The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01


inquire timidly and respectfully where their
son, who is a member of another company
IN the same regiment, can be found. The
three infantrymen accompany them In the
search. and they find the young man in his
quarters. He had hurried away without
going back out to the farm to bid them
goodbye, and they nave come to plead
with him to go back. The scene is an af-
fecting one, and the young man is torn with
conflicting emotions. Finally a happy
thought strikes him, and he tells them that
It all lies with the captain OF the company.
He is under orders and must do whatever
he is told. Then they go to the captain,
who listens TO their story and briefly ex-
plains to them the law governing the mill
tia. They listen mutely and do not under
stand anything about it except the main
point that they cannot carry their own son
back home with them. There is another
visit to the son and a leave-taking full of
tears. but down in the captains heart there
IS the thought that when his company is
mustered into the United States service he
viii see to it that the medical examination
for this young man is next to impossible to
pass.
The infantrymen return TO their quarters
to find a carriage in front of it. 1t con-
tainS a well-fed, clean ST ayen man of mid
die age accompanied by three ladies of
varying ages, quietly and modestly dressed.
They are inspecting tie quarters from their
carriage with a curious stare and making
Gomment to each other about them They
are evidently glad when the young men re-
turn. for this completes the picture of the
tent, and hey are so Interested in it as
they explain to each other. After they have
examined, through their lorgnettes, all the
characteristics of the dinkey little canvas
coop and its appurtenances, the infantry
men, their curiosity is satisfied and they
drive on to inspect new freaks.
This carriage load has barely got away,
wsien a young man, in citizens clothes. with
a young woman on his arm, stops at the
charters and asks for the captain. He ex-
pLains that he wants to enlist. The girl tugs
at Ibis elbow a bit, but he pays no atten-
ton. AS they go on to the captains tent,
she is evidently pleading with him and he
tries to sooth her as best he can. Whether
she is q. sister or a sweetheart, the infantry
men cannot determine, but there is a hope
in their heart that he will not be able 10
pass the examination. He is an unusual
type of the would-be soldier who fails to get
in. Hundreds Of callers have already come
to the quarters, most of them more or less
broken veterans of the last war, who have
been searching the camp over for an oppor-
tunity to enlist in some company whose
complement of men was not full. Not a few
OF them had wept bitter tears when told
that they were beyond the age limit and
their applications could not be considered.
The sun is sinking low. The boys have
returned from mess and are again under
their quarters. when another group of petit
coats is deserted. Before the members of
the group get within twenty yards of the
quarters the three infantrymen break into
a run TO meet them. A nice, gentle old
Iady's arms are about the neck of one of the
boys and somehow or other, the kisses,
once started, so about the group rather
promiscuously. The boys nave been away
from home only a day and d half, but to
these, their home people, to whom they are
related as son, brother or sweetheart, it
seems tina they nave been gone ages, and,
unable to stand it longer, they nave run
MP to town to stay over night with friends
and visit the camp. Every tent in the
whole company row is ransacked for blan-
kets and cushions and anything else that
can help to make a tent comfortable and
coy, but after it is all fixed and the
group had piled themselves comfortably
about, they talked of a thousand and one
things. One Of the infantrymen was I'M
kind enough to drop the fly of the tent and
the Idle observers observations could go no
further