Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-29
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Power of a Cut.
[OriginaI.1

bleNlcdn war, IOlu ulc lIilS StOiS W II
lustrate an axiom that opinion is more
powerful than law:
1t was back In the first half of the
last century. when the regular army OF
the United States was little family,
so TO speak, that young artillery Off
Ger was ordered to report at the then
frontier post, Fort l.. Manton Bur
net was one of those fellows whom ev-
erybody loved. Tall, massive, with light
hair and blue eyes that formed pleas
ing contrast with pair of round. rud-
dy cheeks, he struck the fancy of every
one at the moment of meeting and I'M
proved on acquaintance.
The belle of the post was Colonel
Houghton's daughter Edith, whose fir
tations had commenced with cadets at
West Point and continued with officers
of all grades and ages, though she was
still only twenty-five or three. At the
time Burnet reported Mt the fort she
was engaged in n mild affair with Ma
jor Stoddard. n native of Mississippi
and a man of forty. He confirmed the
adage mo fool like an old fool by DO
coming infatuated with girl who was
only enjoying what she considered an
innocent amusement. At any rate, to
flirt was as natural to her as to breathe.
AS soon as Burnet appeared on the
scene she dropped Stoddard, took up
with the newcomer and found an eX-
perience entirely new to her by falling
violently in love with him.
StOddard was furious. 1t is question
able whether he was more malignant
toward Burnet or Edith Houghton. 1t
is said Hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned." Here was an instance where
n scorned man was the fury. StOddard
that he soon had the whole garrison
laughing at him. He determined TO
show them that it was no laughing
matter.
In the army, especially at frontier
posts, all the officers play poker; at
least they always did in the good old
times. One evening a party of officers,
including Stoddard and Burnet, were
engaged at the game when Stoddard
suddenly turned upon Burnet and ac-
cused him of cheating.
You lying scoundrelr' said Burnet.
what do You mean?"
THAT will do" replied Stoddard, ris-
ing. mo more play tonight. We have
another matter of more Importance to
attend to-
Some of those present demonstrated
with Stoddard, while others turned
their backs upon him contemptuously.
All knew he would challenge Burnet,
and he did. though he found it impossi-
BILE to find any one of the officers to
bear his message and act as his second
until Burnet requested one OF them to
do so.
The meeting took place early the next
morning n mile from the fort on the
river bottom" Just before It occurred
Burnet told his second that he intended
to purposely miss his man. giving as n
reason that, as the two had been suit
ors for the same girl, she was interest
ed in the affair and he was uncertain
which of the two she preferred. Be
sides, to kill brother officer ira duel
would mar his life and his military ca
reer. His second protested against this,
but was unable to move his resolution,
whereupon he declined to serve, and
Burnet selected me. but kept from me
his intention. At the first fire Burnet
fell with a ball in his right side. Stod-
dard was unhurt.
1t was melancholy party that car
ried the wounded man back to the fort,
for the surgeon pronounced the wound
fatal. The affair put an end to any I'M
certainty as TO Edith Houghton's pref
erence. for she was wild with grief as
soon as she learned what had happened.
However, after her first giving way TO
her feelings she nursed Burnet SO ten
derby that he pulled through. At that
time the effect of the mind on the sys-
tenn was not understood as 1t is now, but
even then 1t was apparent that the men,
tai stimulant Burnet experienced in
Edith HOughtOn's love turned the scale.
The colonel made no comment on the
affair till Burnet was pronounced out
of danger Then he sent for Stoddard,
with whom he was closeted for an
hour in his private office. After the
interview it leaked out that the colonel
had demanded Stoddard's resignation,
intimnting that if it were not forth
coming he would prefer charges.
Stoddard refused to resign, asserting
that he would stand trial, taking a
change of venue to another post where
lHe IeelIHB was IOI pFeJuulClul 10 MIN.
The colonel, not desiring that his
daughters name should be mixed in
the affair, felt constrained to let the
matter drop.
1t was at this point that the rest of
us interfered. We called a meeting of
the officers of the post and unanimous
~ decided to give Stoddard "the cut"
The next time any one of us met him
we walked by him with the salute, but
with no other recognition. Stoddard
had not counted on this, and it affect
ed him ut once. He bore it for awhile
without any action, then applied to be
ordered elsewhere. For two months
while he was waiting for a change he
lived with dozen brother officers, not
one of whom would speak to him I'M
officially. Now that his infatuation
for the girl was somewhat cooled by
her action, our treatment broke him