Waterbury Democrat., 1901-06-18
TEN YEARS TRIAL @ @
 ,Tbe Story of a Seldier's Struggle By Brigadier General
 CHARLES KING
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CHAPTER x.
copyright. 1901. by Charles King.


 Langdon was alone. The first flush of enthusiasm over, his exploits had died out. The populace of BrentTood had settled down to it's usual routine, and but for some scores of unemployed men and a gang of troublesome tramps in- festing the outskirts little was left in the town itself to recall the excitement and turmoil of the days of the strike. Over in the yard of the Seattle masons and carpenters by the dozen were bus fly at work, nearly all of them local craftsmen. The i'll wind that whirled the Seattle's thousands up in smoke and flame was blowing modest hun dreds into the pockets of Brentwood's artisans and through them to the cof- fers of Brentwood's merchants. The Big Horn might be the better managed road in some respects, said Brentwood, but the Seattle brings the money. Bar claws banquet had turned many a head and not a few hearts among the municipal leaders, and Barclays dol lars were potent among the people. The regulars had gone home over the Seattle, the guardsmen had preceded them over the Big Horn, and the roads had returned to the guardianship of their own watchman and Brentwood's police. The sheriff had discharged his extra deputies, and Eric Langdon, be- ginning the world over again on mod est salary, took counsel with himself in the absence of other advisers and planned his daily life. It had been Cummings expectation that he should take a room near the yards and his meals at the Brentwood, but Langdon had decided on rigid economy. 1t might be long months before he could hope for promotion and better pay, and it was his determination to save at least half of each months stipend to go toward the payment of his debts and <10 more to form fund on which he could depend in the event of ills or ac- cidenf. Mine host of the Brentwood hated. he said, to have him go, but di- rected him to a quiet, homelike little place. where he secured room, and plain but sufficient board under the roof of a widow whose sole support had been killed in a collision on the Seattle three years before. Yet the ho- tel man was at heart not sorry to see him go. He liked him we'll, but cer- tain of the owners did not. He begged Iangdon to come round and make him. self at home whenever he felt like it, but secretly hoped he might be too busy. There had been few days i'm mediately. following the strike when the mayor, certain of the common coun- ell. the district attorney and other prominent citizens and business men had expressed themselves as delighted to meet Mir. Langdon and as grateful beyond words for his gallant conduct at critical time. But since Barclays banquet they met him with certain constraint when they met him at all, for his duties Kept him at the yards from early morn till after dark. There seemed to be just one set of men whose eyes lighted up at sight of him, who were eager to press his acquaintance and many of whom never passed him without some semblance of military salute. These were the members of the Brentwood rifles, officially known as Company c of the Fourth Nebraska. One evening, hardly a week after Mel vile had gone, three of them came to see him. Cap" they said, was going to quit. He. had been so quizzed and criticised for letting the strikers get away with their guns that he couldn't stand the pressure. The lieutenants were green, and wouldn't MT. Langdon come round to the armory two even ings a week and drill them? Now, Langdon. had been planning course of reading fn the library of the Young Mems Christian association, but the rifles were importunate. Something might come of it, and he consented. Eighteen men appeared the first night -Tuesday-and 3S the second-Friday. One of the lIeutenants was the son of the leading banker of Brentwood, the other young lawyer. Both greeted him cfyilly and sat and watched his work with absorbing interest. The third night Cap" came round and looked on. Forty-four men were in ranks-twice as many as he could ever ecrape together for drill-and, though he shook hands with Langdon during rest, and said he found his business re- quired all his time and attention and therefore he had concluded to resign, his manner lacked cordiality. Two weeks later a committee waited on Langdon to know if he would accept the command of the company if elect ed. and after an exchange of letters be- tween himself and Charming Langdon said that, if unanimously chosen and the lieutenants waived promotion, he would serve. Then it got into the pa pers- The members of the company, as rule, were young clerks, book keepers and salesmen, highly intelli- gent and full of enthusiasm, but their hapless experience had made them the laughing stock of the street boys, the railway shop men and the vagabond class of the community as well as of certain envious fellow citizens. '"Tin soldiers they were called, when all that was needed to make them a force to be dreaded by lawbreakers was captain who knew his business, could command their respect and teach them Eteadiness, drill and discipline. Lieu tenant Perrigo was presiding at the meeting when a sergeant arose and in caustic speech pointed out their needs and defects and, saying there was just one man in the community capable of doing them justice, propos- ed that the captaincy be rendered to 1rr Esrfr Tan0don vuboPoaf fIa vvhoIa