The Washington times., 1902-01-05

self that little Mrs. Robinson just sat and
trembled. 1t was awful she told herself.
And she straightway wanted to tell some
one else.
Now, there were. but three other women
at Shoshone-her nurse. the wife of Cap
tain Mcclure. the commandant, and the
McGuires maid of all work. 1t was, there
/ fore to Mrs. Mcclure that she went. And
after she had told her story Mrs. Nc
| Gure, who was anything but delicate and
hareball-like. laughed quite heartily =
| heartlessly Mrs Robinson declared-and
| told her not to mind a little thing like
| that, because Devil Jims only preroga-
| tive in camp was to cucumber the earth
and frighten people by appearing before
! them whenever he had the good luck to
get out of the guardhouse. But Mrs. Rob
| inson did mind very much. and she doubt
ed exceedingly if she could stand it. She
| appealed first to her husband.
Edgar. dear" she said I've been so
! frightened today by an awful looking
wretch-an Ipdian-who seems to have
! nothing to do but to wander about. Don't
you think you could get the captain to
send him away?"
What awful-looking wretch. dearest? ?'
| inquired young Robinson soothingly.
why. that-Devil Jim, l think they
call him
IL
Doing: Why, can't he be sent away
without doing something"
I'm afraid not. dearest"
| Mrs. Robinson enquired piteously of her
self why she had ever married into the
\ army. Then she went to Captain Nc
| Guire.
"oh, captain." she cried. wrnkling her
/ brows prettily. I'm in such mortal ter
ror of enc of your scouts. And l want
you to send him away please.
The captain was noted for gallantry Che
/ was getting on in years.. He bowed gro
tesquely and smiled. do you so much
as point out the man, my dear lady, and
he shall be strung up by the thumbs
he said.
I "Oh. don't want him strung up By the
/ thumbs, ! cnly want <ou to send him
away--faT away. The very sight of him
makes me shudder"' And she shuddered.
| Has he dared to annoy you, Mrs. Rob-
| inson?" This was serious; he looked as
| kance.
why, his very presence is an annoy
| ance. captain. He is a standing menace
! TO my peace of mind. l don't want the
man punished, you know. captain--only
removed"
1T shall be done" replied the captain.
with a wave of his hand.
Jim was shortly afterward summoned
/ from lHt SQudu TOplU 10 ne
had but recently served a term Of three
days in the guardhouse-on the Old charge
| Of drunkenness; he WAS now sent back
for three days-on- general principles. as
| the captain succinctly remarked.
These three days were the exact period
of the reign OF peace restored; within an
hour of his Liberation Jim was again in
trouble.
Taking advantage of the fine sunshiny
afternoons OF the early autumn. Mrs. Rob
inson used to send forth the baby in the
resplendent perambulator for some of the
| tonic air. The nurse at first confined her
| strolls to the short street within the
stockade that ran before the quarters, but
she soon ventured out upon the trail that
led down the creek to the canyon. Now
it SO happened that when Jim was re-
leased instead of going to the squad room
| to run the fire of distrustful yet exult;ng
glances, which were his due from HIS COM
| rades, as he should have done, he. too.
made straight for this road-and, it is
| reasonable to suppose, in the view of a
crushed spirit wanting solitude, purely by
| accident.
| He came upon the woman from behind.
| When she heard the soft fall of his moe
casined feet, she turned; and when she
saw who it was she paled. Her mistress