Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-03-09
GRPThIN CLOSE
rRx CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
.iCopyright, 1894, by j. 3. Lippincott Col
u.-CONTINUED.

~"This,' said Lambert to himself, sis
tpossibly one of the scrub oaks. I as
sumo he doesn't imagine me to be an
officer, and, in any event, he could say
50 and l couldn't prove the contrary.
Ergo, I'll let him into the secret with
out letting him imagine I'm nettled."
'They were made by my tailor, cor
poral," said he. He also made the uni
form which l, perhaps, should have put
on before coming out to camp" C"That
ought to fetch him. thought he.)
,"Where will 1 find Capt. Close?''
Hes over there" said the corporal,
with careless jerk of the head in the
direction of the opposite wall tent.
Then I s'pose you're the new lieuten-.
ant the fellers have been talking
2bout?''
"Iam; and would you mind telling me
how long you've been in service?'
ME? Oh, I reckon about two months
longer n you have, anyhow. You
amt joined yet, have you?" And the
corporal was nibbling at twig now
and looking up in good-humored inter-
est. Then, as Lambert found no words
for immediate reply, he went on:
'*Cap's awake, ii you want to see him"
And, amazed at this reception, yet not
knowing whether to be indignant or
amused, Lambert sprang down the
pathway, crossed the open space be-
tween the tents, dozen Of the men
starting up to stare at but none to sa-
lutte him, and halted before the tent Of
his company commander.
Sitting just within the haf-opened
flap, thiclz-set, burly man of middle
age was holding in his left hand a coarse
needle, while with his right he was
making unsuccessful jabs with some
black thread at the eye thereof. So in
tent was he upon this task shat he never
heard Lambert's football nor noted his
coming, and the lieutenant, while paus-
ing moment iIresolute, took quick OBJ
servation of the stranger and his sur
roundings. He was clad in the gray
shirt and light-blue trousers such as
were worn by the rank and file. An or
binary soldiers blouse was thrown over
the back of the camp-stool on which he
sat, and his feet were encased in the
coarse wooden socks and heavy brogans
and leathern thongs, just exactly such
as the soldier cook was wearing at the
kissing fire a few PAGES away. His sus-
penders were hung about his waist, and
in his lap seat uppermost and showing
u rent three inches in length, were a
pair of uniform trousers, with narrow
welt of dark blue along the outer seam.
They were thin and shiny like bomba-
zine, in places, and the patch which
seemed destined to cover the rent was
five shades too dark for the purpose.
His hands were brown and knotted and
hard. He wore a silver ring on the
third. finger of the left. His face was
brown as his hands, and clean shaved
@barring the stubble of two days
growth) everywhere, except the heavy
<tgoatee," which. beginning at the cor
ners of his broad, firm mouth, covered
thicl<ly his throat and chin. His eyes
were large, clear, dark brown in hue,
and heavily shaded. His hair, close
cropped and sprinkled with gray, was
almost black.
Che morning air was keen, yet no
Sire blazed in the little camp stove be-
lhiud him, and the fittings of the tent, so
ufar as the visitor could see, were of the
~plainest description. Not caring to
stand there longer, Lambert cleared his
throat and began:
II am looking for Capt. Close"
Whereupon the man engaged in
threading the needle slowly opened the
left eye he had screwed tight shut, and,
ms slowly raised his head, calmly looked
g his visitor over and at last slowly re-
splied:
y .That's my name"