laughing
query of Langdon. "Wait until you
hear one of his stories you will think
so, too.
Major, this is my friend Langdon.
The Major has hardly made himself
comfortable before he is asked to tell
one of his stories, and after while
Yields to the entreaties of the crowd
and begins:
There is not an army post IL the
country, nor in the world, which has
not some little romance interviewer in
its history. But one which | especial
ly remember is one in which the faith
fulness of a woman, as I will call it,
played such an important part as to
fix the story in my mind forever.
at was about five years ago, at a
western fort, that this incident hap
pened. We had there young private
who came from the east somewhere. |
never did find out exactly where he
did come from, and have even for
gotten his name now. He seemed to
be an Indifferent sort Of fellow, rare
ly Joining the rest of the men in their
larks, and keeping pretty much to him
self He was a handsome young man,
too, nearly six feet tall, if | remember
correctly. 1t was his mysterious man
ners which made us wonder what he
did with himself during his spare mo-
ments-that is, when his time was not
required by Uncle Sam. We tried in
vain to find out. All that we could
ever learn of him was that he was in
his mess room during these intervals,
and his companions soldiers said, He
reads and reads all the time, that S
all. Army life did not seem to agree
with him very much, and we could not
see why he ever entered into it. Still
there was no one in the fort that had
nerve enough to ask him the questions
we were so anxious to have answered.
He was the one mystery Of the fort.
Perhaps you Will wonder why we off,
GERS should take any interest in COM
mon private, but before Lam through
you will see why that was.
What was also mystery to US was
how he managed to become well enough
acquainted with the quartermaster
daughter to be seen occasionally out
walking with her. Her name, you
must remember distinctly. is Gene
we've Hutle. She was the belle OF the
fort. l do not believe to this day
that there was hardly man III that
fort at that time who would not have
stood even Indian torture if she had
so wished-but don't be alarmed, gen.
tlemen. No such thought would have
ever entered that girls mind. And
then she was very beautiful. Perhaps
this had something to do with it
Those among us who had been sick
bod esnec;al roasons for feeling crate.