The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-11-13

entered the bunk" its owner glanced
up from his work and said, Whats
the matter with you, now-eh? Are
you q prisoner again.
Private Brown laughed hoarsely and
answered:
''No-not this time, sergeant. ! only
want yer to write letter home TOT
me-
You're a nuisance, Brown! I've got
tomorrow's parade slate 10 make out
, before first post Cant you get some
, one In the bungalow to do 1t for you!
Tim too busy now"
y You know ! wouldn't let any OF the
2 chaps do it," Brown answered, some
swhat sullenly. They'd only grin ut
me cos / can't write. But 1t don't
Hmatter. I'll so on the booze again and
Nspend the money, and then youn have
TO put me in the 'clink for drunk.
Sergeant Hollis noted the defiant
tone, and said sharply:
Come, none of that nonsense with
me, Brown, or III confne you now
What money are you talking about?'
i've been on the steady for a month.
Didn't you know"
q noticed that you haven't been
prisoner for about fortnight. How
much have you saved?'
We'll, you see, had a hand at cards
yesterday, and won about so chips, and
want ter send it home to a sister OF
mine. It'll do her more good than 1t
will me-"
oh! SO you've got into that gam
bling set, have you? Mind don't catch
you at it, for if l do, into the guard
room you'll co."
q don't often play, sergeant" said
Brown, deprecatingly; and, thinking
the opportunity a good one, he re-
newed his request will you write
my letter for me, sergeant?"
Il suppose l must to get rid of your.
Fire ahead with the address"
Miss Alice Brown-lady' s-maid-
Taunton Court, Norfolk" Absorbed
in admiration of the sergeant's cali
graphy, Brown, standing by the table,
did not notice the slight staHt made
by the writer as the words Taunton
Court" fell upon his ears. In unaf-
fected surprise Brown muttered. Hang
me-can't you writer"
The sergeant smiled and said inter
negatively:
You come from that part?"
mo; I'm a towney of yourn. Didn't
yer know that?" Brown answered with
a disgusted look.
What You a Scotchman? You go
and tell that to the next draft!
Brown felt insulted by this reference
to the draft" and said with dignity:
IT'S a fact, sergeant. l was born IN
Aberdeen; but we came to London
when l was kid"
"A very small kid too, l imagine
Why, man alive, you're a CHcknev al
over! But what about the letter
What shall say?"
But Browns insulted dignity would
not allow the assertion about the
Cockney origin to pass unChallenged
Honor bright, sergeant, l amt ne
Cockney. But look ere. My sister and
me is the only two left, and she's la
dys maid there and I'm a-goin' to sen,
her one hundred chips-rupees, yol
kneW-so as she'll have some thing pu
by agin the time when she leaves"
Though he had only moment be
fore protested that he had no time t.
spare, the sergeant now showed ;
strangely inconsistent desire to chat
ter.
so she's going to leave-eh?" h
said.
"Ya-as, l s'pose she will when he
naissus gets married"
1t was clear that the matrimonial in
tentions of the mistress of Privat
Browns sister ought not to have BEEF
of any interest to Sergeant Hills o
her majesty's Green Horse" espe
cially when there was an unfnishe
parade slate lying in front of him
but it seemed that the SUBJECT did in
terest him, for he said:
What makes you think her mistres
is going to marry?"
why, she's got any amount c
brass, Brown answered, land my SIS
ter says she's very pretty, so she
sure to marry"
A quiet smile passed over the SCI
geants face, and he glanced at a pho
tograph that stood on the table i
front of him. Then he scrubbed ava
at the letter for a minute, inquired ho'
the money was to be sent, once NOR
resumed his writing, and finally lai
down his pen and said:
Look here, Brown-why don't 20