Daily camera., 1897-01-18

| Close headed the sQuao tnac rusned out and
| fetched him in.
pend week before it became due, and
it would be spent before it was fully
earned. Close never spent a cent. that
anyone could see or hear of, but he
was on hand to draw it as early as
any of the rest He would fake his
check and van.sn. --.,al footing
up of his pay, rations, servants allow
ance, 'fogy," and all, was one hundred
and some dollars and sixty-eight cents.
| They used no coin smaller than the
| 'nickel' Give cents) in the south in
those days, and it was the practice OF
the banks and money-changers gener-
ally to give the customer the benefit
if the check called for more than half
| the value of the nickel, otherwise to
hold it themselves. If the amount We're
SO cents me -us5omer got only 50; II
| it were. SO cents he was paid SO. Those
officers who kept a bank account, and
there were three or four perhaps, who
did so, simply deposited their heck for
its face value and had done with it. 1t
was supposed that such was Closes Gus
tom: but be was wiser in his generation,
as was learned later. Close took his
check to the paying teller and got 100
and some dollars and 70 cents. Then
he deposited this cash with the clerk
at the receiving window and was two
cents ahead by the transaction. When
it was finally discovered and he was
politely told that hereafter he would
be credited only with the sum called
for on the face of his check, Close got
it cashed elsewhere and deposited his
10 cents regularly as oe<Jre. But what
he does it for is a mystery" said the
bank official who let this sizable cat out
of the bag, "for he never has more than
a few dollars on deposit more than
week. He checks it out through some
concerns up north
No wonder the fellows wondered
what Close did with his money. A sol
der servant made up his room and
BACKED his boots; a company laundress
washed the very few items sent to her
each week. and declared that the cap
tain stopped the price of two pairs OF
gloves out of her wages because she
wore the thumb off one of them scrub
bing the dirt off the other. He never
went to tneater, opera, or other diver
sion; never took part in any OF the
eayeties of the garrison; never sub
rcribed for a newspaper or magazine,
but was always on hand to get first look
at those service journals which were
| Intended for the post library. He
smoked an old black brier-root pipe,
which he charged with commlssary plug
tobacco, preferring it to all others. He
ohewed tobacco-navy plug and did
not care y. no knew it,, He shaved him
relf, and when his hair needed trimming
it was done by the company barber.
He had no bills He would be neither
borrower nor-well. therewas some talk
about his lending money on unimpsach-
able security and usurious interest. but
to those officers who applied either in
lest or earnest, he said he never had a
cent to lend and wouldn't lend it if he
had.
Then what on earth did Close do with
his money?
Much of this was told to Lambert in
New Orleans. More of it he learned
later. On this particular day he was
destined to have another peep into the
peculi:rities of this most unusual char
acter.
He had walked perhaps half a mile,
revolving these matters in his mind
and keeping occasional lookout for Par
meiee's (Which was evidently further
away than he had been led to suppose)
when he heard some one shouting after
him. 1t was soldier. running hard,
and in a moment Lambert recognized in
him the affable corporal who was the
first to receive him that morning. This
time the corporal saluted as he came,
painting, to a halt. Possibly Sergt
Burns had been giving the company a
pointer"
Did anybody pass you, lieutenant?-
anybody on horseback"
No" answered Lambert, wondering
what now might be coming.
"Well, cap says-er rather-the cap
| ldlu Nd1lS Nou ~ COliC DdCh. Olou
nobody go along here a-horseback? 2?
And the corporal was evidently per-
picked as well as nearly breathless.
"By gad, thought twas tallin' chances,
!, even for the two of US. Two of 'em rode
in an sassed cap right to his face an
were off before man of US could draw
bead on 'em."
"Who are they?"
"Some of the very crowd Parmelee
nabbed last night. They must have cut
across at the ford. They've finished
him, reckon, for one of 'em was ridin
bis horse"
In ten minutes Lambert was back at
!. camp, where all was hustle and sup
: pressed excitement. Close was seated
at'his tent. smoking imperturbably, and
listening to the tremulohs words of q
| tall, sallow civilian who was leaning
. against the shoulder of a painting mule
Mcbride, rifle in hand and equipped for
II n = !. 4 = \ L