The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-03

5 Active Service {


| Messing his humiliation. The mess
! walters would have heard the colonel
roaring over his wife's fatal letter
that very morning at breakfast, and
now all the men in barracks would be
making merry at his expense. But
worse than forfeiting his company's
respect was the prospect of being bait
ed by the young sprigs of subalterns.
| What would they say to him? What
would they do to him? A cold wind
| blew across the darkening fields. The
suns last beams flickered behind the
| chimneys of a manufacturing town in
| the distance. Captain Caraway shiv-
| cred.
| He began to remember different
points In the landscape the trees in
the hedges the bends Of the road. A
few minutes more, and the dust STAIN
ed fly would turn sharp to the left,
jolt up a narrow lane, and then-the
red brick barracks? He pulled out his
watch and shivered again. 1t was 8
| o'clock: he had fifteen minutes in
dress for dinner!
The fly turned the corner, crawled
slowly up the lane. and presently rat
tied slowly over cobblestones through
the barrack gates. The sentry, a
smooth-faced boy, looked up at the
captain, but did not salute. The bar
rack square seemed empty outside
the officers quarters, dull, cheerless
red brick building. a civilian was
lounging. When the fly stopped he ap-
preached and touched his forehead.
! Captain Caraway:" said he. YES"
said our hero. I'm Private Moore,
sir, and I'm told to be your servant.
A1,, g. to-
SIR"
Captain Caraway followed his SER
want meekly up the steps, and climbed
with him the echoing wooden stairs.
Full as his mind was Of apprehension,
he yet had room there for thoughts
of his home and the girl he had left
desired was that little snug villa. with
its thick carpets. it's pretty curtains
and the three comfortable Persian
cats: He looked about him. and his
heart grew sick. Here was his room.
Moore had returned to the fly for his
luggage, and he stood alone to a big,
bare, h;deous apartment; o few seedy
old wicker chairs ana dull deal table
occupied the larger half of this room,
While on the other side Of the par
tition was an unti1y dressing table,
Il miserable wash-stand and a bed.
The bed! He took a step forward, his
mouth open. his eyes staring from
their sockets. The bed! There on the
pillow, pceping wickedly out of the
sheets, was the handle of warming
pan. A warming pan! Poor Caraway
moved hurriedly across the room, and
thrust his hand between the bed
clothes. They were warm, horribly,
vilely warm.
When Moore returned he was pre-
pared for the worst. While the SOL
der knelt over his boxes, he undressed
with Il swiftness that surprised him.
self, plunged his face into warm water
and dried it or towels that We're warm,
too After all, thought he, it can only
be for a few weeks, and I 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 out into the open on his way
to the mess. When he opened the door
of the anteroom his agony of mind
was intense.
"Caraway." said a voice he seemed
to remember, and the next minutes-he
was shaking hands with the colonel.
I'm very glad to see you again, my
dear fellow. Eh, what? We're a very
dull party here, IA very dul! party,
but you mustn't mind that. Err what?
You must speak up when you talk
to me; Pm as deaf as a post-cant
hear a single word. Let me introduce
you to Major Bullen. Dyou remem-
Der Bullen? After your time, l think.
Eh. what?" A very fat old man with
two 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
wheeZed. Fear you'll find us a bit
dull after town. The colonels deaf
and I'm lame. Gout. Anything the
matter with you?'
"A little sciatica at times" said Car
away, wish to make himself pleasant.
"Sciatica! Cure You in two days.
Remedy of my own. Perfectly simple.
and demmed quackery. Come over to
my quarters after dinner, and I'll tell
YOU about it,"
"And now" said the colonel, "let
me introduce Captain Simmonds. He
thinks because 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 great