The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-08-17

Good God, do you mean that man
who has served Is years in the army,
fought all throvsht the war and served
as have served, must step down from
the squadron captainoy to ride behind
the boys just out of the Point? Be ranked
out of quarters by my own son-in.law
the next thing know! I'll see the army
in HI first, was his furious reply.
"No, Ned, not hell, but Texas Take
it. Go back to the line, and once you re
back in the army in any grade we'll
legislate you up to the majority you de-
serve See if we DON'T
But Lawrence had lost all faith in
promises, or in congressional action.
He turned in contempt from the propo-
sition, and in early April came the It'd
ings to San Antonio that he was desper-
ately i'll.
Meanwhile Mr.. Hodge had lost the
prestige of his first appearance at
Worth and fell into the customary rut
Of the subaltern. People found him as
monotonous as did the martyrs of the
upper Platte, and from having been the
most sought after of second lieutenants
he dropped back to the plane of semi
obscurity. This was CALLING. Hodges
stock in trade had been the facts or IA
bles in his possession concerning the
absent Captain Barclay, whose present
whereabouts and plans were shrouded
in mystery. A rumor came that he had
decided not to join at all that he was
in Washington striving to arrange
transfer; that his assignment to the
regiment and to the post where he must
meet the woman who had Tilted him
for cavalry subaltern was something
unforeseen and not to be tolerated. The
muster roll couldn't account for him
other than as permitted to delay three
months by special orders No. so-and-so,
war department, A. G.. O., Jan. rs,
1871. This gave Hodge unlocked for
re-enforcements. A fortnight passed in
March without bid to dinner any
where without a request for further par
ticulars as to Sir Galahad. So long as
that interesting parsonage was expected
any day to appear and answer for him
self it behooved Hodge to be measurably
guarded in his statements, to keep with
in the limits Of his authorities, but one
day there came letter from lady at
department headquarters to Mrs.
Brooks, and before Brooks himself was
made aware of the contents he being
at the clubroom playing "pitch" and
therefore beyond the pale Of feminine
consideration, the news was going the
round of the garrison.
Mrs. Pelham, who was spending the
winter in Washington, had written to
an old and devoted friend of Major
Waite's some very interesting news
about Captain Barclay. The captain
was in Washington whole week, but
had not called on Mrs. Pelham, though
she had done everything she could think
OF for him when he was wounded. The
Pelhams were then at Mcpherson and
near old Waite's summer camp, but no
one ever heard Of her ladyship's ever
taking the faintest interest in Barclay
until after he developed into a mine
owner and had been Tilted by Laura
Waite. But let Mrs. Pelham talk for
herself, as she usually did, as we'll as
for every one else. "He spent the first
week in February here, leaving just be-
fore poor Captain Lawrence came. No
wonder he didn't wish to meet him I!
And Mrs. Waite was there, buttonhol-
ing everybody to get her pension in
creased and wearing the costliest Grape
you ever saw, my dear, and-think of
it!-solitaire diamond earrings with it.
She had room in house where sew
eral prominent congressman boarded and
was known as the fascinating widow.
She sent to Barclay-would you believe
it?-and begged him to come to see her,
and he actually did, and Mrs. Cults,
who lives in the same house, told me
that you ought to have seen her that
day-no solitaire earrings or handsome
Grape, mind you, but tears and bomba-
zine, and Mrs. Cults vows that he gave
her money. That woman is angling for
another husband and has been ever
since poor Waite's death, and if any
thing were to happen to Mr.. VIM it's
just what Laura would be doing too. It
runs in the blood, my dear. You know,
and know, that all the time she was
at Omaha barracks and the major in the
field shea woman with a grown son
and graduating daughter-was dane
ing with the boys at the hops and rid
ing-yes, and buggy riding-with bach
elors like those wretches Gates and
Hagadorn. Buggy riding was the un-
pardonable sin in Mrs. Pe]ham's eyes,
she being "too massive to sit in any
thing short Of the side seat of an ambu-
lance" as said regimental wit, and
Mrs. Pelham looked with eyes of disfa-
vor on women who managed to "'keep
their waists'' as Mrs. Waite did.
"But let me tell you about Captain
Barclay" continued the letter. "Gen-
eral Corliss called to see me two even
ings ago and said he heard that Barclay
was actually millionaire; that he had
large interests in Nevada mines that
were proving fabulously rich. You can
understand that Iwasn It at all surprised
to hear that tho general had intimated
to Mr.. Ray of his staff that it would be
much better for him to go and serve
with his regiment awhile. Ray would