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

Life is full IT ups and downs,''
unused the colonel as he laid on the lit.
tered desk before him an official com.
munication just received from depart.
ment headquarters, Especially army
life, and more especially army life in
Texas
Nov, W at are you philosophizing
about?' asked his second in command, a
burly major, glancing over the top Of
the latest home paper, three weeks old
that day.
Dye remember Pigott, that little
cad that was court martialed at San
Antonio in 1868 for quintuplicating his
nay accounts? He married the widow Of
old Alamo Hendrix that winter He's
worth half million today, is running
for congress and will probably be y the
military committee next year, while
here S Lawrence, who was judge advo-
cate of the court that tried him, gone
all to smash.' And the veteran officer
commanding the til infantry and the
big post at Fort Worth glanced warily
along into the adjoining office, where
clerk was asserting the papers on the
adjutant's desk
Its the saddest case I ever heard
of, said Major Brooks, tossing aside
the Toledo Blade and tripping up over
his own, which he had thoughtfully
propped between his legs as he took his
seat and thoughtlessly ignored as he left
it. Damn that saber-and the service
generally!" he growled as he recovered
his balance and tramped to the window.
I'D almost be willing to quit it as
Pigott did if could see my way to a
moderate competence anywhere out of
it. Lawrence was as good soldier as
we had in the Twelfth, and yet what
can you do or say? The mischief
done.' And, beating the devils tattoo
on the window, the major stood gloom
lily gazing out over the parade.
''It isn't Lawrence himself I'm So
Orderly, shut that door, cried the
chief, whirling around in his chair,
land tell those clerks want it kept
shut until the adjutant comes, and you
stay out on the porch. 1t isn't Law
renee I'm so sorely troubled about,
Brooks. He has ability and could pick
terly discouraged and swamped. What's
to become, though, Of that poor child
Ada and his little boy?'
"God knows" said Brooks sadly.
"I've got five Of my own to look after,
and you've got four. No use talking of
adopting them, even if Lawrence would
listen, and he never would listen to
anything or anybody-they tell me, "
he added after minute S reflection. II
don't know it myself It's what Bux-
ton and Canker and some of those fell
lows told me on the Republican last
summer. hadn' seen him since Get
tysburg until we met here"
Buxton and Canker be-exterminat-
3D." said the colonel holly. II never
met Buxton, and never want to. AS for
Canker, by CAD, there's another absurd
ity. They put him in the cavalry be-
cause consolidation left no room for
him with US. What do you suppose
they'll do with him in the -th?''
1.-The Lord knows, as I said before.
He never rode anything but hobby in
his life. l don't wonder Lawrence
couldn't tolerate preaching from him.
But what I don't understand is who
made the allegation. What's his Of
Tense? Every one knows that he's in
debt and trouble and that he's had hard
lines and nothing else ever since the
war, but the court acquitted him of all
blame in that money business
And now to make room for fellows
with friends at COURT burst in the
colonel wrathfully. "He and other poor
devils with nothing but fighting rec
ord and a family to provide for are
turned loose on years pay, which
they're to have after things straighten
out as to their accounts with the gov.
eminent. Now just look at Lawrence.
Ordnance and quartermaster's stores
hopelessly boggled'-
Hush - interrupted Brooks, starting
back from the window. Here he il
now.
Assembly Of the guard details ha6
sounded few moments before, and al,
over the sunshiny parade on its west
ward side, in front Of the various bar
racks, little squads Of soldiers armed
and IN full uniform were STANDING
awaiting the next signal, while thu
porches Of the low wooden building
beyond we're dotted with groups Of com
rades, lazily looking on. Out on tn,
greensward, broad and level, crisscross
ed with gravel walks the band hat
taken its station, marshaled by the tai
drum major in his huge bearskin shake
From the lofty flagstaff in the center O
the parade the national colors were flut
tering in the mountain breeze that stol
down from the snowy peaks hemmin
the view to the northwest and stirre
the leaves Of the cottonwoods and tn
dropping branches of the willows in tn
pea OF the rushing stream sweeping
the southern limits of the garrison
Within the Enclosure, sacred to militar
use, 1t was all the same old familia
PICTURE the stereotyped fashion of til
frontier fort Of the earliest seventies
dull hu1ed barracks on one side or O
two' dull hued, broad porched cottage
the officers quarters-on. another
Gull hued Offices st0rehouses Fcorrs