Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-07-30
LIEUTENANT CLOVER.

LIEUTENANT CLUNE LIZ.
The colonel seemed much disturbed.
He walked to the window and gazed
out at the empty parade. He walked to
his desk, and Adjutant Caldwell Glover,
who was signing orders, glanced out Of
the corner of his eye and saw that the
colonel was pulling his mustache.
Then the colonel sat down and said
rather sharply, "Are you busy, Clover"
1t was not customary for the colonel
to address the officers by their names in
this way. He was supposed to address
Adjutant Clover as lieutenant, and to
say that the young man was surprised
would be placing it mildly. OF course
he didn't object. In fact, it pleased
him to have the colonel speak to him
Familiarity, only it was SO unexpected.
81 am not busy, colonel, said the
adjutant.
"How old do you think am, Clio
ver?" asked the colonel.
"Why, don't know, colonel, STAN
mered the adjutant, mot any older than
than you ought to be. &"
The colonel was slicing a sheet of
paper with the paper knife. 81 want
you to do something for me, Glover. /
have come to depend ON you SO entirely
for everything that am going to put
this personal matter in your hands.
want you to write proposal of mar
riage to a young lady for me. "
The colonel was much embarrassed.
His face was red under the tan.
"a proposal of marriage'' echoed the
adjutant.
Eyes. If 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
looked at me with those steady brown
eyes of hers couldn't say word.
"Then it's Miss Lacey?" said the adj
jutant.
1T is Miss Lacey.
Every well, colonel" Adjutant
Glover received the order just as he
would have received an order to APP
point a substitute captain for the re-
cruits or any trivial thing of that sort,
and he turned to his desk as the colonel
went out.
There are those who think an adju-
tant has nothing else to do save listen
to 81 bugle calls day and look his best
from reveille to taps. 1t is a mistake
He has thousand and one things to do.
He oversees guard mount. He selects
the colonels orderly. He writes letters
and signs papers, and now Adjutant
Caldwell Glover Of Troop X is asked to
write proposal for his colonel to Agnes
Lacey.
When Captain Lester went east and
returned with a golden haired young
wife, Lieutenant Glover danced with
the bride at the reception given them.
Il am sure l shall not be lonely
here, she said to him. II find it all Sc
new and interesting, and then in the
summer my sister is coming to me. .
They were promenading 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 Glover looked
forward to the coming of Captain Les
ter S 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 Glover
handed her a pair of feldg classes, anC
when at last the rumble of the wheel,
was heard they walked together acros!
the parade, and it was Lieutenan
Clover's hand that opened the stage
door and then reached up to help th'
girl alight.
When he took off his cap to her anC
then escorted herself and sister to TIN
cartaiu's "ua"tor<, Acrot Lacey fell
that ali her sister mad written about tn
courteous young officers of the pos
must be true,
| The summer was quiet one at thu
post There were few dances, SOM
rides over the prairie, picnic or tw,
and long, quiet hours on the verandas
and then one day there came news o
! Captain Testers transfer to anothe
post 1t was ON the day before tn
one set for his departure that the colo
mel gave his adjutant his peculiar order
When the colonel had gone, Lieuten
ant Glover leaned back in his chair ant
clasped his hands behind his head HI
was to propose to Agnes Lacey for tn
colonel. He thought over all the hour
he had spent with Agnes, and his fac
grew tender and his lips quivered lit
tie as he remembered that tomorrow sh
was going away, then he said to him
self what the use of my feeling lik
dog in the manger? She wouldn
marry me. She'll never think Of m
again after she leaves here. " He too
! up mis- pen, then hesitated as he dippe