Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-03-30
90 tnau the general had forbidden his

go rnaJ the general had forbidden MS
acceptance, despite the fact that the
general had expressed publicly his graf.
ification that the company had at last
done something in recognition of it's in
debtedness to the army, which was
most adroit and equally impersonal.
And all the while Loring himself was
having anything but an enviable time
OF 1T. A man so reticent and retiring
could not but be annoyed by the per
sistent calls and cross questions of all
manner of people in whom he had but
small personal interest. He wished to
have nothing whatever to say upon the
subject, denied himself to reporters and
relapsed into impenetrable reserve when
importuned by brother officers whom he
but slightly knew
One or two with whom he would
gladly have held counsel were far re-
moved, one at least forever, from his
circle. The stalwart old inspector,
Turnbull, lay sleeping his last sleep in
the cemetery at Monterey. The veteran
who served as president of the Nevins
court was in far Arizona, and Blake,
sound OF heart, if not of head, was un-
| der cloud at Yuma. His forceful ex-
pressions concerning the imbecility Of
| department officials led to his being
confined very closely to company work
and minor, yet exacting, duties at the
| post, all because of his abandonment of
Lieutenant Loring at critical moment,
said the few defenders of the depart
ment's letter to the post commander on
that subject "All because of his too
vehement defense of Loring," said
everybody else
With feverish eagerness Loring
awaited the sailing of the next steamer.
Every item for which he stood account
able was then at his Office. invoices and
receipts made out in full Nothing was
needed but the officer designated to re.
lieve him. The Columbia was to leave
on Saturday, and up to Thursday even
ing no relief bad appeared Friday
morning the adjutant general received
a written communication most respect
full, yet urgent in terms. requesting
that the officer might be designated
without further delay, and as no an.
swer was received up to noon Loring
followed it with personal call upon
the chief of staff, who said the general
had the matter under advisement.
My luggage goes aboard the Column
bia tonight, sir, and l should be aboard
by 10 o'clock tomorrow said Loring
Colonel Strain coughed obviously
. 1t might be impracticable to relieve
| you from duty so soon The general is
in communication with the war depart
ment upon the subject, and possibly if
-you-had had the courtesy to call up
on the general or upon me, his chief of
staff, and to explain your wishes the
thing might have been arranged.
| LoriDg flushed. He saw through tie
motive at glance, and could have
found it easy to express his opinion in
very few words There are times when
a man is so goaded that an outburst is
the only natural relief. but it is none
the less fatal, There might even be
method in the colonel's manner, and
Loring curbed with long practiced hand
both tongue and temper 1t would have
been warrantable to say that the mar
ner Of both the general and his chief of
staff had been too repellant to invite
calls, but he knew that whatever the
merits OF the case, superior officers, like
inferior papers, always have the last
word He might be only inviting repri
mand Without word, therefore, he
| faced about, went straight to the tele-
graph office down the avenue and wired
to Washington:
| Steamer sails noon Saturday not yet re
| lieved What Instructions?
By that hour there would be no one
in the office of the chief of engineers at
Washington, but Loring addressed it
direct to the home of the assistant, upon
whose interest in the case he had reason
to rely, and then returned at once to
his desk. We're he not to be there it
would place it in the power of would
be oppressor to say the officer designat-
ed to receive the property had called
during office hours and could not find
Mr. Loring And then, with such pa
thence as he could command, Loring re-
ceived the visitors who kept dropping
in, among them the boisterous More
land, whose bay of Bisoay voice had
become almost as trying to his host as
to the other occupants of the building
and during the long afternoon awaited
the action Of the general upon his morn.
ing's letter and that of the war depart
ment upon his telegram
| e1r O'Clock came at last. Office