The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-12-28
The NG1DS QId The End.
A Devoted Striker, Two Engage
ments and a Freed Lieutenant.
By Gwendolen overton.

%'-s----s--ii--:.'--.. -.;;-,,-.t.
Throughout the department Strathmore
was known by the striker he kept. This
had its disadvantages, but the advan-
tages outweighed. No one could have
realized this better that Strathmore him
sell, ana yet sometimes he was moved in
the bosom of the mess to complain, at
Is telling on me, he would insist 81 am
Slowly breaking down under the strain. |
came across something in French book
the other day about how few masters are
worthy to be Wallets. That's what | am
striving to be, and the failure is telling
upon me. They used to-" he explained
complaceDty, they used to say when my
name was mentioned from Dan to Beer
sheba: 'Strathmore, Strathmore of the
steenth. Big, good looking chap -
Srathmore had picked up Chestcr's man
ner of speech" one of the Srathmores
of Boston, isn't heY Now it's .Strath-
more? That's the chap Chestcr's strik-
ing forE Oh, yes, think I'll send Chcs-
ter back to the troop"
Which, of course, he never did. Apart
from the Sact that he could never have
done without him, he could not have had
the heart.
Chester had been as good 4 soldier as
he was striker. but he had langushcd
under barrack rule Exactly for the rea-
son that he never said so. it was plain
that he had been used to better things.
1t was so plain that Strathmore would
never have thought Of suggesting to
him to become body servant had not
Chester himself, when dtsperado's
of hpI laTE
cant, volunteered As n striker Chcs-
ter had many little luXuries that he had
lacked before-his own room. his own
bathtub and the run of his masters small
but choice library. With the help of
draperies and blankets that Strat hmore
let him have and with that Of some pot
ted plants he managed upon his own ac-
count lie transformed the room into quite
a sybaritic retreat, and his literary dis
elimination was a thing to wonder at.
He tackled mp colored supplements of the
London Christmas papers, and there was
Photographic one-on his mantcl-
piece. 1t was of a woman who had soft
!. eyes and hair and lovely mouth Strath-
more ventured to ask who it was one day,
and Chester told him that it was IAN
kEnglish woman, sir"
Now. this was in Texas in the early
ASrShortly after the war, in the State
Lone Stars palmicst time There
pnuch drinking in the land and much
eTer as well, no pious general having as
yet arisen to bid gambling cease There
was also some shooting, but Of unattach-
Sed women there were sadly few. and
: those that there were were generally not
very nice. This condition of affairs led
to a good many unfortunate things ANY
, man prefers even a second rate woman to
A2one At all, and any man, being deprived
pa standard of comparison for n length
of time, will come to think that an ex-
ceedingly poor article is superior enough
Safter all.
That was what happened to Strath
more. He should have known better
because his youth had been spent among
women who were lovely in every way,
sbut the memory of man is short-and lie
WAS lonesome. There should be pro-
vision for this in the regulations When
man gets any of the ills that frontier
Service is apt to induce. they bundle him
off back east on a sick leave. Yet when
(which is infinitely more prejudicial to
the standing of the service-he reaches
the s." se of loneliness where he would
marry the Witch of Endor herself rather
than continue to be alone, there is no one
y to indorse his application to be sent
somewhere where he can find the proper
sort of girl
IN Strathmore had been in the wilderness
q matter of five years. and he was grad
ruaily, very gradually, lapsing from civli-
cation. The first intimation of this that
Chester had was that the lieutenant
made unnecessarily frequent calls at a
Eanchhouse some ten miles from the res
rvation. Chester knew that a girl lived
lere-a dreadful girl, who had a plump
pretty figure and face, but whose
peech was a thing to shudder at, and
whose name, besides being IIalloran,
twas Mamie Pearle. He also knew that
if that were not enough to set Strath-
more's teeth on edge he must be in a
very bad way.
All this worried Chester Il great deal
Frequent contemplation of his one pho
tograph had furnished him with the
standard of comparison which Strath
lore lacked, and he could see what the
Ntcome of things as they were going
hs bound to be. He explained ii to the
photograph. standing before the mantel
tfece with his hands jammcd deep in his
trousers pockets and a pucker on his
brow. which was fair to the line of the
cap and quite crimson from there down.
"lf he marries that freckled face Halo
ran girl" he said hell want to shoot
himself and her the first time he goes
east Chester cherished cynical kind
of regret at he hadn't done as much
himself some time before-"or he'll com
t,l.. Il, Il NJ,
he nodded his head decsvely "he shall
not marry Mamie Pearle, not - he
looked at the picture long time-'not
~ have to marry her myself. which
Aeaven forfend"
hTdney afternoon he found Strath-
fen the sitting room aud prOffered a
o unprecedented request Il shall
pair" be said. Ito he given a fur
for a week" Stluthmore consid.
II Nnd frowned "What' become of
N4pster?' he asked plaintively "What
y AdoT'
M Jooe has promised 10 take by place,
%le was Captain Lacy's striker for
3Il years, and he knows his duties.
Rthmore sighed "very good" he
with sufficiently poor grace. Il
IN make ont somehow
kBter went away feeling contempti-
M ID small. and Strathmore sar and
krd dismally that il was emergencies
4E sort thai drove a man to matri-
He ought to have realized that
da man marries because he thinks
A;sl.1ll- s4lT,- -.,s--.,f-llsse 10 him. RICHER
QUE to her, he is making a grave
b. l. IL al.
unlct;on with his nreeant lot was tho
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