The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-03-06

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1t was partly noble and heroic self
abnegation which prompted Macintosh
to constitute himself the savior of Bar
clay. but 1t was also partly hope of
winning the hundred which the rest Of
the mess put up and which would enn-
ble him to pay by several months soon
cr than he would otherwise have done
for the carved ivory crop, the silver
spnrs md the gold cruss sabers and
other trides Of the sort that he had be-
slowed upon Miss Cunningham in hop-
pier days. Thus Is the pure metal of
our finest actions ever combined in the
coming with base alloy.
Macintosh had been In love with
Miss Cunningham for some time and
was SO still. though now he had moth
ing to hope. He had had reason to be-
Iicvc at one period Of the negotiations
tha, he found favor in her sight. Then
BARCLAY had come upon the scene, with
pull. prospects and exceedingly good
looks. and from the moment that he
presented himself as rival for the no.
ticc Of Miss Cunningham Macintosh
>,
sides being far less blessed lii personal
appearance than the other, he had
nothing to expect in the future beyond
promotion and fogies in the natural
course Of death and years.
lie put his faith to the test, however,
and when 1t proved definitely adverse
he did not go out into the world imbit-
tered and scowling at Barclay and
making spectacle Of himself general
ly. He even continued to put the horses
Of his troop ut Miss Cunningham's dis
posal, though now SHE rode no more
with him, yet for oil that he himself
would not stoop to putting a spoke in
Barclays wheel he would have been
more than human mad he not expert
cnced certain secret satisfaction ut
seeing one placed there, and that by
Barclay himself. Ills thing came to
pass surprisingly soon and In the fol-
lowing manner:
Barclay and his lady had q quarrel
one day, and, whether It was q relapse
to habits Of his past life (for Barclay
was civil anpointmenD or whether 1T
was merely to drown despair, certain 1t
was that the lieutenant hied himself
down to the officers room and drank
more than was good for hlm-consider-
ably more. This was, Of course. In the
old days, as many as five and twenty
years ago. before the service. down to
the last, least commissioned officer had
reformed; then finding perhaps that,
though naughty, whisky-even suffers
whisky was nice. Barclay took to
drink regularly and all ut once and for
period of several months except
when he was on duty, never drew So
bcr breath. His brother officers shook
their heads in decent sorrow and said
that the poor fellow was going the way
of many a better man, since 1t is al-
ways the brightest who have gone be-
fore us and the dullest who are left be-
hind.
Now. there is one thing which every
the man who Is In his cups the best
part of the time, which is that, besides
being the special care Of Providence,
the war department looks after him
tenderly, and his wife Is generally his
adoring slave.
Miss Cunningham was not Barclays
wife as yet. to be sure. but she would
have liked to be, SO 1t came to pretty
much the same thing, and In proportion
as his vice took stronger hold upon him
he took stronger hold upon her heart.
Then her parents interfered. and what
with their opposition and nlenaces and
Barclays entreaties and promises of
amendment after each new fill the
poor girl had very bid time. Every
one Was sorry for her. The old off,
GERS got ut Barclay and pointed to hid
eous examples OF what his end would
be and to the graves OF youths and Of
old men who had done as he was doing.
which dotted the face Of Texas and Of
the territories In general. Barclay was
sorry, sincerely sorry. He pledged him
self to reform and straightway sinned
again.
And here, where all others had failed.
Macintosh stepped In and achieved
success. He had been of on hunting
leave and had got bs tx to the post just
IN time to oreport and dress and so over
10 the mess. Barclay belonged to the
mess. but he was not there. and Mac
intosh. looking around. asked where he
might be.
Sick" said the adjutant laconlcaliy.
"Meaning'-
Exactly So"
Macintosh OBJ ned TINT Il wne O con
rounded shame and worse. and some
one else suggested that It would not
matter so much if the absent one were
only killing himself, but that he was
Rllllng Miss Cunningham as well.
Il don't know" objected Macintosh.
: SELF
q, Which," interrupted the adintant.
Is both .magnnnimous and true" s
And" continued Macintosh. nnhead-
,hs' and there nre, fellows who could
Ce lot better spared. As far as Tve
observed, this. is his only. fault"
The ndjutant wns OF the opinion that
ne made up for good many lesser
Mles With II, and stant it " Us one, more
over, which mignt not be cured. aSs