Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-07-31

becomes mysterious. Hes a. Well,
Il promised not to mention his name,
but he's a gentleman. 1t was told me
Incidentally" The source is always
intangible, but in nine cases out Of ten
You can safely bet your last dollar the
informant never existed and your
hopes Of eternity that IL he did he
wasn't gentleman. Gentlemen do
not circulate slander.
But cads who have fallen below the
plane OF their fellow men and cannot
climb back seek to restore their social
equilibrium by pulling others down.
Captain Nathan got back to Pawnee to
find himself in bad odor. Torrance,
who would gladly have done soldiers
duty had he been permitted, was inToly-
ed, through his intimacy with Nathan,
In Nathan's growing unpopularity.
Santley, who had had to serve. as Ma
than's adjutant, now had unjustly to
shoulder section Of Nathan's obloquy.
Woodrow escaped because Nathan ac-
cused him of rank INSTRUMENTATION, and
: the yOungster, with Rodney May and
Others to back him, as much as told
Nathan he hoped he would prefer
charges and have him tried by court,
martial. A most unhappy state Of af-
fairs was sprung on the batteries at
Pawnee, and the politely yelled COM
passion of the cavalry was something
that made the gunners swear. : Two or
three troops under Charming and Stry-
ker had done tiptop service during the
Riots. Infantry from Omaha and Leav-
enworth had saved hundreds of thou
sands Of dollars in property and COW,
cred themselves with credit for cool,
even tempered, forbearing but resolute
work. Everywhere had the regulars
won unstlnted praise from all law
abiding citizens except that one mis-
handled little battalion at Brentwood,
and nothing prevented court Of In
curry but the feeling that, for the sake
of the cloth, the whole thing were best
ignored or forgotten. "An error of
Judgment was laid at Nathan's door,:
but nothing more serious. And old
@Cat," who secretly sympathlzed with
Woodrow, was instructed to release
the lad from arrest, with the caution
to hold his tongue and temper in the
future. Then Melville was sent south.
ut the urgent advice of the doctors,
and by tacit consent Pawnee ceased
discussion OF Nathan's failure.
But great was the glorifcation among
the guardsmen; of Nebraska, and wide
spread was the story of Mr.. Langdon's
prowess, and keen was the ridicule Mt
the expense of the Brentwood rifles
and the rejoicing over the-triumph Of
the Grays. Great was the applause
that greeted Langdon's soldier pupils
when they bore away the prize and
Langdon on their shoulders aud great
er still the, grief with which, few
weeks later, 1t was learned that the
Big Horn had held that gentleman ac-
countable for the robbery Of its safe at
Brentwood and discharged him from
the service of the road.
And this takes us back to hearers"
ut Pawnee. 81 heard" said Captain
Nathan confidentlally to- the new post
commander six months after the riots
and not six days after the receipt Of
the latest news from Nebraska -
heard from a source that can't be ques-
toned that the real reason was that he
had been REGULATING for months, and
! the robbery was to conceal his own
steaiings." II heard" whispered Tor
rnnce in the condolences begotten Of
Burgundy to Major Smoker Of the
stan, that he had blown in over So, 600
in bucket shop in Chicago, and de-
atectives had been on to him for weeks"
All manner Of things detrimental to
Langdon had Nathan and his few sat
elites heard In the same way, and all
they did hear and much more they did
not was duly communicated to such rs
would listen, who were, fortunately,
few. 1t was Nathan,s insidious stories
that turned the local shopmen against
the absent md the exile and inciden-
tally a pretty penny for their informs
mt, us the tradesmen sold their claims
to him for 60 cents on the dollar, and
so confessed to Melville long weeks
later.
II heaH5 said Torrance, 'sthat old
Sharp ordered Langdon. away from
Sheridan and sent the sergeant Of the
guard to see him off the reservation"
Il heard" said Nathan, that DR.. Ar
instead gave him warning that IL he
wasn't Off the post before morning gun
fire he'd give the whole story of his
maltreatment of his wife to the pa
pers, and that's what started him."
~ And now there was no Melville to
stand his friend ut Pawnee, for the
major was summering ut the seashore,
slowly regaining health and strength,
and lads like Rodney May and Wood
row had neither rank nor years suffi-
Client to carry influence. And now,
worse luck, there was none to befriend
him at Chicago, for Claiming, sorely
stricken man, had been taken to SAN
itarium in the mountains. Summoned
to the offices of the general manager
and hauled up before new king who
knew not Joseph, Langdon could only
sadly say he could throw no light on
the robbery whatever. Two clerks,
one Of them the son of the division SUI
perintendent, knew the combination.
One of them knew there was upward
of 5000 In the safe when Langdon went
down to Gunnison, as usual, on Friday
evening. IS
Had he gone on railway. business ~
was the question.
No; not this time solely to instruct
the Gunnison company" was the frank
reply. Mr.. Channing,.s secretary told
OF Langdon's letter appealing for aid
to meet the payment of $3.50. The sta
ton master at Gunnison described
Langdon's nervousness the night OF the
robbery; told Of him twice leaving his