Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-28

done Tor deyilment,D as the governors
henchmen took pains to assure Lang
don, but most people throughout the
state and'the regiment'to man took it
seriously, and machine statesmen far
and near were sorely worried. There
is nothing so sure to stir things the
wrong waysfor all parties and princi-
pally for himself as the injection of the
martial hero into politics. Langdon
was for announcing in so many. words
that'he would never permit the use of
his'name, but Cresswell, the veteran Of
dozen campaigns, bound him to ST.
lence. "Think what you please, do
what you please when the time comes,
but meanwhile keep your own counsel.
No matter if you don't want the gov
ernorship or any civil office, let ZEN
think you do. It's the surcst way to
get what you do want The whole
state delegation in congress, the gov
ernor and his hackers We're clamoring
by wire for Langdon's immediate pro-
Ai'osAoa " thC siuS VI III SGllST-
al. That would insure his going back
to the Philippines and being far out of
the field when nominations We're in or
der. But Washoe is too many hun
dreds of miles from Washington for
them to importune in person, and let
tiers and kilograms are far easier to an
swer than personal pleas, and "influ-
ence," said Melville, '.is inversely as
the square of the distance" The brevet
Of the silver star was wired without
much objection at the war office, and
the Washes roared with joy over the
news that for conspicuous bravery in
half dozen actions, including Baliga-
bangbang, where he was severely
wounded, their colonel was brevetted a
general.
1t was relief at night to get away
from the thronging camp and the i'm
portunities of statecraft and to find
refuge ut Melyille's quiet, cozy suit Of
! rooms at the homelike old hostelry,
Lips that smiled and eyes that shone
We're ever there to welcome him, and
with the general he could talk unre-
seryedly. Neither by education nor
temperament was he fitted for political
life. Its intrigues and devices were
detestable to him, its associations
calling. AS lawyer he had seen-he
! had had to see-much Of the chicanery
with which the whole edifice is sur
rounded. He had no ambition in that
direction. His law practice had begun
to be lucrative before the outbreak of
the war and babe fair to become more
SO as soon as he could resume work.
All the old debts, with interest, had
long since been paid. He had bought
land and was drawing plans for pref
ty home when the trumpets sounded
to arms. He had even begun to dream
of chatelaine for that chateau. Ger
tain batteries Of the old regiment were
stationed in the harbor, and officers
who We're his contemporaries in the
old days at Pawnee, seniors and
Juniors both, now came to his disci-
pinned, well ordered camp and looked
with appreciative eyes upon those stall
wart, seasoned battalions and enyied
him his experience and opportunities.
Torrance had got his double bars at
last and gone on to Manila as the vol
unteers were coming home, but he had
long since b&oken with Nathan, and
the soldier in him sought reconciliation
with the man who had won such hon
ors in the campaign. The full realiza-
ton of the wrong he had done Lang
don long since dawned upon him, and
yet how horribly awkward was his
position! Other men in the regiment
who Ind quarreled with their kind and
wanted to end the strain of long mis-
understanding could go to Melville,
sure Of sound advice and sympathet
aid. Melville could harmonic where
others only meddled. But Torrance
was barred. Melville was the only man
to whom he could not go, for in his
rancor he had SO far forgotten himself
and what was due woman as to
name one of Melvilie's household In
| his denunciation of his brother lieuten-
amt
Langdon had cordially greeted and
received certain of the old regiment
who had held aloof in his days of trou-
bic, but who came to him frankly and
told him Of their contrition and regret.
They had wronged only Langdon. Tor
/ rance had spoken disdainfully of a
brave girl whose offense in the eyes of
| the small snob element at Pawnee was
that she stood by the sorrowing man
and thought him despitefully used, and
now would Langdon be apt to forgive
| all affront to Ethel Grahame? Mrs.
Torrance, after the new captain sailed
for Manila, wished to take rooms with
these pleasant army people at their fa-
| vorite caravansary. She loved society,
but everybody knew her husband had
been knocked fiat by Langdon for i'm
pertinent mention of Miss Grahame,
and, though it happened ten years be-
| fore, the breach had never been healed.
Torrance had never sought pardon.
! How could she go there? The Ma
thans were taking the mountain air up
at Tahoe, waiting for the volunteers to
! disperse, but the majors leave was for
only two weeks. The Washoes were
still in camp and the day of muster out
not yet determined. The governor and
his satellites We're now less clamorous
for speedy settlement of their papers
and somewhat given to suggestion that,
after all, at wouldn't pay for the regi-
ment to come to the capital. They
wouldn't have their arms and their
equipments, ETC., all having to be turn
ed in at the Preside, so 1t would hard
ly be like a military parade All things
considered, it would be just as well for
the boys to scatter at Frisco and each
choose his own hcmeward way" So
the military authorities bent their en-
ergies toward getting rid of those regi-
4 ments whose statesmen were clamor-
Gus, and thus it happened that the Ma.
thans returned while the Washoes were
still in camp, and 1t might have been
better had that leave been extended.
/ One glorious autumn morning the
regiment formed line for final review,
and in great numbers civilians, soldiers
and women fair were assembled to wit