Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1901-02-01

quite as polished as Strathm0re'S own;
and-which was of infinitely more i'm
portance-he never touched whisky and
cigars, nor went on payday spree. So
Strathmore felt himself justified in sup
posing that he had murdered, or stolen,
or forged, .or something, at one time or
another, and he shrewdly guessed that
Chester was not his real name. But
that was no ones concern, that he
could see, and everybody knows that
enlistment in the army OF the United
States, even more than baptism, is
new birth.
Throughout the department Strath-
more was known by the striker he
kept. This had its disadvantages, but
the advantages outweighed. No one
could have realized this better than
Strathmore himself, and yet sometimes
he was moved in the bosom Of the
mess, to complain. 1T Is telling on
me" he would insist; ST en- slowly
breaking down under the strain. l
came across something in French book
the other day about how few masters
are worthy to be Wallets. That's what
am striving to be, and the failure is
telling upon me. They used to-" he
explained complacently, they used to
say-when my name was mentioned
from Dan to Observation-Disclosures,
Strathmore of the 'steenth. Big, good
looking chap" (Strathmore had picked
up Chester's manner Of speech), lone
of the Strathmores of Boston, isn't he?'
Now it's 'Strathmore? That's the chap
Chester's striking forT Oh! yes;
think I'll send Chester back to the
troop"
Which, of course, he never did. Apart
from the fact that he could never have
done without him, he could not have
had the heart.
Chester had been as good soldier as
he was striker, but he had languished
under barrack rule. Exactly for the
reason that he never said so, 1t was
plain that he had been used to
better things. 1t was so plain
that Strathmore would never have
thought of suggesting to him to
become a body-servant had not Ches-
ter himself-when desperado's bullet
had left the position vacant-voluD-
teered AS a striker Chester had many
little luXuries that he had lacked be-
fore-his own room, his own bath-tub,
and the run of his masters small but
choice library. With the help Of dra-
peries and blankets that Strathmore let
him have, and with that of some potted
plants he managed upon his own ac-
count, he transformed the room into
quite sybaritic retreat, and his liter
airy discrimination was thing to Won
der at He tackled up colored supple
ments Of the London Christmas papers,
and there was Photographers one
-on his mantel-piece. 1t was Of
woman who had soft eyes and hair and
q lovely mouth. Strathmore ventured
to ask who it was, one day, and Ches-
ter told him that it was IAN English
woman, sir"
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 a length of
time will come to think that an exceed
ngly poor article Is superior enough,
.fter all.
That was what happened to Strath-
more. He should have known better
because his youth had been spent
imong women who were lovely In ev-
cry way; but the memory of man is
ihort-and he was lonesome. There
should be provision for this In the reg
Ilatlons. When man gets any of the
Ills that frontier service is apt to in
duce, they bundle him off back East on
a sick leave; yet when-which is In
dnitely more prejudicial to the standing
Of the service-he reaches the stage Of
loneliness where he would marry the
Witch Of Endor herself rather than
continue to be alone, there is no one to
indorse his application to be sent some
where 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, lapsing from
civilization. The first intimation of this
that Chester had was that the lleuten-
ant made unnecessarily frequent calls
at a ranch-house some ten miles from
the reservation. Chester knew that a