River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-05-16

Trouble. MIS-. 14dWAtuGc htpb tuEIl &C
luncheon-the whole seven of them
Asked me, too; but the kids were rails
ing Cain, and the abode of peace was
transformed, so / lit out"
"Well, l guess she's sorry now-if
that's any comfort to you. For the
CoIiinses are not only going to have
those quarters, but they're going to
have them quick. Even the c. o. got
at Collins. But it wasn't any use.
| Ny wife likes the quarters says he.
And that's ALL"
They sat in meditation for some
time. Then Drayton spoke.
81 like those quarters, too. I'm 60
ing to have some of them myself" he
said.
Bartlett did not understand, and
Drayton undertook to explain.
"Well--see here" He took his feet
down from the rail, in his earnestness,
and Strengthened his cap. It's like
this. You and / have got one room
each in this house, haven't we, same
as the most of the other bachelors?"
Such was the case. "And we're enti-
tied to two rooms each, aren't we?'
Bartlett agreed that they were. "And
we've been keeping these ones be-
cause we've been too lazy and too
| good-natured to ask for more, haven't
we? Wen, we won't be lazy and good
natured any more. If the Collinses
move into the Lawrences' set, I'll va
cate my room-turn it over to you
and I'll apply for the upstairs floor of
the Lawrence house. Oh! I'm emit
tied to it, all right" he chuckled.
81 know my rights as citizen of
these United States and as a first
lieutenant of cavalry The Collinses,
the whole sweet seven of 'em, may
have the lower floor. It's all they
can claim under the law. That's four
rooms, including the kitchen. I dare
say they won't mind living like that
any way They're pigs"
Pigs, tOo?" asked Bartlett.
Drayton went on unfolding his plan.
"Once I have that top floor, you
watch the interest in life I'll provide
for them. I'll make their days pleas
ant and their nights-particularly
their ights-beautiful I'll have sup
pers up there every evening, and do
songs and dances until reveille, ia |
have to hypothecate to pay my com
missary bill, and if my health breaks
down. You watch!" He stood up
and began to button his blouse. so
you are warned. If the Collinses
move in, such is my devotion to them
that I'll move in, too. And I'll put
in my formal application for those
two rooms. No other two in the post
will suit, either, you understand"
And it all came about exactly as he
had said. There was hegira of Law
rences and an ingress of Collinses,
and great was the latters' wrath when
they found Drayton taking posses
SION of the upper floor. They pro
tested to everybody in general, and
to the commandant and the quarter
master in particular. And the com
mandant and the quartermaster said
they We're sorry. but that Draytor
was certainly within his rights. He
had applied for the quarters in virtue
of the general turning-out that D
troop was causing in the post, and he
was entitled to occupy them. There
was nothing more to be said.
Il can't pretend I'm sorry for them
exactly" Mrs. Lawrence confided To
Drayton, when he advised her not ia
try to settle in her new quarters very
deliberately; I'm only human, after
all, and my house did look so sweet
and my garden But I'm sorry foI
you. | think those children are the
very imps of evil"
Drayton nodded "There are 9th
ers," he said
1t was enigmatical but Mrs. Law
I renee looked doubtful, and ready Il
be hurt. ''You don't mean mine?" sh,
said.
NO, my dear lady" Bartlett reas
sured her "he doesn't mean yours
He thinks yours are all that tender
infancy should be. I don't know what
he does mean, however. And prob
ably he doesn't know himself"
Don't ." queried Drayton, eng
NAUTICAL still Don't I iust?"
Perhaps" said Bartlett, You NEAR
Jimmy O'Brien. I saw you hobnob
bing with him to-day. Would it b,
Jimmy now?"
Drayton would not commit himself
But II was Jimmy and none other
nevertheless. Drayron had come upol
him when he WAS playing duck-on
a-rock all by himself. near the suffer-
store. The duck was a beer bottle
and Jimmy was pitching stones at il
with Indifferent aim. The father o
Jimmy was first sergeant of Drayton'
troop. and so the lieutenant felt the,
had enough in common to warrant
conversation.
1t began by a suggestion as to n bet
ter way to throw a stone, and it end
ed with n bargain struck. "Then,
said Drayton, "if l promise to pa
you two bits for every centipede. fou
bits for every tarantula, ten cents 70
every lizard, nickel for every toat
and cent for every big spider, yo
will catch all you can and bottle ther
for me?"