The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-21
The Belle Of the Garrison.


put a BOY. ne naQ always L'6-leQ me d.
| a younger brother I was lucky in my
host, for he had Travelled wherever the
foot of man had trod and fought III
every campaign for half a century, and
read everything worth reading from the
Bible to the latest novel. and wttha1
was as modest as a schoolgirl on her
holidays.
George said I. let US have a story"
The dear old chap threw himself bach
in his chair and set himself a-thinking-
Il declare" said George, Il am quite
out Of practice as raconteur. I find it
as hard to put my finger on story now
as If I had lived my life in convent
CELL
Don't trouble; let US talk of the past
and the stories viii ceme.' said, mind
full of earlier days when our evenings
always ended in a tale.
TO be sure, said George, there s
enough to talk Of from the day that
Haughton and I landed at Bombay to
begin our soldering till returned
swords after half a century.
''Haughton," I repeated, never
heard you mention his name before that
can remember
A shadow seemed to fit across his
fine old face. and he strolzed his luzku-
RANT silver hair, buried IN thought.
Poor Charley It was a dark crime
laid him Iowa dark crime committed,
like many another, for a woman. Years
have since passed, and have seen hui
man blood flow IN torrents. yet still
look back with horror on the deed of
murder I permitted in the trackless
jungle when I might
But truce to vain regrets. You will
hear the story. HaughtOB and I Were.
at Elton together, and chums all our
time there. We were in everything to-
gether, from making love to the head
masters twin sisters to the fioggings
melted out by their brother On the
same day we were gazetted to the SAINT
corps in John Company's service, ana
embarked on the same vessel which, by
the way you would call a convict hulk
for the east.
Our regiment was auartered at Ghaz-
naDore. and we had been ouartered
there scarcely three months when
Haughton was the idol Of his brother
OfHcerS. ] do believe there was not 4
man among them who would not have
trusted the handsome, debonair young
ster with his life-except, perhaps one,
junior captain named Barnet
Barnet was as jealous of Charley as
the serpent of Adam in the garden be
cause of Milly Prttchard brought all her
forces-horse, foot and artillery-to bear
on the heart of the dashing, golden
haired young sub.
Milly was just such a girl as you
may dnd in every garrison town in the
kingdom fond of fun and jollity, and
always ready for q Irritation whether
1t be with the gray haired commandant
or the dapper sub. She is always hand
some, always a couuette, ready to
laugh at the fellows jokes or be the
confidants of their troubles, and the ia
vored subaltern invariably looks for
ward TO his captaincy to marry her If
such girl is common at home in India
she IS an institution, and the Garrison
Belle was & standing toast at every
mess in my time.
"Milly Pritehard was the daughter of
an old official of the company Her
father had the reputation of being ex-
tremely wealthy, and as she was an
only child she had in addition to her
other charms all the attractions OF
great heiress.
This regimenta1 affaire de occur was
watched with lively interest, and there
were many sly jokes cracked at Barnet's
expense. which. no doubt. did not help
TO SOOthe his wounded pride HaughtO1.
bore himself splendIdly He neither
courted nor avoided the girl, nor betray-
ed the slightest consciousness Of unusual
favor at her hands. No old campaigner
could have worn his 1aurels more grace
fully, and no gentleman could have be-
haved with more perfect breeding to his
less fortunate rival
But Barnet was bitterness itself. At
first he affected to treat Charley con
temptuously, but the latter soon showed
himself his equal in most things, his su-
perlor in many Then matters became
more strained. Barnet was barely civil
and Haughton was contemptuously in
different.
So things continued for about six
months. Then one evening Haughton
came to my quarters. His face was
deathly pale and his lips We're firmly set.
knew he was struggling to suppress
some violent emotion. It was evident
something serious had happened. A row
with Barnet was the first thought that
flashed through my mind. He threw
himself into chair and there was a
pause for several minutes.
Sc 'Georgei' he said at last. 7 must get
away from here His voice hOarse. and
uncertain, betrayed the turmoil of his
soul
50 Get awayl' I repeated. Something
IS wrong, Haughton. What has hap
pened2'
" You are right. Something has hap
pened- cannot go into particulars,
George, but it's wOman-MoIly Pritch-
ard. love the girl-and she is not in
different. I should have gone long ago,
but she seemed such f1irt Who could
have guessed that she
He hesitated, but my knowledge Of
ms honorable nature made his emotion,
his reserve, his resolve to cult the sta
ton, more eloquent than words. I could
have sworn that there had been
scene, that in a moment Of uncontrolla-
bic passion the girl had in some way
7 betrayed her love for him. and in the
delirium Of the moment he too had
been weak 1t was all as clear TO me
as day.
Don't be a fool. Haughton. Marry
the girl
" Marry Be my wife's pensionerl
Neverv and the proud spirit famed in
ms eyes Excuse me, George. Tor the
heat he continued, ashamed of having
shown temper but it is impossible, even
If the old nabob were willing. Poor men
must pocket their pride before money
bags; I cannot do it
I knew he was as proud as Lucifer
but tried to reason with him; it was
quite useless, however. His mind was
fully made up, and I have no doubt the
thing would have ended in commonplace
! fashion enough but for a chance Stroke
Of i'll luck
That night half a dozen of us sat
late over our cards. and we were all
more or less excited with wine and play
when Haughton strolled in and began
to watch the game while he smoked a
cigar. 1 wei remember the look of hate