Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-12-03
MOT CLOTHES ALONE.
1t Takes More THAN That TO Take A
Soldier

II Takes More TITAN That to Take A
Soldier.
4 Young officer OF ore ofour local
companies is home on q furlough.
Naturally he is the recipient Of
great deal OF attention This
CONES not alone # n his num
esous lrien.ls, bus fem the gen.
eral pablo, whioh stiil-althoosh
the novelty Is wearing regards
the retained soldiers With special
eye. This applies with special force
10 tue feminine public.
Wei. bis particular chum Is q
loud youth whose soul IS filed with
regret every Lime be thinks of his
lost military opportunities. Never.
lheIess he chats his soldier friend
numerically over what he calls cheap
notoriety.
II tell you,' he said, sits nothing
but the uniform that they care for.
1t isn't the man by any means. II
hey devised cornheld scarecrow
in soldiers clothes, you'd End pref
" girls by the score throwing kisses
ct it across the rural fence.
mo" said the soldier sfoutly,
"you're wron-. It's mixture OF
man and uniform. The man alone
wouldn't DC run after, and as for
the empty uniform-well, there
wouldn't be anything attractive in
that either but take the man and
uniform together, and there you
have it."
"Wouldnt any man do?" asked
the sarcastic youth.
"No, be wouldn't, retorted the
soldier. cit takes man who looks
as il he belonged ia the clothes to
draw the right sort of attention.
"Nopsense, said the ehum. "ADy
old masculine would do, and I'll bet
on it,"
show muchp' queried the soldier.
"I'll bet you a spotted fall necktie
that l can put on your uniform, go
down town and attract the very same
kind of attention you do"
The soldier reflected moment.
ats CO., he said. airy it this
evening. Put on the clothes and
let me know the result"
So the confident youth donned
the natty suit and trimmed down
his flowing mustache, and put on
the iaunty cap.
''you make sweet looking war
rior," said the real soldier.
"Don't l? fippsntly returned the
youth as be gracefully touched his
cap aud pirouetted through the
door.
With his shoulders squared and
his cap pulled down over his eyes
he started for the nearest car. He
swung himself aboard and took
seat Immediately in front of two
pretty girls.
He noticed as he came in that
every body Oh board turned to look
at him, and this filed his heart with
delight. He sat bolt upright, won
dering what the pretty girls would
think of hin. lie didn't really ex-
pect to be kissed, but he was pre-
pared for almost anything.
Pretty soou lie realized that the
girls were whispering about him.
A word or two came to him above
the smooth roll OF the car. His ears
we're strained to the utmost, and his
hearing is abnormally excellent
pretty, isn't heH" murmered one
girl.
'Yes, quite too pretty" giggled
the other.
"Just out of the bandbox," whis-
pered the first gill.
"Or the moth bag, said the Other
girl,
why, Sylvialp then soft duet
Of giggles.
Hasn't he a lovely complextion?"
Hasn't he? Not mite OF TAM"
perhaps he wears a veil"
"Why, Laura!" More giggIes.
Cant be a real soldier, can hc?"
"No-o,o. The ideal"
"But the uniform?"
perhaps the real soldiers went
away and forgot him."
Prolonged Cycling.
sob, Laura, I've guessed it,"
swell, what is it?"
"He isn't a soldier
II guessed that"
"He's recruiting of1icerl"
A few moments the make believe
soldier stopped the car and alighted.
Then he walked back.
"Jim,' he said as he flung the cap
on the chifonier, you've wonI'-
Cleaveland Plain Dealer.