The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-05-10
An Adaptation Of Exodus.
BY 0wENDOLHN OvERToN.


IL only TO ne KNOWN as u SAM
by the halo above his brow, and the
Prince Of Darkness himself would be
devoid OF identity without n pitchfork
and n cloven hoof. 70 such MS these
the knight-errantry of Drayton and
Bartlett may seem problematical: but
n knight-errant is one who succors
beauty in distress. and who rides
abroad rcdressing human wrongs
Whether he employs an obnoxious in
sect rather than a sword, as Dray-
ton did, or whether he rides an S. c.
government mule, as Bartlett was
wont 10 do. is neither here nor there.
Bartlett was riding the aforesaid
mule shortly after the time my story
begins. lie rode il up the line, its
long gray ears waggling evenly and
restfully, and came to a halt i'm front
of the set Of quarters where Drayton
and he roomed. Drayton was sitting
on the porch, his feet on the railing,
his chair tipped back, and the visor Of
his cap pulled down on his nose. He
pushed the cap to the back of his
head as Bartlett came slowly up the
steps.
81 wish you would get n horse" he
complained. "If you could just real
lie the figure you cut on that old ele-
phant.'
That's a mule" corrected Bartlett,
his arm around n pillar and letting
his heels bangle. MS he perched on the
railing. "lt's also n very nice mule.
IL Is no longer a shavc-tail, but has
reached years of discretion. The mo-
ment man or animal does that, his APP
preciative country straightway has
him inspected and condemned. Horses
has the duties of post quartermastcr
TO perform. And. besides. | believe
in the infantry and scorn a HORSE
THE s%corn," observed Drayton, "of
the fox for the grapes"
Don't rub il in.' said Bartlett. de-
jectedly; I'm miserable enough as il
is"
Thought yon looked rather triste.
I'm all sympathy. Go on"
BARTLETT released his hold upon the
pillar and folded his arm on his
breast in an attitude combining stern
endurance and precarious balance.
"The Collinses are going TO route the
Lawrences out
Now. the Collinscs were the family
of Capt. Collins-wife. mother-in-law
on both sides, and three small chill
dren. They had that morning arrived
in the post. Collins was in command
OF troop J.. which had been moved on
some weeks before. If he had been
wcll-disposed his entry should not
have put the whole garrison, below
his rank, i'm the throes Of fear of a
progressive "turning-out." For there
were empty quarters into which he
might have moved exactly as well as
not. and no one have been any the
worse off.
But Collins won't see IL that way"
Bartlett went on. 'He ranks Law |
renee, and his wife ranks him, YOU
bet: and it's the wife and the mother
in-law who are going to have the
Lawrences' set or bust"
Throw them n few buckets OF
paint and calciminc. by way Of sop"
Drayton venturcd 10 suggest.
Did said Bartlett. briefly. "Of-
fcred them half the quartermaster's
department. and a carpenter, and a
blacksmith. and a f%arrier, too. if they
happened to need one. Told them
they could ave any or all of the coll
ors Of paint in the rainbow, il they'd
just be good-but those three graces
are going to have the Lawrences'
house"
Drayton opined, with n little of the
placidity. nevertheless. with which
we all bear one anothcr's burdens.
that il was a very great and very pro-
fame shame. "There's that poor lit
lie woman with those two little bits
of kids, and just moved into those
quarters, and got them all fixed up so
prettily. and her garden started. too.
Then, those Collinses! They're a
mean lot Of cattle. anyway" lie
made a gesture Of disgust, which
turned h visor around over his left
ear, and was silent for a minute
Through sheer wrath.
Il told Mrs. Lawrence they would
DE scr~pents-on-the wooa-cutters-
hearth"
~Serpents, now?" asked BARTLETT;
-tney were cattle before; and you
caiIed that"-hc pointed over his
shonlder-'an elephant, whereas, in
point of fact, it's a mule"
= told her." continued Drayton,
uhmoved, that it wouldn't pay.
KNOW all about the Collinses-servcd
with them in Texas. I was sitting on
Mrs Lawrence's steps-I know that I
usually am, 20 you can save yourself
! was sitting on her steps when the
collins outfit drove up. The ambu-
lance stopped in front Of the c. O.'s
mouse, next door, and Collins jumped
put and vent in. The rest of them
Just waited. All would have been well
u Mrs. Lawrence hadn't become ten
in a most unnecessary
way, and hadn't chosen TO disregard
any advice" He assumed the look Of
prophecy fulfilled. IL told her to Sit
sui and not get excited and do some