The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-24

them kids. near as bad as drillln. rock
les, I'm afther thinkin'."
About" said Graves. taking up the
door key.
we've a great head. Graves" the
corporal said sweetly, with a flattering
cock of his blue eye. I've bin hearin
the major towld the chaplain to lave
yez be, as yez knew more than he did.
Graves laughed and sat down.
when you flatter me like that.
Healy," he said Il know you're after
something. What is it?'
Nat at all, at ALL" cried Healy, sud
denly becoming nervous. Il wuz Jlst
passin', but seem yez amt busy, wud
We do me a favor. Mister Graves
Mister" cried Graves, laughing
again.
I'd be begin yez, though, to kape
it to yourself" said Healy, earnestly,
and plunging headlong into the matter
on his mind. ITS no matther of shame,
but the boys will be betther not to hear
it. SEEM as 1 might have to take their
foolin' sarious. Wud yez give me yer
opinion on that, Graves"
Graves took big sheet of foolscap
from the corporal and read aloud;
Sweet girl, accept lowly heart.
Which now thy lover with the major S
permission lays at thy feet
dwell apart,
Be mine 1 respectfully land according
to the rules and regulations of the
service) do entreat."
ITS poethry, yen be afther noticin'.
said Healy. beaming with such pride
that he failed to observe the school
masters red face and burst of chuck
ling coughs. But l wanted yez, seem s
ye're we'll known for a scholar, to tuch
it up a bit. Graves. Yen obsarve it
don't sing itself, fur its me furst at
timpt since boy. ThrGe poethry shud
kin NV go to a chune whin yez rade
it, l behave"
We'll" said Graves, my boys usu-
ally read the very best poetry sing
song, corporal. Is this "a deciara-
tion?'
Healy biushed: at least his neck grew
even redder than was customary. But
he drew himself up very straight, in
deed, and answered boldly:
In confidence. it's afther bein' that
same, Graves. Is it all right"
why spoil the sentiment by these
bracketed assurances of the major Civ
ing his permission?"
Jaw. Graves. said the corporal,
winking shrewdly, ''whin 1 wus
younger an runnin' afther the gurrls,
twas mesilf wuz all sintimint. so it
wuz. But igsperince has harmed me
that it's the puractical man gifts there.
I'm afther dilicately inshinuatin' TO the
lady that she'd need niver fear the
majorll object. Shure she knows So
jer requoires to ask lave 10 marry NV
the commandin' officer. But it spies the
chune NV the poethry, an that's whut
I'm askin'. Wull ye jist drill it into
shape, Graves, seem ye're a scolar,
which, behave. includes poethry?'
The schoolmaster good-naturedly as
sumed the task, and, much to the cor
poral's admiration. succeeded shortly
in submitting to the old Soldier a suf-
ficiently creditable effusion, when
Healy gratefully took his departure,
leaving Graves to chuckle by himself
for a long time in the deserted school
house.
AS the soldier left and took his way
round the rear of the buildings, avoid
ing the neighborhood of the post trad
er's and the guardhouse. his manner
was more SUSPICIOUS than ever; the
twirl of his stick and the blitheness
of his whistle was affectedly nom
chalant. He could not, though, If such
were his purpose, avoid all notice, nor
help meeting some one. He was almost
beyond the post limits, and had settled
TO a business-lilSe walk. when, just as
ne luIIGU the NttEGt u the tOIl eiis llG
ran fairly into Fin Strait, the farrier
of his own troop. Like the corporal,
Fin was a veteran. and the two were
chums of long standing. The farrier's
room in the stables had been the scene
of many a quiet carouse, with none to
Join in it but the cronies themselves.
and when Healy's pockets were empty
and his throat hot-coppered of a morn
ing, he was always sure of a punch
compounded from Fins stock of
alcohol, supplied 10 the farrier as a
horse medicine. Together they had
come out of the war, together Joined
the regular army, together had cam
paigned in frequent Indian risings,
and together they vae1ely supposed,
though only in their cups did they talk
of it, they would he pensioned off, and
look after the welfare of the old troop
from a distance.
How, Healyr'
How, Fin
Healy twirled his stick like a drum
major and chirruped Garry Owen If
he had looked straight at old Fin, he
might have been struck with the fact