Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-11-07
regulations" to cover the case he'd
convene a board Of survey to condemn
every one of us and make a bonfire

of u.s."
What an awful man"
Now, it happened that Captain Fer
guson soon after Miss Brayling's ar
rival was promoted to be major and
assigned to the command Of Fort G.,
100 miles south of Fort j.. He had no
sooner left the fort, his wife, children
and niece in an ambulance and his eff
fects in an army wagon, than Major
Macdonald was heard to say, "There
go five clingers and one soldier"
There was not a lady at Fort j. who
did not envy Mrs. Ferguson the
change, but all had at least the salts
faction in her going that they would
feel the more freedom in abusing
Major Macdonald.
About a week after the departure of
the Fergusons Major Macdonald re-
ceived m order from Washington di-
recting him to inspect the army sta
tions in the vicinity and report on
their condition. Turning over, the
command to the next officer in rank.
he departed with a single orderly and
remained away a fortnight.
After this the major was continually
making inspections, remaining away
from his command on each tour from
a few days to a few weeks. His de-
parture was always hailed with de-
light by the ladies at Fort j., and his
return was regretted, for during his
absence they ceased to feel that they
were q necessary evil and breathed
freely.
II WISH" said Mrs. Lieutenant Weth-
erby, 1.-THE government would keep
him inspecting till he came to the age
Of retirement"
"And I WISH" said Mrs. Lieutenant
Gunther, "that some woman would
get him, load him down with baggage
and he'd be ordered to move at five
minutes notice."
One day when the major was off on
his fifth tour of inspection Captain
HARRISON, who was in command Of the
post, confided to his wife a secret.
Macdonald vas not going away from
his command on inspection duty at all.
He was simply absenting himself with
out leave.
"You don't mean it? Where does he
goT"
Nobody knows. I suspect he may
have secret orders to investigate some
thing"
That's not usual in the army. At
least in time Of peace. There's no Sc
cret service except in var"
"That's all the explanation I have
to give" replied the husband. "Be sure
not to say a word about what I've told
you"
"Of course not" And as soon as the
captain left her she went into Mrs.
Wetherby's quarters and told her the
story. In half an hour it was known
to the wife of every officer Of the gar
rison.
The next time Major Macdonald
went out on a tour Of inspection he
took a new uniform with him that he
had just received from a New York
tailor and a trunk full of other cloth
ing.
when an army wagon was driven into
the fort and a considerable load Of
brand new furniture and a dozen
trunks were dumped in front of the
majors quarters.
The episode occasioned a greater
commotion than an attack Of a thou
sand Indians. Every woman, includ-
ing the children, in the fort stood on
the parade gaping at the pile, and there
was a clatter Of tongues that would
have drowned the post band.
"Tll tell you what We'll do" said Mrs.
Gunter. Lets bring all our empty
trunks, boxes, suit cases and band
boxes and put them on the pile"
wouldn't it be mutiny?" asked one
Of the more timid ladies.
"Mutiny! There's no such thing as
mutiny for us. We're not in the army.
Come on"
Every woman rushed to her quarters
and back, she and her older children
carrying articles to swell the majors
pile. When it was so high that they
must be tossed upward to get them in
position it stopped growing, but the
impedimenta was enough to drive a
quartermaster insane.
The next afternoon a smart little
wagon was driven into the fort, and
who should appear on the back seat
but Major Macdonald and Miss Bray
ling! When the officer saw the pile in
front of his quarters his brow dark
ened for a moment; then he broke into
a laugh. Several ladies were on the
parade who fastened to welcome him
back, and he presented his companion
to them as Mrs. Macdonald.
Both the groom and the bride entered
into the spirit of the joke that had been
perpetrated, and, the news spreading
that their commander had returned a
married man, the garrison poured from
their quarters and welcomed him with
cheers. Then all took hold, separating
the additions from the real impedimen-
ia, and carried the latter into the quar-
ters Of the bride and groom.
In the evening all was ready for a
wedding reception, for some Of the
boxes the groom had sent contained