The National tribune., 1901-06-13

Though, perhaps, rather plain outwardly
she has rare inner loveliness."
I'D take the first opportunity to turl
her inside out,'s 81 wanted to say, but re
strained himself.
She has simply a wonderful mind,
the Surgeon continued, growing in en-
thusiasm, as men in his position are wont
SO solid, so rich in useful knowledge, 81
open to new facts. She will make an in
| valuable adviser and helpmeet to a physi
clan. and L never met anyone who under
stood me as well as she does. But if
Great Scott They all talk that way,
81 groaned inwardly. "All that woman
| has to do to eaten a man Is to tell hin
she understands him better than anyone
| else does"
But If | get started talking about hel
I'll never know when to STOP" said the
| Surgeon. starting up. Il must go over
and superintend getting those fowls rea,y
| Tor the oven tomorrow. DO you know thai
| fellow kankakee, while one of the mos
atrociOus humbugs that ever walked the
earth, really knows some things very well
[ have discovered that he is as fine a cook
as | ever knew, and | have had him al
work stutfing those turkeys, making bread
out of your -four, and getting the chick
ems ready for baking. 1t is 50 simply won
derful what ingenuity and readiness in
| the culinary art the Thoroughbred
fraud has. I'm going to try to keep hin
with me. I'm only afraid that he'll get
some of his bad English mixed up into
his cooking and poison somebody. You
have the oven all ready to fire up first
thing in the morning"
Its all ready
well, you'd better have your guard
start the fire sometime before daylight
so that the oven will be good and hot
by the time we get up, and then we can
gsIF thaa
tIcnts' Strengthened around and ready for
their breakfast. By the way, l haven't
informed you yet that the wedding will
take place tomorrow afternoon, at
Sophronia' house. and I'd like very much
to have you and the rest there. | want
you, particularly, to come, and bring
Shorty, if you can restrain his tongue"
Well be there, unless something comes
up to interfere. Goodnight, Doctor"
Inc announcement of the proposed mar
riaSe created much excitement among the
boys. and they walked up those who had
gone to sleep, to discuss it.
Foster Walsh denounced it as a wicked
lusting after n daughter of the Moabites.
kankakee opposed it as politically con-
glomerate'
The embryotic attorneyism of Monty
Scruggs asserted that it came under the
prohibition against giving aid and comfort
to the enemy
The medical-minded Alf Russell thought
that a physician of Surgeon BrooSes' 8
genius would be thrown away in such a
country.
Always military Harry Joslyn was sure
that marriage with women of the enemy
was injurious to military discipline, and
should be banned uy regulations. Then
he made some remark about Surgeons be-
ing after all not really officers, at which
Alf Russell took offense and mixed up
with him, and 81 had to stop the fight.
1t struck Gid that the rebel woman
must have used some trick to capture the
Surgeon, and then he and Kankakee had
scrap as TO the use of tricks generally,
which 81 had also to stop.
Tom Radbone and Bill Grimshaw. who
had had all they wanted of Georgia, could
not comprehend how any sensible man
could ever want TO leave the North and
live there
Pete and Sandy were entirely too
young to understand why a man who had
chance to be il the army should care
anything about mere woman, or for any
thing else than soldering That was all
they wanted in this world.
Shorty ended the discussion with
oh, all you fellers are shooting off
your mouths in the air. You don't know
no more what you're talking about than
hen does as to when to cross road.
None of you are going to marry that w0-
man. The Surgeon is. You mayn't want
her, but you can't tell any more what he
may want than you can tell when he's
hungry or thirsty. / think it's all right.
He needs just her hemlock- tanning for
his fne-ladyness. Together, they'll aver
age up well. Anyhow, that's is business
He's been all right since he's been with
us, and it's our place to stand by him for
all we're worth. Wen all go over there
tomorrow and give him as good send
off as we know how. You hear the soft
murmur of my 'scape-pipe.
81 was SO interested in the feast for the
sick-Or as they could now be more ap-
propriately termed, the convalescents-
that he had himself walked an hour or two
before daylight, and took personal charge
of heating the oven. This, built of clay
and stones for the use of the Colonel com
mandng the post, was fairly good affair.
and 81 had found an abundance of dry
wood in the material of the shacks and
sheds which had escaped Foster Walsh's
incendiarism.
Kankakee. too, was up betimes, full of
enthusiasm as to what his cookery was
going to accomplish for his comrades.
Uncle Ephraim had been his willing assist
ant, and learned lots as to Yankee ways,
of which Aunt Minerva Ann would re-
ceive the benefit in the future.
With the assistance of seiditz powders
from the Surgeons stores as baking pow
ders, kankakee had cOntriyed some very
fair biscuits, Uncle Ephraim had gone
out into the country and found some sage
and onions, and with crumbled hardtack
very good stutling for the turkeys and
chickens had been elaborated There was
an abundance of fresh sweet potatoes to
bake along with the fowls, and the con-
yalescents grew visibly better as the good
things being prepared for them were fully
described by the boys. In addition to the
viands, each was to have The first real
drink of army coffee which had been al
lowed him.
BY the time the Surgeon finished his
rounds, in which he found everywhere a
notable Improvement in pulses, tongues
and general appearance, they had had
their hands and faces washed. and had
taken their regular prescriptions, the air
about them was filed with the intoxicat-
ing aroma of roast fowl, warm bread and
coffee.
THAT smelPd be enough to raise Laz-
arus," remarked Angus Mclean
angus, it took the Lords power TO
raise Lazarus said Foster, reproyipgly.
"Be little more careful in the selection
of your illustrations. Say the sleepers of
Ephesus." Jfa
Surgeon Brookes went around with the
squad carrying the victuals, and pre-
scribed just how and of what kind each
man should have. From his decision there
was no appeal. For once in the matter
of food, the boys rigidly obeyed orders.
The Surgeon was so LIBERAL however,
that there was, comparatively little left
This was carefully put away, under the
charge of Foster Walsh, Kankakee, Sala-