Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-05-09

ITO a certain sort of mind a saint
is only to be known as a saint
nv the halo above his brow, and the
Prince of Darkness himself would be
devoid of identity without a pitchfork
and n cIoven hoof. To such as these
the k-nieht-errantry of DraytOn and
Bartlett may seem problemaucal; ouG
Il knirht-erranb is n who succoFs
beauty in distress, and who rides
abroad ~redressing human wrongs.
Whether he employs an obnoxious IN
sect rather than a sword, as bray
ron lid. or whether he rides an ). C.
government mule. as Bartlett was
wont to do. is neither here cor there.
BARTLETT was riding the aforesaid
mule shortly after the time my story
begins. He rode it up the line, its
long gray ears waggEng evenly and
restfuIIv. and came TO n 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 n visor or
his cap pulled down on his nose. lie
pushed the cap to the back of his
head as Bartlett came slowly up n
steps.
at wish you would get a horse" he
complained. eff you could just real
ize the figure you cut on that old ele-
phanf!"
That's a mule, corrected BARTLETT,
his arm around n pillar and letting
his heels bangle, as he perched on the
railing. cts also a very nice mule
It 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
NAV do for some, but not for one who
has the duties of post quartermaster
TO perform. And, besides, L believe
N the infantry and scorn a horse
1.-The scorn,' observed Drayton, "of
the fox for the grapes"
Don't rub it in" said Bartlett, de-
iectedIv: sim miserable enough as it
is"
Thought you looked rather triste.
I'm all sympathy. Go on"
BARTLETT released his hold upon the
piIlar and folded his arm on his
breast in an attitude combining stern
endurance and precarious balance.
sThe Col1inses are going TO route the
Iawrences out"
Now. the Collinses were b family
of Capt. Collins-wife, mother-in-law
on both sides, and three small chill
dren. They had that morning arrived
in the post. Collins was in command
of troop L. which had been moved on
some weeks before. II he had been
we-Il-disposed his entry should not
have put the whole garrison, below
his rank. in the throes of ear of a
progressive tturning-out-" For here
were empty quarters into Wnlcn ne
might have moved exactly as well as
not, and no one have been any ehe
FOR on.
s+But Collins won't see it thai way
BARTLETT went on. II ranks Law
renee, and his wife ranks him., you
bet; and it's the wife and h mother
in-Iaw who are going Co have. the
Iawrences' set or bust"
ssThrow them n few buckets OF
paint and caIcimine, by way OF sop.
Drayton ventured to suggest
did" said Bartlett, briefly. "Ot
fered them half the quartermaster'i
aepartment. and a carpenter, and 4
blacksmith. and a f~arrier, too, il they
happened to need one. Told then
they could have any or all of the col
ors of paint in the rainbow, If they't
inst be good-but those three grace'
are going to have the L~awrences
house"
Drayton opined, with q little of thu
pIacidity, nevertheless, with which
we all bear one another's burdens
that it was q very great and very pro