The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1901-01-18
s2MSyG92sS Observation-Disclosures
B The means and The End. 3
Observation-Disclosures
d TRATHMORE'S strike

>
- respect for constituted authority
was as un-American as his face. He was
tall and fine-looking, his English was
quite as polished as Strathmore'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 outweigbed. 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; 81 am slowly
breaking down under the strain. /
came across something III French book
the other day about how few masters
are worthy to be Wallets. That's what
l 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 Beersheba-'S trathmore,
Strathmore of the 'steenth. Big, good
looking chap" (Strathmore had picked
I'D Chesters manner Of speech, one
of the Strathmores of Boston, isn't heT
Now it's 'Strathmore? That's the chap
Chester's striking forY Obi yes; l
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 a striker, but he had languished
under barrack rule. Exactly for the
reason that he never said so, it was
plain that he had been used to
better things. 1t was so plain
that Strathmore would never have
thought of suggesting to him tC
become a body-servant, had not Ches
ter himself-when a desperado's bullet
had left the position vacant-volun
teered. AS a striker Chester had many
r little luxuries that he had lacked be
fore-his own room, his own bath-tub
and the run of his masters small bu
choice library. With the help of dra
peries and blankets that Strathmore lie
> him have, and with that Of some potte'
plants he managed upon his own &C
count. he transformed the room int
quite a sybarltic retreat, and his liter
? airy discrimination was thing to won
der at. He tackled up colored supple
s ments of the London Christmas papers
and there was a Photographers on
on his mantel-piece. 1t was of
woman who had soft eyes and hair an
a lovely mouth. Suathmore venture
3 10 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 earl
= days shortly after the war, in the Stat
s of the Lone Stars palmiest time. Their
: was much drinking in the land, an
d much poker, as well, no pious geners
having as yet arisen to bid gamblin
cease. There was also some shooting
but of unattached women there weI
sadly few, and those that there wer,
were, generally. not very nice. Tn
10 condition of affairs led to a good man
unfortunate things. Any man prefer
= even a second-rate woman to none
all, and any man-being deprived OF
standard of comparison for a length {
h time will come to think that an excee'
b ngly poor article is superior enoug
ID lfter ALL
~ That was what happened to STRAIT
more. He should have known bette
. because his youth had been spel
lmong women who were lovely In e
= cry way; but the memory of man
- Shorthand he was lonesome. The
should be provision for this in the re
Nations. When man gets any Of Il
Ills that frontier service is apt to
he duce, they bundle him Off back East (
Of sick leave; yet when-which is
he dnitely more prejudicial to the standil
of the service-he reaches the stage
loneliness where he would marry I
Witch Of Endor herself rather thI
continue to be alone, there is no one
\ lindorse his application to be sent SON
u where where he can find the prop
- sort of girl.
Strathmore had been in the wilde
ness a matter of five years, and he W
gradually, very gradually, lapsing frC
lie civilization. The first intimation Of Il
ls,s that Chester had was that the leutC