The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-25

larger half of this ROOM while on the other
side of the partition was an untidy dress
ing table. miserable 'washstand. and a
bed. The bed! He took step forward,
and his mouth open, his eyes staring from
their sockets. The bed! There on the pill
low. peeping wickedly out of the sheets.
was the handle of warming pan. A
warming pan! Poor Caraway moved hur-
riedly across the room. ami thrust his hand
between the 5edciothes They were warm
horribly, vilely warm.
When Moore returned he was prepared
Tor the worst. While the soldier knelt
over his boxes. he undressed with a
swiftness that surprised himself, plunged
his face into warm water and dried it on
towels that were warm, too. After all,
thought he. it can only be for few
weeks. and l shall soon be back again
with Jane and the cats. But his heart
was aching very badly when he hurried
down the steps and passed cut into the
open OF his way TO the mess. When he
opened the door of the nteroom his
agony off mind was intense.
Caraway, said a voice he seemed to
remember. and the next minute he was
shaking hands with the colonel. I'm
very glad to see you again, my dear fell
low Eth. what? We're a very dull party
I
mind that En- what? You must speak
up when you talk to me; I'm as deaf as
a post-can't hear a single word. Let me
introduce you to Major Bullen. Dyou re-
member Bullen? After your time l think.
Eth, what?" very fat old man with two
walking stout walking sticks in his hands
extricated himself from the depths of an
armchair and hobbled over to Caraway.
Very pleased to meet you." he Wheel
cd Eoar Cad t;t
town. The colonel's deaf and I'm lame
Gout. Anything the matter with you?'
"A little sciatica at times said Cara
way, wishing to make himself pleasant.
"Sciatica! Cure you in two days REM
edy of my own. Perfectly simple, and No
demmed quackery. Come over to my quar-
tiers after dinner, and I'll tell you about
it.
and now" said the Colonel "let me in
troduce Captain Simmonds. He thinks be-
cause I'm deaf he must shout: the greatest
mistake in the world. / can hear well
enough If people only speak distinctly"
Captain Simmonds came forward. He was
big fellow. boasting a great chest meas
urement and a deep bass voice
Beastly nuisance calling us out" he
said. Il believe we shall be tere for a cou-
pie Of years."
"A couple OF WHAT" said the Colonel.
couple Of years, Sir" cried Captain
Simmonds.
Don't shout! Don't shout" the Colo
mel said. Well, what if We are? We're
four now. and that's enough for a rubber
You're still fond Of whist them Car
away asked
''Eh?''
You're still fond of whist, he says"
bawled Simmonds.
a rubber. How that fellow Simmonds
does below
The mess sergeant threw open the door
and announced dinner. Colonel Watt took
Caraway's arm and led him forward. Ma
3or Bullen. wheeling horribly and STUN |
bling painfully along with his two sticks, |
followed at respectable distance. Cap |
tain SimmonGs iounging behind, yawning |
loudly.
?" ooh, by the way, Caraway," said the |
colonel, your wife was very wise 10 write |
about your bed. Directly / arrived mere l |
sent out for warming pans. a most impor-
tant point, that. Eth. what? All, glad I
you agree with me. A damp bed is the |
devil, the very devil. have kept my bed
aired every night since l came here, and |
Bullen does the same Simmonds. of
course. is young. and doesn't take advice
Never heard fellow shout as he does,''
he continued. whispering. Got voice |
like the bull of Bashan. Eth. what?" Cara
way smiled and bowed acquescence The
colonel. no longer the dashing major, SEEM
ed TO him the pleasantest fellow he had |
ever met. Builen. in spite of his groans,
was cheerful companion. and as long as
one laughed at his single Joke Simmonds |
seemed harmlessness itself. This, then. |
was his return to soldering A deaf
chief, lame major, and a captain who
made one joke and went TO sleep afte.
dinner. In his room that night Captain |
Caraway, happy as a schoolboy, sat down
and wrote letter TO his wife
My Dearest Jane: Here / am, a SOL |
der again. Much as / like the quiet of |
civilian life. there is. must confess it. a |
certain fascination about the dashing life |
Of soldier. When i had got into my kit !
felt the old glow again, and when 1 |
l say swagger?-which an |
ignorant public associates only with the |
Blues. The men are charming. Colonel !
Watt-you remember what a dashing fell |
low he was-is Just as handsome as ever |
Rullen, the major. very good sort and |
another man. Captain Simmonds is tre- |
mendous wit, ard keeps us all on the
roar. One cannot be dull in his society |
We are all very gay and jolly. And now,
with love to yourself and the cats, ever |
your devoted husband.
GEORGE CARAwAY.
"P. s.: The fellows were awfully good |
about the bed business. The Colonel |
took it quite nicely. l viii write more |
fully next time"
To describe Mrs. Caraway's feelings on
reading this letter is quite impossible. |
Over and over again did the dear soul Pc
ruse her husbands words, and every time |
the foreboding at her heart deepened FL |
nally, she sat down at her modest little |
escritoire, and took paper and pen. What |
she wrote it would be wickedness to di- |
vulge, but We may at least disclose the |
sentence of the postscript:
Promise me. dear George 1t ran;
promise me that you will not allow the
dashing reckiessness of soldiers life to
make you despise our little home"
BY the next post Captain Caraway gave
her the promise.-Black and White.