St. Tammany farmer., 1906-03-10
Mcguire and the
Deaf Man
By WALLACE RAYnoND COMP
icopyright. 19o3, BY Joseph B. Bowles.)

tcopyright 1925. by Joseph B. Bowles.)
Il tell you. doctor, the mans as
deaf as q post! We've tried all the
old tricks on him, but they didn't
work; I'm for discharging him as
soon as possible"
The major in charge of the Second
Reserve hospital in Manila looked up
from his morning reports"
Tried shooting . gun beside his
bed?"
''They tried that in the company
quarters before we got him." an
swered the contract doctor. We've
yelled fire. in his ear at night and
everything else we could think OF,
but It's no use-he's deaf, that's all"
The major hastily glanced over the
papers in tho case. muttering rs he
did so:
John Earle, private, cavalryman,
tall, light"
Under the heading Of Remarks" he
read:.
while In company quarters Private
Earle, reading letter he had just
received, suddenly turned to another
soldier saying: Why did that bugler
stop In the middle of stable-call?
The man answered, but Earle insisted
that he could not hear what was said.
From that moment Private Earle has
been to all appearances deaf; all tests
have failed" s
Then the major looked over the post
surgeons recommendation for trans
fer to Manila and discharge, and
tossed the papers aside.
Orderly" he said, "go down to the
First Reserve and send Steward Ma
guire here"
"Yes. SIR" and the orderly was
gone.
Ten minutes later Steward Mcguire
stood at attention before the major.
He was q red-hatred, freckled-faced,
short, thick-set young Irishman. The
major knew Maguire's record: he
knew IL Earle was deaf. Mcguire
would know 1t before another day
passed.
4 Els eyes were again on the morn
ing reports" and he did not look up
as he handed Mcguire the papers re-
iating to the Earle case.
"I want to know by tomorrow
morning whether that's fake" was
mis- only remark.
Eyes, sir,' answered Mcguire, as he
slipped the papers into his hip-pocket.
"I'll do my best"
AS Mcguire left the room q smile
fitted across the majors stern face.
and leaning back in his chair he said
to himself:
"Id hate to have anyone give me
those orders gaEe Mcguire. Wonder
what he'll dot"
"Now, what's M friend the major
yteerin' me up against?" mused Ma
guire, as he pulled the package Of pa
pers from his hip pocket and began
reading while he walked along.
III I thought he said aloud, that
the OF guy worked on the theory that
It takes q thief to catch a thief, I'd
But it's dead plain that he don't; he
heard about me catchin' them two de.
serters In Havana after they'd fooled
everybody from the general down
that's all. Now IL man wants to de-
sert, / say, let him desert; it's none
Of my rations. But when he deserts
and don't stop long enough to pay
the four.flfty what he owes Mcguire
rs one O. them did-it's no case for q
peace commission"
Mcguire stopped; he had reached the
coast artillery barracks. As he on
tered the tfirst sergeant's o1ice he re.
moved his hat, saying:
"I'm Steward Mcguire from the First
Reserve. Can you let me see the man
Private Earle was talking to when be
suddenly got deaf?'
"Over there on the third bunk clean.
| ing his gun; his name is Kelly. See
him?" responded the first sergeant.
Mcguire did, and q moment later
was seated on the opposite bunk.
"Say," said Mcguire, we're going
to discharge your friend Earle, and
as the doctors in the states want Z
full history Of the cases. I've got to
Emake full report on Earle's. See!
Now there's transport sails to-mor
row, SO you see I'm in hurry. They
tell me you were with the poor devil
when he lost his hearin'.
| 'Yes-he was reading . letter, you
say? Gee! From his mother, prob
ably. No? From girl? Is that Z
fact! Had ! tintype Of her in II!
That's too bad.
..This is about al you know! Well
I'll have to make my report out o.
those facts, then"
Al hush fell over tho surgical ward
IN the hospital o. two attendants, bear
ins i stretcher, slowly and carefully
made their way past the long line q
ct white beds Patisns who wsss