The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-20

l
bill with costumes and festivities OF
various kinds at the club house Q the
garrson--bnt this is only tho tt,ckss
| ground for more drunkenness, more es-
| plonnge and intrigue, more TAFT Ting and
coarse marital irfidclity. First Lieu
| tenant Leimunn, the man with a pretty
wife, has the comical trait OF bccom-
ling lachrymose$ as soon as he has more
| than the usual quantity of grog aboard.
and there is no exception to the rule on
carnival night. So his chum, First Lie,l-
tenant Borgert, has to take Mrs. Lei
mann home because Lehman has seated
himself on beer barrel weeping CO.
pIously, and has refused to be com
forted or to stirSfor5wife or friend This
Is the beginning of another scandal In
tho garrison, known very soon to every
body, military and civilian, and winkcd
mt by the colonel, who fears that a scan
DIAL Of this sort. coming to public dis
| cussof. iii the press, might cost him his
future advancement, Or even resrE, IN
a demand for his resignation, Bllse thus
contrasts the colonel's absurd solemnlty
|gnbout trfles with his neglect OF things
that are bound In the eEd to wreck his
career.
LIAsoNs TREATED FRANKLY.
The lason between Frau Lehman and
First Lieutenant BOrgert Is an occasion
for a discussion between this precious.
mir on free love and the uselessness Of
marriage and though these arguments
are put in the mouths of the two most
lsreputable characters OF the book. they
| ore piled with such coarse vigor that the
chances are ten to one that reader will
take more harm than good from them.
Another affair pursued regardless OF
the supposed honor OF the military fam
ly'' in the garrison Is about to be broken
up by the promotion OF Rittmeister
| Kahlc. when 6tle indiscreet action of
Frau Kahle precipItates the scandal, and
a divorce and duel are necessary, ac-
honor In the duel the aggrievcd hus-
| band gets bullet through his lung.
which lays him UP, for a long while and
necessitates his resignation from the
army. while Lieutenant Colherg, the cul-
prlt, Is taken back into the good graces
| OF his fellow officers-since he has
money. The erring wife, on the other
hand, begins in. Berlin q career rt Of open en-
shame. FL .i1. AZ
The other scandal is only deferred
Lirst Lieutenant Lehman and First
lieutenant Borgett come to the end OF
their tcther. They have debts that are
huge compared with their salaries. and
Mrs. Lehman instead Of carefully man
aging the pin money which her mother
L
The situations of Isargert 2 u.'sille ~ 'ta
his creditors and young Mrs. Lehman
| insulted and even mnuled by her hus-
| band become unbearuhle, l3pre@i- III
solves to fly, having determined that
desertion Is preferable to suicide. He Is
! all absolute cynical world!ng. an fago,
whose happlest moments are those YIN
| discovering aud telling about scandal
| Gus affaip. The elopsment OF Frs8 I
mann with Borgert is suggested by her
| end agreed TO by him because Il sud
denly occurs to him that II Will give
1 n romantic look to what Is really on Gs-
cape from bankruptcy and expulsion from
the army. 46$
that she received his explanation with
| SO much steadiness and did not shrek
/ like a woman or fall 10 the floor In q
4 temptest of sobs.
Sand when he regarded that pale
! profile as it cut against the bright VIM
/ dow pana and saw a tear glisten In her
eye, a little emotion touched him. some
sympathy with the woman, and he drew
| her inside his arms.
IIIE& SECOND SCANDAL.
"As he embraced without a word being
sud. q whisper came from her lips:
.'Iake me with you, George
'Eolgert started tip IN surprise:
u y
1 OF such a thing? How could l do it,
/. "'I implore YOU. George, let mo 80
along; can't stand 1t here any longer,
/ s".But dear girl. 1t Is not to be thought
1 of! Isn't the scandal dad enough II !
disappear alone? And II should take
you with me? Impossilole'
""rhen shall go alone; Will 80.
! must go!
/ ''But why SO all of "a sudden What
has happened?
L "Frau Lehman burst into violent sobs
| ."'Aly husband has beaten me because
4 the ballff was here again. can stand
i this treatment no longer, and then--then--
! ], too, have no money fortmy debts, and
some accident will happen.'
}HBorgert had great difficulty in calu1sne
the excited little woman.
NEIa thought The matter, over, After all
the idea was not SO mistaken. II SHE
were determined to so, Why, then, she
4 might as well so with him; for then he
4 would at least have some one with hin
4 whom he could talk, one who was IN tbs