The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-02-19

Merriam Oh the final receipt of what tho
lawyers didn't scoop" of his little leg.
acy, and for two weeks he had been aa
happy rs Harrison was miserable.
Then, to the utter amaze of everybody,
just the day before it was time for the
command to start it was announced
that l1arrison's application for leave
had gone forward approved, and that
Merriam had asked for and been grant
ed the luxury of IL three or four months
jog through the toughest and most for
bidding OF mountain ranges. lie had
even got the oc!onel's permission to go
ahead and wait for the detachment at
the old mission on the Santa Clara, and
had started late ut night, accompanied
only by an orderly. People couldn't be-
evctheir ears, and the post commander
rejoiced in the possession of n secret
even his wife couldn't coax out of him
the constituencies, Grabbed old
crank! as one of his garrison, not SUBJ
ject to court-martial, described him.
The ndiutant had to admit that MGR.
Ram had been closetcd with the X. o.
nearly half an hour, and had looked
black and blue both, but no blackcr, no
bluer, when he came out than when he
went in. No, he did not think that my
body else had complained of Merriam's
owing him money. Tie did not think any
body had had word to say against him.
The old man had simply sent for the ad-
jutant right after the interview and re-
marked: "Mr. Blossom, you can tell
Mr.. Harrison he may submit that appli-
cation for leave and I'll forward it ap-
proved. Mr.. Merriam has my consent
to take that escort in his stead" But
hadn't he told anybody? Didn't any
body know? were the very natural ques-
tons asked. No. Merriam's one init
mate and chum in his regiment was Bill
Whitaker, and Bill was away up at
Santa Te at the time, witness before
O general court-martial. Merriam was a
frequent visitor ut the Haynes quar-
ters, and everybody knew that in his
own regiment he had no warmer friends
than Capt. and Mrs. Lawrence Hayne,
of the Riflers, and Merriam had had
long talk with Hayne before calling on
the colonel. But no one who knew
either IIayne or his charming wife ever
thought of trying to extrnct from them
information rs to other peoples person.
al affairs. Old Buxton, the dragoon-of-
the-old-army-sort of n lieutenant colo
mel. did try to pump the captain,
but was most coolly and civilly snubbed
for his pains. Buxton was man IIayne
never spoke to except in the most
formal way. There had been some
trouble between them ever so long ago,
when ITaync was young second lieu
tenant and "Bux" the senior captain Of
the til cavalry. The softening touch
Of time had cffaced much Of the bitter
ness of that old, old story. Hayne had
twice been stationed at the same garri-
son with Buxton, and found it awkward
to preserve the rule of nonintercourse
with field officer who was frequently
In command, so he spoke respectfully
and conrtconsly to his senior whenever
they met, but the courtesy was us cold
and the meetings as rare MS he could
make them. Bux, however, "bore no
malice" as he said, and was quite ready
to be magnan;mous and forgive 1Inyne
for what had TRANSFERRED in the past, but
then Buxton, not Hayne, had been the
offender. Indeed, Buxton was pachy-
derm on whom snubs had little effect.
He believed 1Iayne knew why Merriam
had asked for his most undesirable de-
tail, and so importuned him with eager
inquiry-all to no purpose. Harrison
blissfully wcnt on to Chicago and Mer-
RAM out to the Mescalero, and was no
more heard Of or from for several weeks.
Then the news came that he was Sc
riously i'll with mountain fever at the
cnntonmcnt on Cntamount creek, and
Bill Whitaker was hurried thither to
take over the command.
In q week there came letter from
him to Capt. Iayne, and this was what
1t said:
IT found the dear old boy conval-
escing. but wocful'y limp and weak.