The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-02-07
The ColoneI's Kid

copyright, 1906, by Mcclure. Phillips & Col
Among the batch of forty recruits re-
ceived at Fort Blank one day from
Jefferson Barracks was one who at
| tracted attention Immediately from his
| superior looks and bearing. He had
an arstocratic face good figure, and
| it was evident at a glance that he did
not belong among that crowd. Private
| Harker had not been in the barracks
an hour when it had been determined
| from colonel to corporal that he was
man who must be disciplined.
Colonel Banks had lost his wife two
] years before, but he had not sent his
tives, as it had been supposed he would
| do. She was a handsome, sunny haired
child of ten, and he chung to her and
| had an aunt come out and act as his
housekeeper and a mother to the moth
erless. Scarcely any one at the fort
gave the child her name when speaking
of her. She was referred to affection
ately as the colonel's kid.
The colonel's kid stood holding her
fathers hand when the recruits lined
up for roll call Her eyes roved along
the line until they rested on Harker,
and there they paused. There was that
in his face that attracted her, and she
him. He saw her from his place in
the ranks. and his face softened. lie
dared not smile at her, but more friend.
illness came into his heart than had
been there for many a day. The mex!
day, and the next, and the next, he saw
her from distance while he was be-
ing drilled On the fourth day, while
he was doing sentry duty at the flag
staff, she came walking up to him and
held out her hand and said:
81 like you. Won't you shake hands!"
Private Harkers face was all smiles
as he took her hand and assured her
that he liked her in return and that
back in the east he had little niece
who looked almost like her. Ten
minutes later the colonels kid was
back in Officers row with tears in her
eyes, and Private Harker was in the
guardhouse. 1t was tremendous
breach of discipline he had committed.
Never before in the history Of the
American army, according to the SER
geant, had sentry on duty dared to
pause in his monotonous tramp and
ground arms and shake the colonels
daughter by the hand. The captain
agreed with the sergeant and Private
Harker got five days confinement. He
knew that spite was the foundation,
and he set his jaw hard. He had been
at liberty only three days when fault
was found with him at inspection of
barracks. He answered back, and this
time it was ten days in the guard
house At the end of that time he was
l. called before the colonel.
In barracks even the children know
what goes. on. The coloners kid had
learned that Private Harker had been
disgraced for shaking hands with her.
She defended him. When he received
his second sentence, she defended him
more vigorously. In fact, she wept
over it and was scolded by her father
and aunt Men and women make
friendships in an hour but their judy
ment is not as good as the intuition of
child The kid had taken liking to
Private Harker, and they argued in
vain The colonel was upset over It,
He was in angry mood when he re-
ceived the recruit. There was nothing
he could do officially, and yet he would
not talk as man to man.
'Private Harker,' he began, 81 am
sorry to hear bad reports of You. If
you begin this way, where will you
end? You may be above the common
run, sir, but let me tell you that you
can put on no airs here. If l catch
you tripping again, shall put you
down as trouble maker and act ac-
cordingly. Go to your quarters, sir"
The intent had been to humiliate him
and the soldier knew it. From tina,
hour on he had but one object in view
1t took him three months to accomplish
it, but in the end he had talked revolt
until the 200 rank and file at the pos
We're ripe for it, They would leave the
fort and scatter among the mines ant
ranches Before leaving they would
kill four or five Of the officers that hat
been marked down. Never was con
spiracy better planned or secret bet
| ter kept. Not the slightest hint reach
ed the officers ears or the ears of those
who would remain loyal. AT 10 o'clocl
| at. night the 200 would arm, parad,
and march out in the face of the off
GERS, and there would be shooting dom
|, before the last of them left the gate.
! The signal was to be given by Pri
vate Harker-a musket shot. He hat
planned for days that the ball from
!: that musket should find the colonies
! heart. He would reach the colonel
! quarters and fire on him through al
open window. They had kept the XII
!: out Of his sight for weeks, and he di'
! not take her into account in his plan
/ ming. 1t was her father he meant t
kill, but her feelings were not consid
: cred. When the night came, he slippe
y out Of barracks, lodged across the pa
n | OBJ, =