Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-11-22

A puff of warm air blew from the inte-
rior and confirmed the statement. 1t
was well along in summer, and not q
dozen miles away to the east men were
strolling about with palm-leaf fans and
wilted collars. Here, close to the gray
shores of the mighty sea, blankets and
overcoats were in demand. Hospitality
the older officer tugged at the lacings
of the military front door, swore be-
tween his set teeth when the knots,
swollen by the wet, withstood his eff
forts, and then shouted:
Sergeant major, send somebody here
to open this"
A light footstep sounded on the
springy board floor, nimble fingers
worked a moment at the cords, then
the flap was thrown open and the adj
jutant's Office stood partially revealed.
1t was a big wall tent backed up against
another of the same size and pattern.
Half dozen plain chairs, two rough
board tables Uttered with books, pa
pers and smoking tobacco, an oil stove
and a cheap clothes rack on which were
hanging raincoats, ponchos and cape
or two, comprised all the furniture. In
stout frame of unplaned wood, cased
in their oilskins and tightly rolled,
stood the national and state colors OF
the famous regiment; and back of them
well within the second tent, where one
clerk was just lighting camp lantern,
were perehed OH rough tables brace of
field desks with the regimental books.
The sergeant major, veteran of years
of service in the regulars, sat at one Of
them. A young soldier, he who had un-
fastened the tent flap to admit Lieut..
Gray, was just returning to his seat
at the other. Two orderlies lounged on
bench well beyond and back of the
sergeant majors seat, and bugler,
with his hands in his pockets, was smok-
ing briar-root pipe at the opposite
back doorway. Woe to the enlisted men
who sought the presence of the colonel
or adjutant through any other channel.
The sergeant major would drop on him
with the force of baseball bat.
"Who all are over yonder at the
chief's?" asked the adjutant, as soon
as he had his visitors we'll inside, and
the soft accent as well as the quaint
phraseology told that in the colonels
confidential staff officer southerner
spoke.
''All the brigade and most regimental
commanders 'cept ours, 1 should say
and they seem to be waiting for them.
Can't we send?" was the answer, as the
| junior whipped off his campaign hat
and sprinkled the floor with the Wig.
orous shakes he gave the battered felt.
Have sent" said his entertainer
briefly, as he filled pipe from the open
tobacco box and struck safety match
Orderly galloped after him ten min
utes ago. Blow the brigade and bat
talon commanders! What asked you
was who are the women up there?"
"No, you didn't! You said who all
are up yonder?' I'm sub, and s'posed
| you meant men soldiers = officers.
What have to do with anybody in pet.
| ticoats?"
"And I'm grizzled vet of dozen
years duty, crows feet and gray hairs
a-comin'," grinned the adjutant, pull
ing at u long curly mustache and draw
ing himself up to his full height of six
feet, "and when you're as old as am
and half as wise, Billy, you'll know that
pretty girl is worth ten times the
thought our old frumps of generals de-
mand. My name amt Gordon if
haven't mind to waltz over there
through the mist and the wind just to
tell them Pve sent for Squeers. Then
I'll get look at the girls"
"I've got to go back said Billy, land
you've no business to-with Mrs. Cor
don and an interesting family to con-
slider. What tent'd the ladies go to? I
didn't see 'em."
Mrs Gordon. suh." said the edjutant,