Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-11-05

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one great and important natter, IL Ill
nothing else. He could, with unfailing
discrimination, gather round him the
men he required. At glance he recog-
nlzed the fighting man, mere thought
less creature of courage, whose ambi-
ton lay in the two letters "V. O."
whose soft heart was the most vulner-
able portion of his anatomy, his head
being the least so when hard knocks
were flying. The thinker. also, could
the colonel select from the crowded
ranks of human workers. He had no
need for, and took but small interest
in, the slow and deliberate thinker OF
such material asproduces essay writer's
and specialists; but he knew full well
the value of brilliant and rapid man
whose thoughts are almost instructive
one who, as a plot unfolds itself be-
fore him, can at once and with light
touch lay his finger upon the motive
and say "This is what he is leading
up to-" "That is what he will do next"
and who, like a skillful chess player,
can execute a counter move Of appar-
emily trifing Importance, which, when
the crisis comes, carries everything
before it.
OF this latter type was Vineyard
Mistley, and the colonel was fully
aware that the best step he ever took
in his life was to persuade that young
officer, when fretting under the COM
mand Of a man somewhat his inferior
in many ways, to leave the army and
Join him, since he could not retain his
commission and accept the offer. Two
years of constant intercourse, OF days
spent in the performance of a common
task and nights passed together In
various degrees Of discomfort often
amounting to danger, will do much to
obliterate the barrier that invariably
stands between men belonging to a diff.
ferent generation. 1t had been SO with
| Colonel Wright and Vineyard Mistley.
Two small black boxes, lost in a
chaos Of huge trunks somewhere in the
van, were all they could claim, and
| there was something characteristic
| even in these small receptacles. Iden-
| tical in form, size and color, they ap-
| peared to cling, as If from long habi-
tude, to each other. The same labels
| and enticing hotel placards were to be
found on both; and in particular there
| was around each slight indented
mark as If from chafe or friction, such
| as one sees round a riverside post.
This betrayed the hardships they had
passed through, one on each side OF
a weary packhorse, balancing and sup
ing each other, lashed together, though
separated by the body Of their bearer.
| Many of us, methinks, go through our
travels like these roadwOrn trunks,
with mark of friction upon us, show.
ing that we have come through. A
grocer, for instance, though he be
| clad in purple and fine linen, seems to
me to have a slight indentation around
the centre of his person, where the
| apron string was wont TO press. 1t is
his mark, his trademark, as it were,
worn and chafed into his soul as into
his body.
Vineyard Mistley lay back in his cor.
ner. serenely unconscious of his SEN
ior's steady gaze. Colonel Wright was
| absently looking at him, merely be-
cause, perhaps, that clear-cut, intelli.
gent face was the most interesting OBJ
| ject in sight. At length he spoke with
the determined air of one who has
weighed his words carefully, having
something rather difficult to say.
'In twentyfour hours" he said in q
speculative tone, "our official relation
ship ceases"
"Alasw observed Mistley, with ready
cheerfulness.
II do not wish yoI, Mistley," con-
tlnued the colonel, gravely, "to go
away without knowing how fully l ap-
precate and have appreciated all your
unfailing patience, your skill, and your
happy power of ever being cheerful
and good humored under the most try
ing circumstances. AS for my OWL
personal feelings in the matter, have
never ceased to congratulate myself
upon my action two years ago in ask
Ing you to join me, and only hope
that you will never have cause to re.
gret it."
"For me-" replied Mistley, looking
out of the window, and purposely
avoiding the colonel's face these two
years have simply been holiday
That soldering in India was not the
work for me at all-there is too much
unavoidable routine-too little to do
and too much time to do it in. Be
sides, there is always the feeling that
the first fool who comes along with his
head full of theory could do the work
as well, if not better, than ones self
There is absolutely no individuality In
the army. We are like so many brass
buttons on tunic; if two come oft
they can be put back in reversed orde!
or two new ones can be sewed on. and
no one is the wiser-the tunic is neither
better nor worse. Thanks to you, am
Ito longer button. Thanks to you
/ have got my foot on the ladder which
to me has been the only one worth
climbing since | was old enough to
know that my life was my own. The
gratitude should be on my side,
think, colonel"
This was unsatisfactory, and in no
manner helped Colonel Wright in his
little speech. SO the old gentleman
went straight 10 the point at once. and