Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-08-09


identity without a pitchfork and
cloven hoof. To such as these the
! knight-errantry of Drayton and Bart
lett may seem problematical; but a
knight-errant is one who sEccCrs beau
/ ty in distress, and who rides abroad
redressing human wrongs. Whether
he employs an obnoxious insect rath-
! er than a sword, as Drayton did,
or whether he rides a S. C. govern
ment mule, as Bartlett was wont to do,
is neither here nor there.
Bartlett was riding the aforesaid
mule shortly after the time my story
begins. He rode it up the line, its long
gray ears waggling evenly and rest
| fully, and came to halt in 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.
Il wish you woud get horse" he
complained. 'If you could just realize
| the figure you cut on that old ele-
! phant"
That's a mule" corrected Bartlett,
his arm around a pillar and letting
his heels dangle as he perched on the
railing. Its also very nice mule.
1t is no longer a shave-tail, but has
reached years of discretion. The mo-
ment man or animal does that, his ap-
preciative country straightway has
him inspected and condemned. Horses
may do for some, but not for one who
has the duties of post quartermaster
to perform. And, besides, | believe in
the infantry and scorn horse"
"The scorn," observed Drayton,
'of the fox for the grapes"
Don't rub it in," said Bartlett de-
jectedly; "I'm miserable enough as it
is"
Thought you looked rather triste.
I'm all sympathy. Go on"
Bartlett released his hold upon the
pillar and folded his arms on his breast
in an attituue combining stern endur-
ance and precarious balance. "The
Collinses are going to rout the Law
rences out"
Now, the Collinses were the family
of Captain Collins-wife, mother-in-
law on both sides, and three small
children. They had that morning ar
rived in the post. Collins was in COM
mand of Troop L, which had been
moved on some weeks before. If he
had been well-disposed his entry
should not have put the whole garri-
son, below his rank, in 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 it 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 Law
rences' set or bust"
Throw them a few buckets of paint
and calcimine, by way of sop Dray-
ton ventured to suggest.
Did" said Bartlett, briefly. of
fered them half the quartermasters
department, and carpenter, and a
blacksmith, and farrier, too, if they
happened to need one. Told them they
could have any or all of the colors of
paint in the rainbow, if they'd just
be good-but those three Graces are
going to have the Lawrences' house"
Drayton opined, with little of the
placidity, nevertheless, with which we
! all bear one another's burdens, that it
was a very great and very profane
shame. There's that poor little wom-
an with those 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 cat
he, anyway" He made a gesture of
disgust, which turned the visor around
over his left ear, and was silent for a
minute through sheer wrath.
81 told Mrs. Lawrence they would be
serpents on the wood cutters
hearth"
"Serpents, now?" asked Bartlett;
lhty "ClO N<tttlt bCIOlN, anu gou
called that''-he pointed over his
shoulder-"an elephant, whereas, in
point of fact, it's a mule"
81 told her." continued Drayton,
unmoved, that it wouldn't pay. |
know all about the Collinses-served
with them in Texas. l was sitting on
Mrs. Lawrence's steps-l know that
| usually am, so you can save yourself
| i was sitting on her steps when the
Collins outfit drove up. The ambu-
lance stopped in front of the c. 0. 8
house, next door, and Collins jumped
out and went in. The rest of them
just waited. All would have been well
if Mrs. Lawrence hadn't become
tender-hearted 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
still and not get excited and do some
thing rash; gave her the benefit of
my knowledge and experience But it
wasn't any use. She made me dry up
and hang on to the kids, while she