Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-05-02

u told you SO, NJ 'riar," he was unfeel-
ing enough to say dozen times day
until she flew to the STANDARDS for sym
pathy.
1t seemed to Miss Leroy that whether
these families got settled or not the
feuds never would be, and yet in less
than ten days even the young married
couples were snugly slowed away.
Smiles and sunshine met her on every
side. The men, who looked like hairy
monsters at first, had shaved their
boards and donned their neatly fitting
uniforms. The band played every after
noon. Parades were fine, guard mount
ing "lovely." The little dinners and
suppers and dances were just as jolly,
friendly and delightful as could posi-
bly, be. Many of the young matrons
were charming companions. Several Of
the young officers danced divinely, all
of them rods we'll, and none of them
thought anything of coming banging at
the hall door at any hour of the day to
ask Mrs. Mainwaring to come and do
this or Miss Leroy to come and see that.
The ladies ran in and out from house to
house as though it were one big family,
and before the 10th Of November came
Miss Leroy found herself completely
carried away by the life and swing and
movement that seemed to characterize
everything that went on in the old regi-
ment. She was on the pleasantest of
terms with Mesdames Ray, Truscott and
Blake. She found her aunt tireless as a
hostess. She admired the colonel and
his accomplished wife. She took" to
Mrs. Stannard from the start and won
dered why Mrs. Mainwaring didn't en-
thuse over her as everybody else did.
She liked bluff old Stannard and most
Of the officers thoroughly, and SO, blithe,
busy, con the CO." as they said, from
morn till late at night, she had we'll
nigh ceased to think of the shock she
bad sustained on the night of the COLI
sion or to speculate about the tall young
gentleman who had restored her to con-
seriousness and to whom she had not re-
stored the handkerchief and flask, when
the 10th of November came, aud with
it her birthday, new sensation and an
excitement at the fort.
The recruits brought to Ransom by
ton to those troops of the regiment
most in need of new blood, and, as luck
would have it, these were all of the
battalion at Fort Fred Winthrop, an
outlying post close to the now crowded
reservation of the Sioux. Thither had
Anterior ordered Rawson without de-
lay of day, partly because recruits
were needed, but mainly because the
lieutenant showed symptoms OF an on
coming attack of bibulous character,
and Atherton would have none of that
in his garrison. Rawson was ordered
ncrthward forthwith and marched with
his Johnny Raws at dawn next day,
and, except for the voice of one crying
in the wilderness that the party had
looted tho GROCERY of Laramie Pete at
She Dry Fork of the Ska, nothing more
was heard of them till ehey joined at
Winthrop, none the worse for their
wintry march Ray had looked over the
array and decided that he could afford
to wait and pick for himself. Sergeant
Kearney had gone back to the recruiting
depot The re2imental adjutant had
been designated as recruiting officer at
the station and had disdainfully reject
cd one after another half a dozen seedy
looking tramps, when one day, perhaps
the fifth after their arrival at the post,
the sergeant major put his handsome
head into the office, followed it in, care
fully shut the door behind him, stood
scrupulously at attention and hemmed
behind his hand to attract his superior S
notice.
Mr.. Dana looked up from the tangled
mass Of figures at the foot of his regi-
mental return, laid down his pen and
said, "Well?"
evil the adjutant see man that
wants to enlist?'
"Not if he's like the lot that have
been here SO far. y
He isL't, sir, but I don't know
about him."
whats the matter? haven t time
to waste if he isn't good enough TO suit
u.s." And Dana glanced out along the
wooden porch as though in search Of
the would be trooper.
He's good enough, I don't doubt,
sir, said the sergeant major, half
smile breaking about the corners of his
mouth, "as far as looks go, but never
knew fellows like this one to enlist that
didn't have something wrong with 'em,
and he says he wants to take on with
Captain Ray"
HE'LL take on where we see fit to put
him, /" said Dana, with the dogmatism
of the service. Lets see the gentle
man who wants to dictate where he'll
CO."
So the sergeant major opened the
door, jerked his head backward in en-
couragement to the invisible party in
the outer office and said, "Come inl''
There stepped quickly into the room
young man about 6 feet tall, erect and
athletic in build and carriage, with a
fine, clear cut, frank face crowned with
a crop of curly, close cut, light brown
hair, with very deep blue eyes, large and
clear, under heavy brows and thick,
long, curling lashes, a curly blond mus
tache sweeping out at the ends and bare
ly hiding the curve of his handsomely