The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-04-26
lfter he'd drilled awhile I nai1ed lin

aIter ned drilled awhile / nailed him
for headquarters clerk. / never knew
him to be off an hour until about four
weeks ago. The men say anotheryoung
leila came out here one night, had q
talk with Morton, and they went out
together. He got regular permission.
Nobody has set eyes on his friend out
here since that time, but Morton got
three passes to town in ten days, ard
Squeers happened to want him, and
gave orders he should have to be con
suited hereafter. Bout a fortnight.
since, by Jove, Morton lit out sudden
" and was gone 4S hours and was
brought back by a patrol, perfectly
straight, and he said he had to go on
account of g friend who had been taken
very i'll and was a stranger here.
Squeers let him off with a warning, and
inside of three days he, begged for a
24-hour pass, and Squeers wouldn't give
it. He went without it, by George!
1t was just about the time the Prime
family arrived, looking up the boy
they heard was in your regiment. This
time there was big trouble. The patrol
sent for him went directly to the lodg-
ings of his sick friend, and there they
found him and he laid out two of our
best men for forcing a way into. the
room. They told me your carriage
nearly ran over him the day of the re-
view. Then came hat dam fool charge
about his being mixed up in this rob-
berry. Then his escape from under
Billy Gray's nose, by Gawge, and that's
the last of him. Canker sent a party in
to look him up at the usual place, and
both birds had flown, both, by Gawge!
The sick man was well enough to be
driven off in a carriage, and there's
nothing further to tell as yet"
II wish l had known about him earli-
er-before the Primes came" said Arm
strong thoughtfully, knocking the
ashes off his cigar. "Of course you di-
vine my theory"
THAT Morton is the missing son and
heir? OF course. Now that I've seen
Miss Prime the family resemblance is
strong. But if he wanted to soldier,
what's to prevent? Those tents yawn-
duh are full of youngsters better edu-
Gated than l am" and Gordon arose,
tangling a long, lean leg in the nearest
camp stool, which he promptly kicked
through the doorway into the sailing
fog outside. 1t was barely II o'clock,
but already the raw, wet wind was
whistling in over the barren, sandy
slopes and dunes, and the moisture
dripped in big drops from the sloped
rifles of the men marching sturdily
in from drill.
"Yawnduh comes the Prime carriage
now, by Gawge," continued the adju-
tant, as he limped to the entrance.
"Ole man seems all broke up, don't
hep" Armstrong had promptly risen
and came striding to his comrades
side.
Naturally" was the answer. "He
had hoped much from this visit. The
boy was just under 21 when he enlist
ed, and, as his fathers consent was
lacking, a discharge could have been
ordered. 1t may have been fear of that
that drove the youngstcr off. Where
is the carriage-and your glasses?"
continued the colonel, looking about
until he found a binocular.
Comm right down the road back of
the officers tents. Reckon it's another
visit of coincidence to Gray. You know
I shouldn't wonduh if this arrest of
his didn't prove a blessin' in disguise
for that lucky boy"
No reply coming to this observation,
Gordon glanced over his shoulder.
Armstrong was replacing the glasses.
Again the adjutant hazarded:
IL vas saying this arrest may be,
after all, the biggest kind Of blessing
in disguise for that lucky Billy. Yes,
by Jove! They're comm to his tent.
That's a splendid girl, ole man."
"Miss-Prime, you mean?" calmly
queried Armstrong, striking match
after match in the effort to light a
fresh cigar, his face averted.
miss Prime I don't mean," answered
Gordon, glancing c%uriously at the
senior officer. Not but that she's a
most charming young lady and all
that" he hurriedly interpolated, south
ern chivalry asserting itself. Then
with a twitch about the lip: by the
way, ole man, those cigars light better
from the other end. Take a fresh one"
Armstrong quickly withdrew the i'll
used weed from between his strong,
white teeth, gave it one glance and a
toss into the waste basket.
mo, I've smoked enough. But how
can they see him? How about that
sentry over Gray's tent"
Huh! Chief made them take it off
directly he heard of it," grinned Cor
don. Moses! But didn't Squeers
blaspheme!" And the adjutant threw
his head back and laughed joyously
over the retrospect. eyes, there's that
curly-headed pate of Billy's at the tent
door now. Reckon he was expectin'
EN-. There they are, ole Prime, too.
Don't be in a hurry, colonel"
They had known each other years,
these two, and it had been "Arm-
strong" and Gordon" when they ad-
dressed each other, or "ole man" when
Gordon lapsed into the semi-atfection-
ate. To the adjutant's southern sense
of military %propriety "ole man" was
still possible. Armstrong" would be
a soldierly solecism.
Il am to see the general before noon,"
said Armstrong, gravely, 'and it's
time l started. If you should hear of
your runaway let me know. If you
shouldn't. keep u views to yourself.
There's no use in rousing false hopes"
With that Armstrong turned up the
collar of his o%vercoat and lunged out
into the mist.
Gordon watched him as he strobe
away, the orderly following at the con-
ventional distance. The shortest way
to general headquarters was up the