The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-02-12

present, fno.looking young naval
officer pped ashore. 10 vas The
living iugo Of Wilson, only younger
An Of tnellows Of tho guard noticed
tho reaiblanoo instantly, bat they
did not o Wilson, who bad hurrIcdly
Lott thdook when his counterpart
With thiword and tho silver anchors
on bis buso collar stopped from tho
launch.
Tho Jung naval officer and The ofli'
Ger OF b day got into an ambulance
and wo driven TO tho commanding
oficer'luartcrs Mess call vent IN a
few mhtes. and we we're al marched
into dnor. The moss hall was on
tho flu below tho sleeping quarters.
Woind scarcely sat down and b0-
gun tbully tho kitchen police before
we he'd a loud shot from tho floor
above We made a rush for the stairs
to fin out what the matter was. As
we sombled up the ambulance carry.
iug u young naval olli5er, returning
10 thlaunch from his mission, drew
up OF In front Of tho quarters. Tho
sea ocer had heard the shot, and was
hopmg out Of the ambulance to in-
vestmto.
w found Wilson sitting on tho
edgoi his bunk, In his shirt sleeves,
Hishirt was soaked with blood, aud
theI was a big hole in his right
brett. His rife lay on tho floor bo.
slddho bunk. He had taken of his
rigt shoe and pulled the trigger with
higreat toe. He was very white In
thdace, but smiling.
Well" he said in a low voice, as
we stopped over 10 examine him,
Eva fellows can cit around the stove
anthave something to talk about on
rally afternoons now. But it's all
rigt-all right"
Lst then the young naval officer
puaed through the crowd Of as
arund the bunk. When he caught
siat Of his brothers face he reeled,
an one of us had to catch him to pre-.
vat him from falling.
Jack Oh, my Godl" was all the
yang fellow with the silver anchor
cold say. It was easy for W fellows
stnding around to see how his heart
ws aching under his blouse.
ITS oil right, Ed, all right" We
alIsneaked away then. Well, no,
cat say that any of rs felt very hill
arous just then for a fact.
The little lieutenant of our battery
wmt in. In few minutes he came
oft, just almost carrying the young
nmal officer, a man about twice a
big as no was.
We oil volunteered for the firing
party, and the four young wind-push
ers who trumpeted for the bPtterie
auarreled over which of them should
blow 'taps" over the grave. We'd al
spent many an afternoon cleaning oul
guns after firing volleys who haC
passed from our outfit over the divide
but that certainly was the-well, thu
breakIngest-up funeral that Canb.
ever saw. Wilson's brother was there
in full dress. But the name that wa
printed by the post painter Of
Wilson's headstone was not Will
son. 1t was the same Eame a
that of the young naval officer. TIL
cemetery at Candy is only q couple o
hundred feet from the roaring sea. Il
few weeks two ladies, one quite oil
and white haired, the other young
pretty, but sad looking, came to Can
by in mourning. They had Wilson's
body sent somewhere back to tn
States.
1t was long time before we got a
the inside of the story. Then W
found out that "Wilson" had gotte
his commission at West Point and ha
resigned O year after his graduatio
on account of some difficulty. He ha
shipped IN the navy as a blueiOcket
After his first cruise no had bee
drafted to a ship on which his brotl
er, who had meanwhile graduate
with distinction at Annapolis, We
serving as a watch and division Office
The humiliation OF it had been to
much for him, and "Wilson" ho
promptly deserted. Then we got hin
He had probably been meditatir
suicide for a long time, and the fin
sight of his brothers face in such 9
Off.the earth place as Fort Cant
wrought upon him as the working
fate that seemed to be crushing
Thus the rife ball. We did not talk
him around the stove at all. But h
gun was taken out of the rife rack al
slowed away out of sight. --Wsshin
ton Star.