The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1901-01-15

Now, this was in Texas, in the early
days shortly after the war, in the state
of the Lone Stars palmiest time. There
was much drinking in the land, and
much poker, as well, no pious general
having as yet arisen to bid gambling
cease. There was also some shooting,
but of unattached women there were
sadly few, and those that there were,
were, generally, not very nice. This
condition of affairs led to good many
unfortunate things. Any man prefers
even second rate woman to none at
all, and any man-being deprived of a
standard of comparison for length
of time-will come to think that an ex-
ceedingly poor article is superior
enough, after all.
That was what happened to Strath-
more. He should have known better,
because his youth had been spent
among women who were lovely in every
way; but the memory of man is short
and he was lonesome. There should
be provision for this in the regulations
When man gets any of the ills that
frontier service is apt to induce, they
bundle him off back east on a sick
leave; yet when-which is infinitely
more prejudicial to the standing of the
service-he reaches the stage of loneli-
ness where he would marry the Witch
! of Endor herself rather than continue
his application to be sent somewhere
where he can find the proper sort of
girl.
Strathmore had been in the wilder
ness matter of five years, and he was
gradually, very gradually, laps
ing from civilization. The first
intimation of this that Ches-
ter had was that the lieutenant made
unnecessarily frequent calls at ranch
house some ten miles from the reserva-
ton. Chester knew that girl lived
there-a dreadful girl, who had a
plumply pretty figure and face, but
whose speech was a thing to shudder
at, and whose name, besides being
Halloran, was Mamie Pearle. He also
knew that if that were not enough to
set Strathmore's teeth on edge, he must
be in very bad way.
Al lthis worried Chester a great deal.
Frequent contemplation of his one
photograph had furnished him with
the standard of comparison which
Strathmore lacked, and he could see
what the outcome of things as they
were going was bound to be. He ex-
planned it to the photograph, standing
before the mantel piece with his hands
damned deep in his trousers pockets
and pucker on his brow, which was
fair to the line of the cap and quite
crimson from there down. eff he mar
ries that freckle-face Halloran girl"
he said, "hell want to shoot himself
and her the first time he goes east
Chester cherished cynical kind of re-
greet that he hadn't done as much him
promise and take to drink instead.
No." he nodded his head decisively, she
shall not marry Mamie Pearle, not
he looked at the picture long time
mot if L have to marry her myself.
Which heaven forefend!"
The next afternoon he found Strath-
more in the sitting room and Proffered
a most unprecedented request. II shall
like, sir" he said, ''to be given fur
Tough for week." Strathmore con-
sidered and frowned. "Whatll become
of me, Chester?" he asked, plaintively;
what will do?"
"O'Toole has promised to take my
place, sir. He was Capt. Lacy's striker
for several years, and he knows his
duties, SIR"
Strathmore sighed. "Very good" he
agreed, with sufficiently poor grace,
81 expect I'll make out somehow. Put
in your application with the morning
report"
Chester went away, feeling con-
temptible and small, and Strathmore
sat and reflected dismally that it was
emergencies of this sort that drove a
man to matrimony. He ought to have
realized that when a man marries be-
cause he thinks the woman can be of
use to him, rather than he to her, he
is making a grave mistake. But he
fancied the vague dissatisfaction with
his present lot was the yearning of af-
lection, and believed more than ever
that he cared for Miss Halloran quite
creditable deal. Before Chester left the
next day he stood in front of the photo
graph again. She'll wear curl papers
and his forage cap and cape" he re-
flected aloud. That was his notion of
the point beyond which vulgarity could
not go. cts devilish contemplate
business, 1 know it is. But then-my
futures all behind me; and his is all
ahead. He's only boy. He has all
sorts of pulI'-what a striker does not
know about his master is not worth
considering at all-"he will be able to
get anything he asks for in Washing
ton. Not" he unused, that the Amer
lean army offers much for a young man
just now. But he can get all it can give.
If he behaves himself and marries the
right kind-or better yet, doesn't mar
ry at all-he may rise to the soaring
height of an attacheship. All things
are possible with pull"