The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-06
The TANNING OF THE CAPTAIN.
A story of Manila.
BY Friedrich Palmer.
FROM Collier's weekly.

Captain Leeds, of hospital Number l, as
he took a seat on her veranda after din
ner
mo-" replied the weary giant-a giant
with little blonde mustache and a very
high Notwithstanding over and twirling
his cap around his thumbs.
''You missed BEAUTIFUL sunset"
"Yes?" Az
''Grumpy?"
Yes. lawfully grumpy, Mrs Gerlson."
Then why don't you get your nose off
the grindstone for the one glorious hour
of the day in Manila and look at the sun
sets?"
IT'S more restful to see the sunsets
through your eyes. When 1 get grumpy
l always come to you. You are the SOW
ereign balm for grumpiness."
This woman of forty-five was used to
such remarks from this man of evenly
eight. They pleased her as a child's COM
pliments would, on account of her conf
Gence in their unaffected sincerity. She
liked him best of all the young men she
knew, because he was at once the most
supplemented and knew the most. He
loved the service through all moods just
as she did, From the time that he had
played with toy ones. his heart had been
with real solder-men. When he wanted
the appointment for West Point, which
was the summit of his youthful ambi-
tion, his father who was a member of
Congress, said that his only son not only
wouldn't get the appointment from his
district, but he was sure of enough in
nuence to prevent his getting 1t at large.
After Harvard, young Leeds studied med
icine; then went abroad, and returned
home 10 prete nd TO practice for six
months and the n to join the army medical
corps.
And what is the specific trouble to-
night?" Mrs. Gerlison asked. Has the
general been denying you the zinc to
make a sink because they didn't have
zinc sinks in the Civil War;"
NO. I've given him up altogether since
he figured out on his pad that l might
have half a barrel of lime for the whole
hosplts4 provided / mixed it myself Now
81 / want anything I steal 1t, or beg 1t,
or pay FOR it out of my own pocket That's
the way all my pay is going. l sold a
little piece of property the other day and
put that in"
INTENT, you must stop this! Your pay.
yes; but d OF your property! For shame!
Mrs GerltsOn exclaimed.
"Well, there isn't much in my name.
It's mostly in fathers" said the giant
plaintive1y But, Mrs. Gerlison, don't you
tell anybody I'm doing this, will you?
You see, it's my own business. and want
10 make q me army hospital.
Yes. I'll put it in the paper. But we
digress. Tive specific trouble from which
the child is suffering this evening""
Another Florence Nightngaler'
Poor boyP she said, shaking her head
obviously
1--WE had clear boards for week.
Worked all kinds of lodges to get them
transferred to the other hospitals-and
here comes another-specially asked to
come to mel
Poor boyr Mrs Gerlison repeated.
Eyes, and she's daughter Of Senator!
Think Of how she'll fill the malingerers
with Chang agne. overload the stomachs
of fever pa tients, and raise riot general
gyW
"Po-oor. po-oor prosecuted boyl''
He looked up into Mrs Gerlison's eyes,
which we're twinkling. She was still shak.
ing her head and her fan at him. Where
upon, he saw what he had come to Mrs.
Gerlison to see: that is, how ridiculous
he was-4Rd burst out laughing
Didn't ] say that sunsets were as
nothing compared to you; have it!' he
added suddenly. TN put the Senator's
daughter in the Light Diet Kitchen,
poaching eggs, making toast-and she'll
burn her hugers on that damrsble con-
t1aption of u stove which took by main
force one night from the Quartermaster's
Department 'Vhen it properly belongs to
Mrs. Colonel Dyer She'd still be looking
for it. if the quarternaster to save him
self, hadn't toNd her that 1t slipped off
a casco into the bay when it was being
unIoaded from the transport Yes, the
Senator's daughoer'n burn her fingers;
she'll call me brutal military tyrant.
and go home to tell her father all about
it. Maybe therell be resolutions in the
Senate; Whereas, the Senator's daughter
burned her fingers"
HrNxyf Tot nf1tN
just a little upon the text that there's
nothing so foolish hiding your light
under bushel."
Except going about trying to make
q penny candle out TO be a whole ban
quet-room incandescent chandelier"
Ssh! Listen to the sermon, Your ex-
perience at Chickamauga with the New
York rockies blinded you. We We're all
volunteers in the beginning. If one is
capable of the good use of power. as
know that you are. he ought to plan to
attain power"
Just as you have done to make your
self the most influential woman in the
Eighth Army Corps"
But I'm not. I'VE done no planning. 1
do try to be helpful"
Then you fail to practice your own
theory"
Ssh! Didn't tell you in the begin
ming that ii was a sermon? Now fancy
that you are going to find the Senator
daughter a lovely girl who wants to do
something besides hutter around in Wash
ington-horrid place! If you are nice 20
her she certainly will be less bothersome
than II you are not nice"
Il hope that I shall always be decently
polite to woman even when / have to
take a second look to be sure that they
wear skirts Yes. / shall be as nice as a
piece of toast toasted on that damnable
stove"
Ssh! She won't keep at 1t long. They
never do. In a month they can learn
enough to last them lifetime. And II
YOU will simply behave she will go back
TO Washington and tell her father what
a dear you are-and that may mean pro-
motion and the money which you need
for your hospital"
''Neverl never! She goes to the Light
Diet Kitchen" he said merrily, as he
rose 70 60 THANK you, o sovereign cure
for the blues"
Il suppose you will forbid me coming
liver with newspaper and talking with
the sick pretty soon" she called after
him: 'and put up a sign. Ladies passing
in the street will please cross themselves
and utter a prayer begging forgiveness
for the crime of their sex "
mo, not you, Mrs. Gerlison. You are
always welcome. You are a real layman-
YOU don't try to prescribe or be a doctor
or nurse or something that you're not.