Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-22

in the meantime, before he wakes and gets
the blues, you had better corral his car
tridges."
Il done that" said spud, though it
might be better that way, too"
mo. Murphy said the Kid. THAT
would be a bad expose. Soldiers must fill
other people with bullets, but should scrup-
ulously respect their own persons.
The Kid respected Private Spud's anxiety
to save the unhappy lieutenant from dis
missal. He watched over Owens ATTACH
of malaria personally, that even that
critical outbreak of the maniacs passed I'M
noticed by the adjutant or men. In a week
Owen was back with the troop, grayer and
thinner, quieter and graver than ever, but
with the same nervous cOurteousness which
made his troopers, as also his comrades,
| regard him with plying liking.
The little doctor and Owen had q long
private talk, and it is to be supposed the
Kid dabbled in nOstra outside the regular
| pharmacy of the faculty, for he and Owen
| took together four weeks leave of absence,
and the doctor brought the lieutenant back
| to Spud looking better than ever he had
! stree the craving had burst upon him.
| Take him, Murphy said the Kid con-
| fdently, and you can let him have the
| run of the pistol cartridges
| The blessing Of the ward is on you"
| said Spud with great joy, and thereafter
| permitted himself to mingle as freely in
| former days with the troop, to take his
| discuss the glories of the ward and of the
| Owen family as magniloquently before
Again the old saloon keeper received a let
| ter from his son, which he showed to the
| senator, and again was the old lawmaker' S
! heart borne up within him, as he dreamed
| of glory-real glory, not of the political or
| der, whose holloWness he kneW-for his
| boy.
| For war was in the air, the Maine went
| down, and then war came.
| That was six months after Kid had
| brought Owen back to duty. During the
last three of these the soul of Murphy had
| been possessed with doubt Something was
| wrong with his charge, just what he could
| not say. 1t was not the old trouble-not
| once had the unholy thirst consumed the
offcer-that seemed indeed to have left him
| through the little doctors radical cure,
| whatever it may have been. A something
! of alteration was in the eye and step OF
| the lieutenant. Now he was listless; he
| took no part in social gatherings; he avoid
| ed any more duty than was absolutely
| necessary Before, when not incapacitated
by his vice, he had been a burning student
| interchangeable in helping his troop to star
! rank in the regiment. Books no longer in
! terested him, nor drills. He cared not
| whether his men were marksmen or sharp.
| shooters. Spud took heart of grace and
wrote to the Kid, who had been sent to
another station, and the Kid replied a little
anxiously, but hopefully.
I'm changing his inherent nature in one
direction said he, ''it is possible that othel
traits may have been weakened but it Is
probable he will be his busy self again il
time. So long as the great object was at
tanned by my cure l really don't care much
about the rest
But Spud did. The troop was crazy will
| delight al getting the route for Cuba. Over
disguised his own feelings from every one
but not from the watchful attendant.
"Hully gee!" Spud moaned, "he-he dom
want to go!
| The dog-robber ragged, and it is to b,
feared that when in attendance on his mas
| ter in the secluSion of the latter's quarters
things passed which had better fitted thu
long gone days when they were only bill
boy and little boy on the block, and Sput
had forced the child to fight or be thrashed
1t resulted in Owens thrusting aside hi
listlessness for time and moving aroun,
| for departure. The dog-robber however
| was grievously embittered in heart as h
watched the lieutenant's condition.
by gee said he, II asked him to cur
| him of drink but not to take all the spiri
out of him. What tell! A towards wors
than tother thing"
Then it came about that on a very no
day in the afternoon a ship strange II
: those waters crept closely in to the Cuba
coast. She steamed slowly along, her bull
, warks lined with watchful armed mer
whose wide, gray campaign hats toppe
her sides The silver beach stretched
| shining ribbon, along the edge of the sea
t | and great clouds of surf sparkled in tn
E sun as the waves broke on the coral reef
: | a little out from the shore. The land with
g in lay like a garden Of the gods, as greer
as fruitful. to all seeming peaceful .
| net of jungle, of trailing, thorny vines an
q ! tropical bush, with bamboos and banyan