The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
CAPT STRFPHON OF THE 'sTEBNTH
EXPRESSES HIMSELF FREELY.

his adventures, Strephon had left the Seventh
Regiment more than q year aEo-a year and q
half, to be exact-and as in the 'Steenth Regi.
ment promotions are rapid. he had been mado
Captain after nearly three months service
there. So now ho had beon n Captain for If
teen months-"just three months moro than the
baby was old" Mrs. Strcphon-she that was
P~hyllis-used to say. OF course, no enjoyed
himself; and his men seemed to enjoy him.. His
Lieutcnants were men from the Seventh. of
course; one of them had served eleven years in
the Seventh, and the other had just come out OF
the squad when he was elected First Lieutenant
in Strenuous company of the 'Steenth. Tho
three OF them saw that the company's dues to
tho regiment wero paid, and the company
brought in the recruits.
Everything had been going along nicely when
the war came. Then Strephon and Phyllis dis
cussed matters.
They'll order us out" said Strephon, and,
OF course, I'll have to go-orders you know,
can't be disobeyed. Besides, I'm Captain of
the company
"of course said Mrs. strephon. II wanted
you to resign from tho Seventh when you were
ordered to Brooklyn. but you mustn't resign
now, of course. Never mind us-wen get along
somehow till you come pack But just then
she had to stop talking.
So Mrs. Strephon got the Captains things to-
Rether, had his trunk marked again, only this
lime it was Capt. %Strerhon, instead Of Lieut..
Strephon,' got his blue shirts, saw that his
shoes were in good order, got extra handker-
chiefs and towels, and soap, and a housewife,
and other things; and then came the blow.
They re not going to call us out at ALL" said
Strephon one day. Were to volunteer. and
when 1t comes to giving ne a choice in the mat
ter, my duty to you and the boys upstairs is
greater than that to the country, as yet. So l
shan't CO."
Mrs. Strephon kissed him then and seemed
extremely happy, so Strephon tried to be happy,
too. But when Phyllis had gone to bed and he
was finishing his cigar and his glass of some
thing and water, he swore a bit to himself.
"oh, damn 1t all, he groaned. why under
tho sun couldn't they ha' ordered us out and
not given us any choicei Now l simply can't
go-and Lord knows how I'd a loved to be or
dered out. 1 didn't want any choice-all 1
wanted was the order. But ~Dow-Ughi" So
he finished his cigar and his glass OF something
and water and walked up and down the room
until the lamps went out.
There were others like Strephon. Another
Captain met him in the street and before they
separated both men had tears in their eyes.
II can't 60, either" said the other; my peo-
pie said that If l was ordered out my pay'd so
on, but when 1t came to volunteering, as that
was a matter Of my own choice, nv pay'd stop.
And I've got a family" he added softly. and
swore. In fact, families were at a discount
You lucky devil!" said ono officer to an.
other. you amt married."
strepGon% shf heard 0S s q ssirS Ssir t and 0' @as 1 mot
Then, came the time when the "vote" was
taken that wasn't a vote; and out of the forty
officers q dozen stood up and said they could
not go. Some of them started to explain why
planstions; the wiser ones simply said No in
tones that seemed strange even to themselves.
ready made" tho officers take pride, and sonie
Of them, no matter If they had been ready
made once; had served years in this regiment
announce that they'd have to stand aside.
Farnsworth at Peekstead. The Colonel direct
hind and not to come with the regiment.
,.h nAre sh th9 %o,o orders rs,S sirt" asked Strephon; and
uniform. take this sword. knot. In going to
fsEs e fto mesa1g OF mine at the front If l can't
Then he saw his company turned oyer to his
four months altogether; and he shook him by
tho hand without a word and went down the
line doing the same to each man. Behind him
been twenty years in the company and had q
son there, and a corporal and some of the older
their first enlistment. The men were swearing
volubly: wives and children, for thoss who
were not going, offered little consolation. At
opened and the long column started out. The
men In the ranks were happy in spite of their
leavetaktngs; but out of the ranks were the fel.
regiment went out, colors flying, band playing.
And those left behind drew long br~eaths-and
then went to the nearest places frequented by
the members OF the regiment and drank, That's
t ths way emotion n. \ nno takes some 10 n mennmeIes EN-
Then Strephon went to his club to dine. He
looked into the smoking room and did not an
Swer the recognitions of the men there. He
dinner, sitting with his head on his hands
what he ate than to what he drank.
Hello. Strephon,' said q man, coming in.
heard the steenth was out. Why'n't you
strephon looked at him a moment scornfully.
Then no said. with simplicity and directness:
'Oh. ali right" said the other. and sat down
at a nearby table, where he watched Strephon
II beE'f pardon. old man." he said. Il didn't
into a. &dTS ] ike that. i Let up, no S%n th faG =
good fellow: can stand a lot, but i can't
SO tho friend went back to his table, more
angry than ever, Then. Other men came in,
and each one who knew him asked S~trephon tho
sSee qIeii'9 at iaSt s Str 2dss T turned i1 Hpo Sn'n tSe am.
Look here" he almost shouted. IF a fol.
Ter ran away with a mans wife and the man
was tied to a tree and had to let the Teller and
his wife go, would you ask him why he let EN-
go, first time yon saw him afterwardl Not by
a darn sight. Now. you've seen the steenth
go away--an'- an you know that | wasn't with
it, because l couldn't be you know I've got a
wife-an' two childron-an'- then you ask me
why, I'm here. Here. waiter, bring me my
check"
Good boy, good boy said the others. and
ono oldish man in the corner called out, You've
done the right thing, young man,"
Il know j have" said Strephon, but I'm
damned sorry" and with that he went away.
Mrs. Strephon said afterward that her hus-
band for the next few days was a combination
OF bear, swapping turtle. and starfish.
Why, no was useless around the house, =" she
said. lie hardly spoke to me. and scolded the
children. His mother wrote thanking him for
not going, and he tore the letter up before he'd
half read 1t, and when the rector stopped him
on Sunday to say how glad he WAS that he
hadn't gone, S~trephon simply swore. and turned
around and walked away. had the dickens OF
q time trying to sootho the old gentleman
From this It may be noticed parcnthetically
that Mrs. Strepbon's conversation had been
corrupted by her husbands.
But tho hardest Of all was to come. Sire,