The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-01-04

ished as StrathmOfeS own, anu
which was OF infinitely more impor-
tance-he never touched whisky anu
cigars. nor went on n payday spree.
So Strathmore felt himself justified N
supposing 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 or
the United States. even more than bap-
tism. is a new birth.
ThSSushout the department Strath-
more was known by the striker he
kept. This had its disadvantages, but
The advantages outweIghed. No one
could have realized this better than
Strathmore himself. and yet sometimes
De was moved. In the bosom OF the
mess. 20 complain. 1t Is telling on
me-" he would insist; II AIN slowly
breaking down under the strain.
came across something In n French
book the other day about how few
masters are worthy TO be Wallets. That's
Just what I 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 Beersheeba-
Strathmore, Strathmore OF the
'steenth. Big. good.looking chap "
hnI .I,lyaI (fhngtnr'g
manner OF speech), lone OF the
strathmores of Boston. isn't hef Now
it's 'Strathmore? That's the chap
Chester's striking forT Oh! 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 Ian
guished under barrack rule. Exactly
for the reason that he never said SO,
Ii was plain that he had been used to
better things. 1t was so plain that
Strathmore would never have thought
Of suggesting to him To become n body
servant, had not Chester himself
when a desperado's bullet had left the
position vacant-volunteered. AZ n
striker Chester had many little lux
uries that he had lacked before-his
own room, his own bath-tub. and the
run of his masters small but choice
library. With the help Of draperleS
and blankets that Strathmore let him
have, and with that OF some pottcd
plants he managed upon his own ac-
count he transformed the room Into
quite n sybaritlc retreat, and his lit
erary discrimination was thing to
wonder at. He tackled up colored sup
plements Of the London Christmas pa
pers, and there was Photograph
Just one-on his mantel-plece. 1t was
Of n woman who had soft eyes and
hair and n lovely mouth. Strathmcre
vcntured to ask who 1t was, one day,
and Chester told him that II was zen
Engllshwoman, sir"
Now. this was In Texas, in the early
days shortly after the war, in the
State of the Lone Stars palmiest
time. There was much drinking In
the land, and much poker, us well, no
pious general having MS yet arisen to
bid gambling cease. There was also
some shooting. but of unattached
women there were sadly few, ana
those that were, were, generally, not
very nie. This condition of affairs
led to good many unfortunate things.
Any man prefers even Il second.ratc
woman To none at all, and any man
being deprived of standard of com
parlson for n length Of time will come
TO think that an exceedingly poor ar
ticlc is superior enough, after all.
That was what happened to Strath-
more. He should have known better,
because his youth had been spent
among women who were lovely la
every way; but the memory of man
Is short-and he was lonesome. There
should be provision for this in the
regulations. When a man gets any
of the ills that frontier service is apt
TO induce, they bundle him of back
East OH a sick leave; yet when-which
Is infinitely more prejudicial to thu
standing of the service-he reaches the
stage of loneliness where he should
marry the Witch OF Endor herself
rather than continue TO be alone. ther,
Is no one to indorse his application e
be sent somewhere where he can fine
the proper sort OF girl.
Strathmore had been in the wilder
ness a matter of five years, and h,
was gradually, very gradually laps
ing from civilization. The first init
nation OF this that Chester had wa
that the lieutenant made unnecessaril.
frequent calls at a ranch house som
ten miles from the reservation. Ches
ter knew that n girl lived there
dreadful girl. who had plumply pref
ty figure and face but whose speec
was a thing to shudder at. and who's
name, besides being Halloran. VIZ
Mamie Pearle. He also knew that
that were not enough to set Strait
more's teeth on edge, he must be in
very bad way.
All this worried Chester a great dea
Frequent contemplation of his on
photograph had furnished him wit
the standard Of comparison whiC
Strathmore lacked. and he could 81
what the outcome OF things. as the
were going.~yas bound to be. lie e.
planned IL to the photograph standir
before the mantel-piece with his han,
4 l. 4.