The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-05-16

"They ought to go, them" was the
placid suggestion of third officer, a
man with keen eyes, thin, almost ascetic
face, but there twitched quaint
humor about the lines of his lips.
THAT visits past the retiring age"
And then another peal of merriment
from the adjoining tent put stop to
conversation.
'They don't lack for entertainers,
hazarded staff officer as soon as he
could make himself heard. ''rhe SOL
emn-looking Gothamite who came with
them must have slipped out"
ut seems be knows Col. Armstrong"
said the chief, thoughtfully. II sent for
him pm hour ago, and he may be pilot
ing Mr.. Prime around camp, looking up
the runaway"
"Another case? ?" asked a brigade COM
mander, with shrug of his shoulders.
Another case" answered the gener-
al, with sigh. ut isn't always home
troubles that drive them to it. This
boy had everything a doting father
could give him. What on earth could
make him bolt and enlist for the WARP"
No one answered for moment. Then
the officer with the humorous twinkle
about the eyes and the twitch at the
lip corners bent forward, placed his
elbows on his knees, his fingers tip to
tip, gazed dreamily at the floor, and
sententiously said:
Girl"
Whereupon his next neighbor, a
stocky, thickset man in the uniform of
a brigadier, never moving eye, head or
hand, managed to bring a stable foot
in heavy riding boot almost savagely
upon the slim gaiter of the humorst,
who suddenly started and flushed to the
temples, glanced quickly at the chief,
and then as quickly back to the floor,
his blue eyes clouded in genuine dis
tress.
The generals gray face had seemed
to grow grayer in the gloom. Again
there came, like ripping echo, the
chorus of merry laughter from the adj
joining tent, only it seemed trifie sub
dued, possibly as though one or two of
the merry-makers had joined less
heartily. With sudden movement the
general rose. "Well, I've kept you long
enough" he said. LET the three regi-
ments be got in readiness at once, but
relax no effort in-that other matter.
Find the guilty parties if possible
thing"
And then the group dissolved. One
or two of the number looked back, half
hesitating, at the entrance of the tent,
but the chief had turned again to the
Uttered table before him. and, seating
himself, rested his gray head in the
hand nearest his visitors. 1t was as
though he wished to conceal his face.
One of the last to go-the thin-faced SOL
der with the twinkling blue eyes, hung
irresolutely behind the chief a moment
as though he had it in his mind to speak,
then turned and fairly tip-toed out,
leaving the camp commander to the So
ciety of single staff officer, and to the
gathering darkness.
Kindly say to Mr.. Prime, or his
friends, that 1 will join them in mo-
ment," said the former, presently,
without so much as uplifting head or
eye, and the aid-de-camp left as noise
lessly as his predecessor, the humorist.
But when he was gon. and 1.-The Chiefn
sat alone, the sound of merry chat and
laughter still drifted in with the mist
at the half-opened entrance. Shadow
forms fitted to and fro between the Of |
ncial tent and the lights beginning to
twinkle at brigade headquarters across
the wide roadway. An ORDERLY
scratched at the tent flap, but got no an |
swer. The lone occupant sat well back
IN the gloomy interior and could barely
be distinguished. The waiting soldier
nesitated a moment, then entered and
stamped once upon the wooden floor. !
then turned and noiselessly stepped
out for, anticipating his question. the
general spoke:
NO light just yet, orderly. I'll call
you-in moment. Just close the tent"
AT his hand, he needed no light to find
IT, lay little packet that had been
passed in to him with the mail while
the council was still in session. It was
sioutiy wrapped, tightly corded. and
profusely sealed, but with the sbarn