The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-05-10


/ C0llinses. saw Dame c. weather
/ eye taking in the house. I could SEE
she liked IL. and | knew there'd bs
trouble. Mrs. Lawrence kept them "a
luncheon-thc whole seven of them
Asked me, too; but the kids were rails,
Ing Cain, and the abode OF peace was
Transformed, so / lit out"
swell, ! guess she's sorry now--ii
thaf's my comfort 10 YOU. For the
Collinses are not only going TO have
those quarters, but they're going to
have them quick. Even the c. O. got
NJ Collins. But il wasn't n use.
My wife likes the quarters says he.
And that's ALL"
they sat in meditation for some
time. Then Drayton spoke.
II like those quarters. too. I'm go-
ing TO have some of them myself" he
said.
Bartlett did % understand. and
Drayton undertook TO explain.
"Well-sec here" He took his feet
down from the rail. in his carnestness
and Strengthened his zap. Its like
this. You and ! have got one room
each in this house, haven't we. same
as h most of the other bachelors? o"
Such was the case. "And we're enti-
tied to two rooms each. aren't wc?"
Bartlett agreed that they were. "And
We've been keeping these ones be-
cause we've been too lazy and too
good-natured to ask for more. haven't
we? Well, we won't be lazy and good
natured any more. III the Collinses
nov into h Lawrenccs' set, III va
cate my room-turn il over to YOU
and I'll apply for the upstairs floor of
the Lawrence house. oh! I'm enti-
tied 10 it, all right he chuckled.
II know my rights as a citizen Of
these United States and as a first
lieutenant of cavalry. The Collinses.
the whole sweet seven of EN-. NAV
have the lower floor. It's all they
can claim under the law. That's four
rooms. including the kitchen. / dare
say they won't mind living like that
any way. They're pigs
pigs. too" asked Bartlett.
Drayton went on unfolding his plan.
"Once ! have that top floor. YOU
watch the interest in life I'll provide
for them. Ill make their DAYS pleas-
ant and their nights-particularly
their nights-beautiful. Ill have sup
pers up there every evening. and do
songs and dances until reveille, if /
have to hypothecate to pay my COM
missary bill. and if my health breaks
down You watch." He stood up
and began TO button his blouse. $50
you are warned. If the Collinscs
move in. such is my devotion to them
that I'll move in. too. And I'll put
in my formal application for those
" rooms. No other two in the post
will suit, either. you understand"
And 1t all came about exactly as he
had said. There was a hegira Of Law
rences and an ingress of Collinses.
and great was the l%atters' wrath when
they found Drayton taking posses
sion of the upper floor. They pro-
TO everybody in general. and
To the commandment and the quarter
master in particular. And the COM
mandant and the guartermaster said
they were sorry. but that Drayton
was certainly within his rights. He
had applied for the quarters in virtue
OF the general tu%rning-out that ID
troop was causing in the post. and he
was entitled TO occupy them. There
was nothing more 10 be said.
IL can't pretend I'm sorry for them.
exactly" Mrs. Lawrence confided 10
Drayton, when he advised her not to
TO settle in her new quarters very
I'm only human, after
all. and my house did look so sweet.
and my garden But I'm sorry for
YOU. | think those children are the
very imps Of evil"
Drayton nodded. There are 9TH
he said.
II was enigmatical. but Mrs. Law
looked doubtful. and ready 10
,e hurt. you don't mean mine?" she
said.
NO. my dear lady," Bartlett reas-
her, she doesn't mean yours.
He thinks yours are all that tender
infancy should be. I don't know what
does mean. however. And prob
he doesn't know himself"
Don't II" q%ueried Drayton, eng
still. Don't ! just?"
Perhaps" said Bartlett. "you mean
O'Brien. / saw you hobnob-
ping with him to-day. Would il be
now?"
Drayton would not commit himself.
IL was Jimmy and none other.
Drayton had come upon
when he was playing duck-on-
l-rock all by himself. near the suffers
tore. The duck was a beer bottle.
md Jimmy was pitching stones at It.
With indifferent aim. The father Of
Jimmy was first sergeant of Drayton's
roop, and so the lieutenant felt they
lad enough in common to warrant a
conversation.
II began by a suggestion as to a bet
er way to throw a stone. and il end
d with a bargain struck. "Then,"
aid Drayton. III I promise to pay
-ou two bits for every centipede. four
its for every tarantula, ten cents for