The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-02
Lieutenant Clover of Troop X.

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was pulling his mHstache.
Then the Colonel sat down and said rath-
er sharply: Are you busy, Clover?"
1t was net customary for the Colonel
to address the officers by their names
in this way; he was supposed TO address
Adjutant Clover as Lieutenant.
81 am. not busy, Colonel" said the Adju-
tant.
How old do you think 1 am. Clover?"
asked the Colonel.
why 1 don't know, Colonel stammer-
ed the Adjutant, mot any older than
than you ought to be-
The Colonel was slicing a sheet Of paper
with the paper knife. '1 want you to
do something for me. Glover. 1 have
/ come TO depend on you so entirely for
everything that I am going TO put this
personal matter into your hands. want
you to write a proposal Of marriage to
young lady for me-"
"A proposal Of marriage!"
Yes II any one had told me / was
afraid of a woman would have laughed
at him. l tried to speak to her about It
/ last night at the hop and when she look
ed at me with those steady brown eyes
of hers l couldn't say a word"
Then, it's Miss Lacey" said the Adju-
| tant.
1t is Miss Lacey"
| Every well, Colonel Adjutaut Glover
/ received the order just as he would have
/ received an order to appoint a substitute
Captain for the recruits. or any trivial
J thing of that sort, and he turned to his
! desk as the Colonel went out.
! When Captain Lester went east and re-
turned with a golden-haired younf wife,
Lieutenant Clover danced with the bride
at the reception given them.
/ 81 am sure L shall not be lonely here"
/ she said to him. 81 find ii all so new and
interesting, and ten in the summer my
sister is coming to me- They were prom
enading then and she looked up at the six
( feet of handsome manhood beside her and
said: You will like my sister. She is not
at all like me. She is almost as tall as
you are. and independent and brave" And
from that night Lieutenant Clover loked
forward to the coming of Captain Testers
fair sister-in-law
Alice Lacey reached the post in July.
Mrs Lester had been watching for the
coach and when it appeared on the brow
of the hill Lieutenant Clover handed her
a pair of field glasses and when at last
the rumble of the wheels was heard they
walked together across the parade, and it
was Lieutenant Clover's hand that opened
the stage door and then reached up to help
the girl alght.
When he took off his cap to her and then
escorted herself and sister to the Cap
tain's quarters, Agnes Lacey felt that all
her sister had written about the courteous
young officers of the post must be true.
When the Colonel had gone Lieutenant
Glover leaned back in his chair and clasp
ed his hands behind mis- head. He was
to propose to Agnes Lacey for the Colonel.
He thought over all the hours he had
spent with Agnes and his face grew ten
der and his lips quivered a little as he
remembered that tomorrow he was going
away, then he said to himself: Whats
the use of my feeling like a dog in the
manger? She wouldn't marry me. She'll
never think of me again after she leaves
here" He took up his pen, then hesi-
tated as he dipped it in the ink-'My,
but it will be lonesome when she is gone"
Then he went on writing and when the
letter was finished he forgot and signed
his own name instead of the Colonels, !
and then laughed as he saw his mistake.
He had to write the letter all over again
then.
The stage left in the early morning.
Lieutenant Glover noted the stir of de-
parture about the Captains uarters. Then
he saw the Captain and Mrs. Lester ap- |
pear and he ran out TO speak to them. !
He half expected to find the Colonel with |
them, but he was not there flush |
dashed up TO his face. Had she really /
refused the offer? If so, why? There was /
no time for explanations. She came out |
ready for her journey. She gave him her |
hand and her eyes looked level into his.
Il shall never forget how much you |
did to make my stay pleasant" she said. /
Il hope 1 shall meet you again, Lieutenant /
Clover"
The drivers whip circled out over the /
heads of the forward mules. she waved (
her hand TO him, and Lieutenant Cald-
well Glover was standing alone with an
aching heart with nothing in the world |
to DO but listen to thirty-seven bugle /
calls a day and follow the dreary routine
of an Adjutant's life.
Then there came a time when the coun-
try called for troops, Boots and Sad
dies" quickly followed, and Troop X start
ed for the South.
Army headquarters at Tampa was
thronged with officers. Lieutenant Cald-
well Clover was still Adjutant to the Co.
lionel A telegram was handed the latter
The Colonel frowned, pulled his mus
tache. then said: Lieutenant. I have
a telegram from friend now at Chicka-
manga His sister arrives at this hotel !
tonight to join the Red Cross forces at
Key West. Please meet her and see that
she gets her train for OPT Tampa in
the morning"
The Lieutenant saluted. When the Pull
man car backed into the spacious hotel
ground that night a few officers, news
paper man or two, and one woman alight-
ed. As she stepped forward the waiting
Adiutant was startled at first, then hur-
ried toward her.
Miss Lacey! You here?"
a. Lieutenant Clover! How glad I am
to see you again. 1t is good to see a face
one knows. ] felt rather lonely, for there
wasn't another woman on the car all
day"
Il was to look out for nurse" said the
CHANGING around, but it
seems she didn't come"
The girl stepped into the broader light.
20, then, you didn't know she said, and
pointed to her sleeve. An insignia honor
ed the world over was sewed there-the
Red Cross.
rs it possible?" It seemed to him that
nothing but intersections came into his
mouth. You are really going TO the
front?H Il
Going to the 'front.'" she repeated with
a smile in his face. Il shall probably
meet you there"
Were you lonely after left the post?"
she asked. No one but a woman could
have asked such uestion.
Il never before knew what loneliness
was he said. 4 wonder If yqou would
forgive me If I told you just how lonely
I was-but no"
Tell me. she said. softly II
There were tears in the girls eyes when