Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-22
81 only ask Of that proud race
Who's. .inc shall end with ne.
That l may die and not disgrace
lis ancient chivalry.
From The Bohemian Girl


about good Now says l. when I was /
through, will We lick that bloke. or will 1 /
pound YOU again?' So hunts up that .
bloke. who was heap bigger than Sammy, +
and | seen 1t was a square do, and Sammy |
knocked i'm out in the tenth round See? /
If 1t hadn't been for that lickin' that 1 gave |
Sammy Owen. that made i'm fight most |
desp'rate. that kid would have been a dis |
grace to the ward. he would. l tell We, |
felIers, there won't be no monkey business |
with Lieut.. Sammy Owen from West Point, |
cause 1 seen to that when Sammy was so
high. and l was champion lightweight of
the ward. 1 was the maxim of Sammy ana
he thinks the world of me, see?
In the long lingering twilight Of an even
ing in midsummer number of troopers sat
on the long Dorch of the wooden barracks.
Ont on the parade ground. retreat pelhs
comfortably over and the day work oohs'
the band was gathered about the hagstan'
PLAYING away the heat OF the sun anu "el-
coming the cool shades OF night. Spud
Murphy was the especial object OF interest
to the men, in that new lieutenant hid
Joined the troop that day, and Spud was, II
seemed well acquainted with the young
officers family history. Even the hrSt ser
geant so far relaxed his dignity as to step
out from the orderly room and ask ques-
ton or two of the builet-headed, bright
eyed soldier from New York city
Twas this way, said Murphy My
father and Sammy's father was pals once,
and when l was tough young leIlo",
fighting my way through the old ward.
took to Sammy. who was a little Kid, ana
educated him in the ways and manners OF
men as is men. Twas me as learned MN
70 put up his little fists first But, say, Oid
Owen was lulu, he was. and went IN Tor
bein' a politician. and got made an alder
man. and waItzed in the Doodle for all ne
was worth. My father hadn't that KIND OF
gt.-uD. So when old man owen got rlcn as
a Jew We didn't mix no more with their
crowd see? Sammy he goes away 20
dude school and his dad goes 10 CON
Cress. and they pulls out from our block
and moves up town. though. say the owens
Is always our ward boys and ives proud Of
them see? Then 1 enlists in this here
bloomin troop. Say. that's nine years ago,
but them boys in New York remembers me
still. and what's the matter with the time
they give me when / go back on leave 10
see them, Say. twas great. Sammy goes
to West Point. and here he comes lie
thinks the world of me, does sammy
tall. thin man, with the straps Oh
second lieutenant came out from the last
house a bachelors quarters on oihcers
row. and crossed the parade ground COM
ing directly toward the barracks
ITS him" cried Murphy, in suppressed
excitement I'd know his measly red
hair a mile off. Gee! To think that little
Sammy would ever grow up TO be my lieu
The officer passed the length of the porch,
saluted 10y the men, and entered the order
coded i'm. In a few minutes Spud Murphy
was called. and left his comrades compla-
Gently exuectant
H2M DO yog } d2 nv Mprpny s51a my 9@s:
clusion Of the orderly room. he thought,
with a sense Of ag@ricvement the new lieu
tenant his old protege of the block.
might have cOnlescended to shake hands.
The trooper stood. however, at attention
and eyed the new -uhalteTn CuriOusly. The
lieutenant h -li himself sJraight-four years
a Academy
had given him that sOlGierly bearing which
a West Pointer can never lose entirely. He
was we'll set up hut TO Spud Murphy's crit
tcal eye, accustomed 10 the clean and
wholesome face col0rS OF the plain troopers
the dead dull gray of owens cheeks. their
sUnken leanness. the wateTiness of his I'M
certain. nervous ewes were as a cold cloth
on the sol Hers enthusiasm over his old
friends rise in station. Owen pricked at
the hlClting pad Of the desk before which
Re sal. pricke1 aimlcsSly with long and
Murray said he Il have asked the ser
Eednt about detailing man to look after
my horses and on. He has suggested
you Would You be willing? 1t will be a
considerable help. of course as far as mon
ey is concerned. to you
Spud sqUirmcd. Every officer has his dog
robber or servant, but such details are not
those wh"h the smarter soldiers aspire TO
gain There is something mental about the
position which is to many man offensive
Spud had his opinion of dOc-robbers in
general. He was therefore about to reject
the offer peremptorily, when the young Of
ficer looked at him with an appeal in his
eyes which closed Spud's lips.
II have been i'll. Murphy" he said.
slowly ''or 1 should have Joined four
months ago | am not quite well yet. and
II should Ike some one nOt-a-cOmpIete-
~ a stranger about me for time at least .
SpGd's memory. at the sound and man.
ner Of the appeal, flashed back to years
long past. when the man, his officer
came to him a little whining boy for
protection. always Cheerfully accorded
These dOg-robbing details amt my STYLE
help you OUT
The sergeant srinned. for spuds blunt
reSs Of speech was traditional in the troop
but Owen smiled family, and his ewes shot
Up az Murphy with RAISING CLEAN OF
kindliness. the old familiar mannerisn
ficke-ed. famelike. from the dying embers
OF his hOyhoCd's fires
Thank you he said, as If greatly re.
Heved. and passed out.
The troop. doubtless, had many sneers
to cast upon Spud Murphys abandonment
OF principle. but II was not a safe thing Il
speak too plainly before the New Yorker
face Spud. therefore, disdaining explana
ton, assumed charge next day of Owen.
horses, took his supper and reported duly
at the heutenant's quarters in the evening
for orders. He was amazed to find the off
Ger a different creature. His cheek wa
flushed. his eye was bright; he was film.
his room with the music of his whistle a.
he moved about, and he greeted Spud will
gay familiarity He talked garrulously o
old times. of the sidewalks of his childhood
he laughed bOisterOusly at remembrance @
his great fight, the penalty of losing wfcl
would have been a severe thrashing from
Spud. Murphy ought TO have been delight
ed. He was at first, indeed. but the voic
OF Owen was too hilarious his words to-
tumultuous In their outpouring, his laug
too bOisterous. Ten years of garrison an
camp had made the trooper a stickler TO
etiquette. He knew very well that sucl
familiarity with ordinary buck soldier
was out of place. He knew very we'll tina
that familiarity was the worst of all pos
sible things for discipline and order There
fore, he waxed cold and eyed the loqua
CiOus subaltern closely. Then he took tn
big glass of whisky offered to him. drank
standing with punctiltous respect and with
drew, good deal worried in his mind a
to the future of an officer in whom, for tn
glory and honor of the old ward, he fel
the greatest interest.
He drinks" he muttered as he crosse
the parade 10 barracks. That little dew
Sammy's taken TO drinkin'. Oh hellr'