Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-01-19
IA GIRL E GRIT.
BY MAJOR ARTHUR GRlfsFITtS.
Copyright 1900 by II. F. Fenno & Co.
Copyright. 1900. by II. F. Fenno & c..


axe MIN al MS WOrQ ana walk straight
out Of the house. But custom is strong.
The spirit OF subordination, of obedi-
ence, the soldierly sense Of duty, when
once imbibed, are not to be shaken off
In a second. When l regained my desk
and saw the papers there, l remem-
bered that / was bound in honor TO full
fiji my obligations. My chief had, no
doubt, gene too far, but that did not
release me. Before / took any further
steps / mist first complete my work.
There was not much wanting to FIN
ish my report on the Canadian frontier,
and did 1t out OF hand. Then | sent
It in to the chief and prepared TO tackle
the second set of papers, which proved
to be q scheme, marked strictly conil-
Dental" for a combined attack upon
New York by sea and land. COur pOliti-
cal relations at that particular mo-
ment were greatly strained. There
were rumors OF grave disagreement, II
nothing worse.) But now | noticed the
word speak" and / knew that | must
take verbal instructions before | set
TO work. | must face my irraSclD.e
chief again, and | had no great fancy
for IT. However, IT must come sooner Or
later, so / scrubbed a few words on d
sheet OF foolscap and went in.
The general was at his standing desk
| the Scsuolll GdN BDNAApN1 'FNA Al9
other report, but he looked round as |
entered and nodded pleasantly. Bright
sunshine had already succeeded the al
waysf fugitive storms in his hasty tenn
permanent.
This will do first rate, Wood. There
are only two poiats that need amp!iti-
cation" and we went over the items
together.
Then | asked him about the other
matter, and sOon heard all | wanted TO
know. | can set down nothing OF his
here, for the whole affair was very Sc
cret and particular--of vital interest to
two great countries-and Sir Charles
impressed upon me very earnestly that
the paper and plans must on no ac-
count pass out OF my possession.
You may have to work on the
scheme at your own diggings, for 1t
must go In by the end Of this week.
But pray be most careful. Lock up the
papers in your dispatch box at night
and keep the thing entirely private
1T IL Just possible that You may
wish to give the job to someone else,
general, as / shall hardly be here TO
complete it." / said, rather stifily., n
with that I handed him the sheet OF
foolscap which contained my resigna-
ton.
why, Wood. hang II all, you don't
mean this surely?" cried Sir Charles
aghast. You can't hay taken Of
Tense at what I said this morning? I
was a trine put out, perhaps, but |
never meant It seriously. No, no; take
this beastly thing back or let me g "a
It up . This will never do. Forgive ana
forget, my boy. There's my hand on
It. I beg your pardon and know
you won't be late again.
/ FASTENED to explain that my resig-
-I. $500. - -. ,,.a fhn ,nG,,lf nf
pique, and that / was on the point OF
sending In my papers to retire from
the service altogether.
THE simple fact is hat | have come
into money, sir-a good bit or money,
l explained.
How, much, II It Is a fair question?
/ ask because you may ave a good
enough income, n devilish fine income,
and yet It would be wiser for YOU to
stay here. The discipline Of any reg
ular routine work is good for indie
pendent men Believe me, you'd soon
sicken Of being entirely your own mas
ter, take TO drink, or cards, or petit
coats and go TO the devil hands down.
What is 1.-TWO, three, four thousand
u year,"
1T is far moro than that, Sir
Charles, l answered. Il believe | am
q millionaire two or three times over,
W "a ~ lA''E' AN"N 80 "AaNA
handed him my lawyers letter.
"Whew!" He whistled several bars
OF a popular street melody very much
out OF tune), folded up the letter, hand
ed It back, and then, looking me
straight in the face, said, with slow,
kindly emphasis:
by George, Wood, | pity you"
1t was not quite what l expected
from this experienced, lOng-headed
ma or the world ana no TaaI m dis
appointment in my face.
Doesn't please you Ell? You think
yourself the most fortunate chap alive?
But you're al wrong. Vast riches are
q nuisanCe-they are worse
He threw up both his hands and be-
gan to slowly pace up and down the
room.
"A nuisance! a tyranny, indeed,
They will weigh you down and worry
you perpetually. Lord, Lord. the care
OF all this money, the use OF it, the
defense OF It! The whole world, Wood,
Is made up Of two Classes-those who
have money, and those who want &c
take 1t from them. You will soon have
Il much poorer opinion of human ma
ture, with their continual cry OF Give,
give But let's talk about yourself,
What do you mean to do?"
Honestly, Sir Charles, / hardly
hllONs l Vii plAll - pC w ca
and taken aback by what happened
Win you advise me, sir?"
It's not 50 easy my Lad. 1t depends
so much upon yourself-upon youI
principles, your tastes n predileC-
tions. OF course you will marry, and
I've a shrewd notion which way your
fancy lies. | know her weIl-Frida
Fairholme, hat little mink. Miss
Frida will lead you a fine dance"
atp,t Cip INlarlnc ha,n 900,
spoken to her. l have no reason &c
suppose that, if / did, she would ac-
cept me-
TRY her" said the general dryly,
You have three millions and odd-new
and strangely eloquent reasons for
convincing her OF your worth"
She is not that sort at all, Sir
Charles"
Then Eve wasn't her ancestor. I've
known her from a child. She's pretty
enough. III admit, but, by the llvine
lingo, I'd rather you married her thar
/. BY George, she's a handful. At any
rate, she will give you plenty to do
Miss Frida will set the money to NOV.
ing. n you too. So much the better
perhaps
Then you advise me to leave the
service, sir?'
"Of course you must leave he
roared with sudden fury. What? a
captain in the army with n hundred
and fifty thousand q year! It's out OF
the question. But don't be IN too great
a hurry, Wood. Suppose this windfal
proves a fraud, where are you? You
can have leave-although don't know
how / can spare you with all this 60
ing on
Leave was q weak point with SlI
Charles.
But he went on, III you must, you
must, but not for a day or two, please
And, Wood, my dear chap. don't neg
lect this New York business. / am re-
lying so much on you for 1t. You've
been out there and know all the ropes
So ! stuck to the papers for the rest
Of the afternoon, and when / left de-