The record-union., 1897-05-22
II.

u.
father YETI
Mr.. Belts was fifteen minutes late in
opening THE Metropolitan" the next
day, and his worn and haggard look
attracted the attention of his fellow
clerks. The day passed very badly
for the young man. He made blunder
after blunder, until Banning, with a
feeling half kindly and half contemp-
tuous, sent him into the storeroom in
the basement on an errand which gave
him an excuse for keeping out of the
way. That night he slept little, and
the next day found him even more bur-
dened with woeful helplessness. Ban
ming, after joking to deaf ears, at
tempted to cheer him in vain, until he
happened to hit upon a subject in which
Belts took a great, though carefully
concealed, interest.
THE company drills tonight" the
senior said, "and l guess I can tell you
tomorrow what's been done in your
case"
Banning who was an honored mem
Der of one of the towns militia COM
fore that Belts was anxious to join it's
ranks. and had agreed to do his best
help him in securing a right to wear a
uniform.
Thank you, SIR" Belts responded,
with little more animation than he
had manifested since Amanda's depar-
ture. Il hope it will be all right"
Banning gave him cheerful assurance
that no difficulty need be apprehended
by the candidate, and took the trouble
to dwell upon the advantages Of serv-
ing the State. The following morning
these remarks recurred to him with
uncomfortable distinctness, when Belts
met him at the store door.
It's all right about the company,
isn't it, Mr.. Banning?'' the youth asked.
mo, it isn't, Betsy" the militiaman
answered. ITS a heathenish shame"
Then they wouldn't have me?"
That's it,
What was the reason for rejecting
me, sir?'
Banning hesitated. Its tough
dose, but maybe it will do him good,'
he reflected, and then he replied: They
said that you We're too much of a
sissy; they wanted only real men,"
Belts turned back into the shop
without another word. This second
blow to his aspirations fairly staggered
him. In the end, however, it proved
fortunate for him that his woes were
doubled, for to some extent his lat
est sorrows offset the earlier ones. In
stead of brooding continually over the
seeming certainty of failure to meet
the requirements Of Amanda's father,
the unhappy youth was able to devote
share of his reflections to the slight
put upon him by the citizen soldiery.
The treatment by counter-irritant
proved beneficial. Under 1t the patient
gradually developed a desire to be re-
venged. But Belts never dreamed of
the joys of thrashing his enemies. Such
solace as he found came from refiec-
tions that they were not so particularly
valiant, after all, and that the world
had fairly swarmed, at various times,
with much greater heroes.
Like many fated to humdrum exis-
tences the young clerk had long found
keen delight in tales of adventure, and
now that his lot had become SO un-
bearable he turned again to his old ref
uge from his thoughts. After the shop
had closed he was free to pick his COM
pany from among all the champions of
fiction and history. The public libra
ry of the city insured an abundant sup
ply of them, and Belts nightly mud
died his brains with their doings.
Amanda, who was conscientious op-
ponent of unnecessary correspondence,
wrote seldom. although her suitor con-
in, emit Of hic FOL Ct ~
send her a dutiful little note every day.
She had been absent two weeks when
Belts received a letter informing him
that her aunt had declined to advance
the money which meant SO much to the
young people. 1t was the destruction
of his last hope.
Alexander now fell into the habit Of
prowling aimlessly about the streets
o nights. He was induging In a
ramble one evening when he encoun-
tered the company which had reject
ed him out for a parade, and he
watched the ranks swing past with
bitterness filling his soul oh, the
glory of blue cloth and brass buttons
Belts longed for it with redoubled in
tensity. The young man paid little
attention to the direction he took after
that hateful sight. When he chanced
to notice his whereabouts, he discov-
cred that he had reached a district he
had never visited before, one of small
shops and fiaring signs. In bril-
liantly lighted show window he saw
something which made him pause. 1t
was a dummy clad in the uniform of a
captain of infantry. AS Belts gazed
upon Ii a sort of fascination took pos
session of him and forced him into the
shop.
Gould / rent that suit, sir?" he
asked of the proprietor. That person
would sell, but would not let the uni
form out by the day. Still under the
spell, Belts tried on the coat, and knew
that he was lost.
''Tll let you have 1t dirt cheap" the
willy dealer declared. ITS out of my
regular line and / got 1t at bargain.