Waterbury Democrat., 1901-06-10

refused flat footed to be .'infervfeWed," and Armistead shut his mouth like
 clam, thereby compelling some journal ists to improvise the desired state
 ments.
 It was from the inspired columns of l The Palladium that the colonel first learned that the cause of the whole l trouble was "the presence at the post
 of a man recently dismissed in dis
 grace from the army, but who, in deh-
 ance of law, regulations and common decency, is now concealed in the quar-
 tcrs of Lieutenant Nelson, former classmate. The man in question was
 until his dismissal lieutenant in the
 artillery, but his peccadillos, extend i ing over a period of years, had culmi-
 mated in a cowardly assault on broth | CT officer at Fort Pawnee." And Sharpe
 sent for Nelson and demanded the
 facts. Nelson unerr1ngly gave them and said his friend was prostrated still,
 and the doctor forbade his being dis
 turbed or seen, which was all there
 was to the assertion that he was con
 cealed The colonel felt, somehow,
 that I.angdon's presence at the post
 was thing he ought to object to, and he did. ''See what an internal bob-
 bery it has kicked up!' said he. Now
 they'll be demanding an explanation
 from me at Washington, and what the
 devil am I to say? You ought to have
 consulted my wishes before harboring
 a man in Mir. Langdon's plight"
 "I did not invite poor Langdon out
 here, colonel,' answered Nelson. 1.-Two
 of our men found him fainting and ex-
 hansted in town and mercifully
 brought him here. 1 put him to bed in
 my quarters as matter of course, and | if that's a military offense I'll stand
 any punishment court martial may 1 infict. As to Armistead and Langdon, | beyond the fact that there is some deep | feeling between them, I know nothing. There is no likelihood of their meeting, | and when Langdon is strong enough to move he will need no hint from head l quarters or anywhere else"
 Then the colonel said something about reporters which, being interpret | ed, was the reverse of complimentary and not altogether just, because, like soldiers, these hapless toilers have their orders and cannot but obey. They
 were sent to Sheridan to get some | thing sensational, something to make the paper sell," and the fellow that came back empty handed-none of them did, of course-stood in danger of | discharge. The colonel really wanted | to know the nature of the telegram | that called pr. Armistead so suddenly | to town. The senior surgeon, Lieuten- | ant Nelson and one or two others had | intimated that it was not the coming l of the telegram. but Langdon, that set | him going. Investigation, however, | developed the fact that telegram | really had been received and delivered | to Dr. Armistead. The operator could | not be required to disclose the nature 1 of the same, it being private dis | patch, yet the colonel thought he ought to know if for no other reason 1 than to be able to set at rest the ru-
 mors at Armistead's expense, and be- | fore he had time to think it all over
 and decide with wisdom, as i'll luck would have it, he met Armistead in
 front of headquarters and beckoned
 him aside. 6E "Df. Armistead,o said be. Fin justice
 to yourself jtssnight be we'll to let me l see the dispatch you received the other night. You-may have heard that oth- CT motives have been assigned to your going so hurriedly to town"
 "I have heard, sir" was the doctors spirited rejoinder, "also of the inqui-
 ries of certain of your officers of the | operator. In my state we shoot men
 who stoop to such practices. Up here
 you seem to encourage them."
 The colonel flushed hotly. "Have a
 care, pr. Armistead. Language like
 that has led to the loss of more than
 one commission. I do not resent your | words as they deserve, because I know
 the strain you are under and the an-
 noyance you've all-have had. I re-
 peat that it seems due to yourself to dispel this-uncertainty," and uncer-
 tainly the colonel paused.
 ''Then let me say here and now, Colo
 nel Sharpe, that if you mean to show
 that telegram decline. As for MT.
 Langdon, after all that has been pub- lished and said, he has got to meet me
 the moment he is we'll enough.''
 The coloneps orderly, muf1ed to his
 ears in his heavy overcoat, stood with \ in easy range, intently eying some ob- 1 ject far out on the stormy lake, but as
 intently listening.
 l Orderly" said the colonel impa- l tiently, take these letters to Mrs.
 Sharpe and say won't be home to
 luncheon and go and get your dinner" | Then, when the soldier was we'll be-
 yond carshot, the colonel turned on the
 fiery young virginian. "Dr. Armi-
 stead" said he impressively, you may l judge for yourself as to the telegram,
 but for the present I have simply to
 warn you to keep your temper and--
 away from MT. Langdon. There's to
 be no meeting between you two in or
 around this post. Understand that, | and Good day to yoIl sir"