The Republican journal., 1902-01-02
SERPENTS OF SALVATION.
The Ordeal of Night in Texas Cabin
BY GWENDoLEN ovERToN.

BARCLAY. uUl IL WAS also pdlllN nope Oh
winning the hundred which the rest of
the mess put up and which would en-
able him to pay, by several months
sooner than he would otherwise have
done, for the carved ivory crop, the
silver spurs, and the gold cross-sabreS.
and other trifes Of the sort that he
had bestowed upon Miss Cunningham
i'll happier days. Thus is the pure met
al of our finest actions ever combined
in the coming with base alloy.
Macintosh had been III love with Miss
Cunningham for some time, and was so
still, though now he had nothing to
hope He had had reason to believe at
found favor in her sight. Then Bar
pull, prospects, and exceeding good
looks. and from the moment that he
presented himself as a rival for the
notice of Miss Cunningham, MacIn-
tosh began to lose heart, realizing that
besides being far less blessed in person
al appearance than the other, he had
nothing to expect in the future beyond
promotion and fogies, in the natural
course of death and years.
He put his faith to the test however,
and when it proved definitely adverse,
he did not GO into the world embittered
and scowling at Barclay. and making a
spectacle of himself generally. He
even continued to put the horses OF his
troop at Miss Cunningham disposal,
though now she rode no more with him.
Yet, for all that he himself would have
been more than human had he not ex-
perienced certain secret satisfaction
at seeing one placed there-and that by
Barclay himself This thing came to
pass surprisingly soon, and in the fol
loving manner.
Barclay and his lady had a quarrel
one day, and. whether it was relapse
to habits of his past life for Barclay
was civil appointment or whether 1t
was meleiy to drown despair, certain 1t
was that the lieutenant HE'D himself
down to the officers room and drank
more than was good for him-cOnSider-
ably more. This was, of course IN the
Old days, as many as % years ago,
before the service down to the last.
least commissioned officer, had reform
ed. Then, finding, perhaps, that though
naughty Whlskey-even suffers Whs-
key-Was NEE, Barclay took to drink
regularly and all at once: and Tor a
period Of several months, except when
he WAS on duty. never drew d sober
breath. His brother officers shook their
heads in decent sorrow and said that
the poor Fellow was going the way of
many better mall-Slnce 1t is always
the brightest who have gone before us,
and the dullest who are left behind
Now there is one thing which every
one las probably observed regarding
the man who is i'll his cups the best
part OF the time, which is that besides
being the special care OF Providence,
the wal department looks after him
tenderly and his wife is generally his
adorlng slave.
Miss Cunningham was not Barclays
wife as yet, TO he sure. but she would
have liked to be. so it came to pretty
much the same thing, and III proportion
as his vice took stronger hold upon him,
he took stronger hold upon her heart
Then her parents lhterfered, and What
with their opposition and menace. and
Barclay entreatleS and promises of
amendment after each new fail the
poor girl had a very bad time Every
one was sorry for her. The older of
hcerS got at Barclay and pointed to
hldeous examples of What his end
would be, and to the graves Of youths
and of old men, who had done as he
was doing, which dotted the face of
Texas and of the territories in general.
Barclay was sorry, sincerely sorry He
way sinned again.
And there, where all others had fail
ed, Macintosh stepped in and achieved
success. He had been off on hunting
leave, and had got back to the post Just
n ri nd n nd
to the mess. Barclay belonged to the
mess, but he was not there, and MacIn-
tosh, looking around, asked where he
might be.
Sick said the adjutant laconical
ly.
Meaning
Exactly So
Macintosh opined that it was con-
founded shame, and worse, and some
one else suggested that it would not
matter so much If the absent one were
only killing himself, but that he was
killing Miss Cunningham as well,
Il don't know objected Macintosh.
'Barclay's pretty decent sort him
self"
(Which" interrupted the adjutant.
sis both magnanlmouS and true
''And" -continued Macintosh, un
heeding-''and there are fellows who
could be lot better spared. As far as
I've observed this is his only fault"
The adjutant was of the opinion that
he made up for a good many lesser
ones with it, and that it was one, more
over, which might not be cured
OH said Macintosh, more by way
OF offering opposition than from con
viction, Il don't know about that
The Others asked it he had ever heard
of {, bona-fde case of reform where
there had not been back-slide "Of
course" they argued, fellows have
been known to go on the water-wagon,
and to turn over new leaf, and all
that, when there was a girl in view.
Any man, nearly, will swear off when
he's in love, but when he's in love and
can't swear off, he is in very bad
way" And they went on to point out
at length how the subject IF discussion
might end up all at once in general
collapse, to which finish the air of the
country was favorable, or, on the other
hand, might last to a green old age,
rank, and the retired list. "You can't
most always TELL" declared one, "but,
so far as I'm concerned, should like
to see him die off early enough for Miss
Cunningham to get over it and forget
all about it..
a. said Macintosh, "had rather see
him cured
You" obser1e6 captain, with ad-
miratiOn. mus .ESge been drawing on