The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-18
HAMMERsLEY OF THE GUARDS,

way with him, said:
That's who, Dick, Hugh DalIum OF n,
queens Own, on leave. bound for Vera
Cruz and the city. but visitor in Tam
p;co for the special purpose OF ha!Iing
Lieutenant Richard Hammersly. late Of
the guards, BY George, Ritchey. YOU
haven't changed bitt'
Dick led the way into his house and
lighted the lamp. He was q great hulk
o. man. with brown curIs turning gray
and gray eyes and a square jaw Of the
| regular British type His .'dobey" was
Ike the bungalow OF an EnglishT1an in
irdia-the walls decorated with hunting
trophies. mats on the floor, pipes in hail
a dozen racks. weapons and fishing rods
standing in the corners But out Of the
corner as the light nared UP came 4
skulking. grinning chimpanzee. 50 that
Dallam stood stock still and cried:
That's BoabdiL isn't IL. Ritchey? Cad.
but you're a queer fellow, That's the
same ape that you brought back 70
Aidershot, isn't it. Dick? The same ras-
cally simian that followed you down Pic
| cadilly and tore Miss Pemberton's lace
! parasol the day Garryowen won at Ep-
| SOM"
No need Of an Introduction. I see. -
! laughed Hammersiy, putting forth two
roots IT'S Boabdn all right, and I Won Z
deny he's been a comfort TO me. ugly as
| he is
And you've brought him half around
! the world with you, Dick? Cad. but you
always were rum covei And how are
you, after all? And do you mean TO say
you like this beastly coast2"
"Oh. there are worse places. Hugh.
much worse, dare say. And, as it
chances, 1 don't know where else TO go
I've been pretty much everywhere since
/ saw you l don't get many personal
letters. and I send fewer They've got
modern WAYS here at Tampico. a boy
comes out with my letters and takes
down those I write. ship coffee twice a
month, and for the rest l get the Times
and Black and White and the Army Reg
lister. so l manage 10 pass the time. dye
see?"
But women? Easy, easy there. That'n
do. It's real Scotch I see that. Well.
Dick, here's your health and God save
the king But as | was saying, how
the devil do you manage to get on with
out the ennobling influence OF women
that is. white women-in this place? I
landed at 3 this afternoon and haven't
seen anything but negroes ever since.
And such a beau as you were. Dick 1t
was only a fortnight ago at the Omdur-
man Club-did you know we had an On
durham Club now, Dick? Well, ThurIby
and Kennedy-you remember Ensign Ken
nedy of the Grenadiers-wel. We got to
talking about the old days and somebody
said, Where's Hammersly now?' And
from that we came to talk about Miss
Pemberton-"
she is well I hope?" EammersIy pick
ed UP his glass and drank deep and well
but his eyes flashed as he waited for the
answer
We'll? Trust her for that. Dick. She's
the best-dressed. handsomest, dashingest
woman of her age
She can't be more than 80. Hugh.
suggested Hammersly, quietly lighting a
stogey. and she always promised TO be
that is. woman of spirit"
That's just it. OF course we talked
about her the minute we mentioned you.
for you know, everybody thought ii was
match and, between YOU and me. Dick. I
don't think she ever cared half as much
for anyone else as she did for you. But
We all agreed THAI it was her loss, and
that"
Tut. tut. Hugh, A woman like that
viii find a dozen better men than l in
half life time.
THAT may or may not be, Dick But
you? You were serious. weren't your
TOO much so. Here's to her. though
It's a bit Of a mystery even to me how
] lost her. You may nave heard it was
II.
relied desperately about that and 1 came
away. It was young Montacute got my
commission wasn't it? I came away and
never wrote TO her till l. got here. Then
/ wrote a bitter. taunting. unkind letter,
full Of bitterness Of selfish but desc
late lover. You know the kind? You
know how man may feel when he thinks
he has been cruelty dealt with by tho
woman who seemed al gentleness and
light?''
And you sent it?''
mo. That's the odd part Of il. 7 didn't
send it. but I never could find It. I went
out in a turmoil 70 think ii over. and
when I came back. determined TO destroy
it, ii was nowhere TO be found. But I
wrote another that l thought might bridge
the past. might win an answer that would
have brought me back 10 London and
the Guards. But il never came. sent
that letter, and / remember. Hugh. what
a sudden importance the squat little
Mexicon letter carrier assumed in my eyes /
as he went away with il. II was my last
bid for forgiveness
And she never answered It. Dick?"
No"
There were some minutes OF silence.
during which the chimpanzee BoabdH. +
ciuttereG about the little writing desk IN
the corner and finally overthrow an ink
bottle.
What is that devil Up to-" said Dali f
lam. glad to change the dreary trend OF .
their talk. They brought the lamp TO
bear upon him. covering and grimaciag
the corner. and found that he had been
sticking postage stamps upon the blank
papers Of the secretary Hammersly cuffed .
his furry ears ana led him squeaiing into f
the mud walled cen which was his house.
Then the men sat down. singing old rally
songs q the faT-time and drinking deep
to the memories q the bonny days q two
young soldiers
But the next morning as they sat to-
sether. silent and ruminative over their
breakfast q figs and porridgc and coffee
itanemrsiy looked Up ard sold.
'Dallam. DO you know Z couldn't sleep
al night with thinking Of Miss Pember-
-on2 love her Yet. better. I think. than
ever. But. I think. maybe. she got that
scnseless letter that I never sent
Drunken dreams, Dick. You didn't
send IL, you said.
But, Boabdn, Did you see him licking
stamps last night2 Suppose ne sent ft9
Z he letter carrier NAV be mere this morn
ng. There was a ship last night. Perhaps
81 set letter. paper or parcel I'm
5oing u osk him.
And Dailam smiled quizzica liz as ne fin
shed his mesl ard sat down IN the mar
'cw shade ~ the hot. Presently the mall
,arrier amhied hy on his mule ard Ham
nersly hailed him
Pedro he said. did Boaodn. this
monkey Of nine, ever give you any letters
. m8ll7
ST. senior" gsinned the ansable rnsssea-
-er Once he gave ne letter. OH
bout Two OF three wears aCo. seEem-
'eT. well senor. f9r she stamp Il was
sieccfi CD the bacS-so. indicating with
~ 6lrcr the back % ~ enrsfoue