The Delta independent., 1898-11-11
%, ~ se.l,ssssesrS es.arAsI !.

business, as it turned out. rs because
Follansbee had worn them all out with
il weeks before.
And. to everybody's surprise. SO far
from seeming annoyed or embarrassed
or bored. Barclay led him ON from point
to point and. even after coffee was serv-
ed. sat an apparently absorbed listener,
for by that time Foliansbee had absorb
ed most Of the claret and was dilating
on the matter with especial reference to
the case of Colonel Lawrence Later
that evening Barclay spent an hour at
the Blythes'. aud two days after he and
Brayton dined there.
IL was O'Clock dinner. The doctor
and his wife. Major and Mrs Brooks.
Miss Frazier and Miss Amanda Frazier,
were the other guests- Those were the
days when officers Of all grades wore
epaulets when IN full uniform, but, ex-
cept il one or two swell messes, full
dress was not considered requisite for
either dinner or hops. The men wore
the uniform frock coat with shoulder
straps Some few privileged characters
even dared to appear in . sack coat with
white tie. Such thing rs the evening
dress Of civil life was unknown at q
military post aud unowned in the
fighting forco OF the army. outside per-
haps Of the artillery The doctor was .
privileged character. . man who said
what he thought and did what no
thought right, aud when Mrs. Blythe.
glancing out Of her parlor window. saw
their favored friend and medical adviser
coming along the walk. his hands deep
In his trousers pockets and himself in q
ft of abstraction and q new sack coat
while the partner Of his joys and sor-
rows chatted briskly with the Frazier
girls. Mrs. Blythe called up stairs to
her massive liege lord. "Wear your
blouse. dear; the doctor has on his"
whercupon Blythe slipped out Of the
uniform coat Of formal cut and into tine
easy sack, and came trotting down tire
creaking stair in time to welcome his
guests Brooks. Barclay and Brayton,
who came later. were in the prescribed
regulation dress. whereat Dr.. Coilabone
exclaimed: "Helloi Now. that's what
! ought to have dcne. il I'd had AZ
much regard for conventionality as I
have for health. Gentlemen. do you
know you simply invite m apnplectic
seizure by sitting down 10 dinner in .
tightly butsoned uniform coat! Il II
barbarous There ought to be regula.
tion against II. !"
Il was observed that while the doctor
included ALI thrcc Of the cavalrymen in
his remarks he looked at and apparent
ly addressed only enc. Captain Barclay.
very handsomely cut. its buttons and
shoulder straps Of the finest make and
finish. whereas the doctors were tar
nishcd, il not actually shabby. Brooks
frowncd, and Erayton looked cinbar-
rassed lest Barclay should take Il amiss
but that officer remained smilingly In.
terested and in uowise troubled.
The Frazier girls gigglcd. and Miss
Amanda was prompt to assert that for
her part she loved to see the officers
wear the proper uniform. and she wasn't
alarmed about apoplexy. whcreupon
Col!abone smiled benignly and said,
"What did J tell you about the danger
Of tight lacing?" Amanda couldn't bear
the doctor. Her elder and primmer sis
ter only half liked him. Many of the
women thought him brusquo and rude.
but officers uud mon and mothers Of
families swors by him aud children
adored him A childleas man himself,
be seemed 20 keep open house for tho
offspring Of his comrndesL They swarm
ed about his quarters ut all hours Of the
day. They invaded his parlor. overflow
ed hts dining room and ruled his kitch.
en-.
A kindly and placid soul was MIRA
Collabone. . woman who had few cares
or perplexitieA end these she promptly
turned over to her broad minded. broad
shouldered liege for final disposition
as serenely confident Of their speedy dis.
sipation as she was Of tho prompt con-
quest Of any snd all the manifold ills
to which childish flesh IL heir by that
practitioners infalliblo remedies. Chill.
dren ran loose in those days in Texas,
and so they ougbs 70. said Collabone
Savage races are the only scientific
rcarers," he maintained Boys or
girls. thoy should be burdened with but
. single garment, or less. from the timo
they're born until they're or 10. and
meantime tboy should be made to eat,
sleep and live outdoors. He preached
for children regularity In matters Of
diet. prescribed four light meals day,
practiced bcterodoxy and distributed
bread and milk, bread and sirup. bread
and jam. cookies. corn dodgers and mo-
lasses candy morning. noon and night
Aunt Purlina, the f:t and 1ocund god
dess Of tho Collabones' kitchen, had
standing orders On such subjects. and
many . time had the post surgeon to
wait for his own refreshments because
"the kids" had posseasion Of the prem
ises
There was never . worry along of1i-
GERS row when children strayed from
homo. 'Oh. they're over at tho doc