Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-10-30


tell me you had had no care or expert
ence In the past, did say she thought 4
northern officer would have fallen In
love elsewhere; but she never said you
were not At to be soldiers wife, and
I never said was going to quit being
o soldier. I love II better than any,
thing In the world-but you"
"You did! You said yod done with
the shoulder-straps fo'evuh." And up
flashed the indignant gray eyes again,
and this brought the quivering little
mouth, so red and soft and warm, too
close for safety to his yearning lips.
Down they swooped upon their prey.
~ didn't" he whispered us he held her
close. "It's the old strap-the second
lieutenant's-I'll never wear agin.
I've won my bar now, md my wife,"
We were sitting one winters evening
nearly two years later In the Lamberts'
quarters ut old Fort Scott. Kinsey was
there too, and Floyd Walton with his
bride on their wedding tour. A blazing
fire Of hickory logs was swapping on
the hearth, and under the soft light Of
the shaded lamp was Katesie, charm
ing picture of young wifehood, her
needlc-work dropped in her lap, her
gray eyes following every movement
Of her husband, who was declaiming to
his guests and pacing up and down In
uncomfortable excitement.
II was the January of the "consoli-
dation year," when by act Of congress
IS regiments Of infantry were sum
marily "telescoped" into half their
number, and some hundreds Of officers
and gentlemen who had Joined the reg
ular service at the end Of the great war
In the reasonable hope Of attaining
suitable rank before they died, found
themselves suddenly bereft Of oil hope
of promotion and doomed to remain
subalterns and file-closers until they
were so. 1t was the year when to pro-
vide for the superfuous officers Of the
consolidated regiments Of foot they
were crammed into every obtainable
vacancy in the horse and artillery
when incompetents were ordered be-
fore board Of examiners and given q
chance TO defend their commissions,
while--oh, the black shame Of it'll
others, gallant fellows who had fought
ali through the war, but had been at
some time or other in the past ut
odds, personal or official, with certain
of their superiors, now, without word
of warning, without opportunity Of de.
Tense, without knowing who were their
nccuscrs or what the accusations, found
themselves summarily dropped from the
rolls and their places promptly filled.
Among those thusgiven their congo was
Brevet Capt. j. p. Close, first Lieutenant
.-tecnth infantry, ut the moment ex.
pccting his promotion to the captnincy
Of company c. 1.-THE old man." as
his soldiers called him, had returned to
duty after his six months leave, with
cyesight permanently impaired, and
had been received with cordial and
nvowed esteem by Farnham and Kinsey
and with open arms by Lambert. The
manly fellows in the regiment followed
suit, and they had done much to rub
oft the uncouth edges, to polish the
rough exterior, and SO reveal the value
Of the gem within, and Close was plod.
ding contentedly along as quartermas.
ter of four-company post, when the
blow fell. Minor, now lieutenant
colonel, was in command OF the
-teenth, the old adjutant and quarter
master in command of him. There was
no need of asking whence the unseen
allegations came.
An III wind IL is indeed that blows
nobody good. In the general shake
up" there came q colonel to the regi
ment whose first official net was TO nc.
cept the designations Of the two stan
officers and to appoint Lambert i'd
jutant. II wish you had gone in fol
commission" said he to Floyd, whom
he had known in his sergeant days In
Texas, but Floyd replied that II this
treatment of Close was specimen oI
nrry Justice he reckoned railroadine
would suit him better. Whereupon the
new colonel swore that II Close were
only back again he'd make him quarter
master and let his oppressors see the
other side Of his story; but Close nevei
came.
With certain other wronged and as
tonished men, he had gone to Washing
ton AMI pleaded his case before most
hurnssed and unhappy cabinet official
who was no longer able to undo the
mischief, the senate having confirmed
the nominations to the vacancies thus
created.
"He allowed that he guessed q few
mistakes might have been made long
OF his putting too much faith in what
some officers told him." wrote Close
TO Lambert, but that in nine cases out
of ten the thing was all right / told
him hadn't come to talk about any
body's rights or wrongs but my own;
what | wanted was the captaincy j
was clean bilked out OF. lie said that
he couldn't fix that anyhow. The only
thing was to take second lieutenancy
and start back Mt the bottom Of the
ladder again. Some Of them-poor fel
lows who'd been so long in the army
they didn't know any other way Of liv'
ing and supporting their families-was
fools enough to do It, but I'd see him
damned first, and nigh onto told him 80
~ guess I've had bout enough OF II
nny how, Lambert. l did my best fol
the government in the days when II we
fellows hadn't done our best there
mighty soon wouldn't Of been any
government 'cept JEFF Davis, and IL
this here's n specimen Of the best the
government can do for q man that
got plugged pretty full Of lead fighting
for It, why. next war that comes around
7 ,,.o,,k o.. Ia n os,flnr ond n0fhinU Plan