The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-01-19

! Y
| \ZMA/ made a listener take the lib
| " erty Of asking the right to
| ~ reproduce, and so here they
| ~ are given with some slight
change Of name, but with no
change of circumstances
First Lieutenant Robert Emmett Kavanaugh
was pacing up and down his narrow quarters
In Fort Grady, Michigan. holding telegram
In his hand. He had read it twenty times.
but at every second turn in his nervous walk
| he read it again. The telegram was dated
Chicago, and this Is what it said: Leave
| Thursday for Florida Uncle Frank i'll. Stay
| indefinite. Norah Desmond"
Lieutenant Bob Kavanaugh and Norah Des-
mond were engaged. They were to be mar
| rted as soon as few accommodating superior
| officers would consent to be killed OF or die
| In their beds and thereby give Bob a chance
| to write captain instead of lieutenant before
his name on official papers. The young officer
had fixed the limit Of his waiting at about a
year.
'Norah's going to Florida" he muttered to
himself. Il haven't seen her for three weeks
and won't see her for six months to come.
Uncle Frank is one of the kind who never
dies and never gets well, and Norah1l stay
down there until the old man Is willing to let
her 60 She's more Of a stickler for duty than
Old Muggs the commanding officer, and that's
saying lot He won't give me a leave I've
had too many. Great Winneld Scott. but I
would like to see Norah before she goes"
And Lieutenant Robert Emmett Kayanaueh
sighed
kaVanaugh couldn't keep anything to him.
Self, and In five minutes he was telling his
woes 10 Captain Percy Lanyard of the arti-
1ery CORPS Brace up, Kavanaugh," said Lam
yard: "Muggs is going to send a general pris
IN
stand trial. He was going to send sergeant
IN charge It isn't very pleasant duty, but
II you'll volunteer. + think Mugs will send
you, and you can stop of on your way back
from Snerman-1t Is only few miles from
Chlcago-and see your blue-eyed Norah be-
fore she gets on the Florida 1imited.'"
Twelve hours from that time Bob Kava-
naugh was sitting In the smoking car of a Chi
cago bound train, with a big Colt revolver
Strapped around him and an enlisted man.
with a downcast look, sitting alongside of him
Bob Kavanaugh had soft near1. The soldier
at his side had seen eight years of service and
mad never been in trouble before. He had
assaulted the top" sergeant, serious offense
IN the army, as may 60 without saying.
Cheer up, Spencer" said the lieutenant.
you've been good soldier as I know. and
don't think it will go very hard with you
six months at the most-and then you'll he
restored to duty"
Il hit him, all right, lieutenant" answered
Private James Spencer, "and he deserved It II
ever man did. but you can't do such things
in the army. matter what the top says to
you, and so I am good for two years and a
'bobtail discharge. It's tough. 1 never saw
the inside of the mill before in my eight
years service, except when I was on guard"
Part Of freight train went into ditch
ahead of the Fort Grady passenger train
Kavanaugh and his prisoner were delayed five
hours. The lieutenant fumed and said things
under his breath. Finally the way was cleared
and the train ran on to Chicago. 1t was Thurs
day and in four hours Norah's train would
leave for Florida. It was utterly impossible
for the officer to get his prisoner to Fort Sher-
man and to return in time to say good-by to
his flancee.
Kavanaugh and his charged stepped from
the train into the Chicago depot Bob's heart
was sore. II must see her." he said to him
self. Il can't stand it for six months" At
that instant he saw at the depot cigar stand.
making purchase, Jack Bacon a Chicago club
man and an intimate friend. Kavanaugh hur-
ried his charge over toward the young fellow.
Jack old man, glad to see you. You have an
hour or two to spare. know you have. Don't
say no." and with that the lieutenant grabbed
his friend by the arm. mOtioned his prisoner
to walk ahead, and the three went on a half
trot into the Office Of a hotel across the
street Kavanaugh threw 81 bill before the
clerk and ordered room. He hurried the
astounded Bacon and the prisoner into the
apartment on the second floor.
Jack" said Kavanaugh. in a low tone
you love me, watch this man. must see
Norah Desmond She's of to Florida Take
this gun and don't fail me-" and with that
First Lieutenant Robert Emmett Kavanaugh
showed revolver into Jack Bacon's hand,
boted through the door. out Of the hotel and
on to trolley car. In twenty minutes he was
with Norah Desmond who was in the midst
Of the last hours of preparation for her Flor
ida trip.
In twenty minutes more the doorbell of the
fiat rang violently. The maid opened it and
in rushed Jack Bacon. flushed and fairly be-
side himself Bob" he yelled. your prisoner
skipped. He kicked open a door into the
next room and jumped onto a low roof and
then into the alley. I took a shot at him.
but missed and when got down he was clean
gone"
Bob Kavanaugh sank into chair, his face
PALE "Norah' he said. this means court
martial and dismissal for me unless l can
catch the fellow. It's clean case OF neglect
Of duty, awful neglect Of duty, and old Mugs
doesn't love me any too well, anyway. It's
all up, dear. If I don't get him. and II am
kicked out Of the army don't know what I'll
do can't even dig ditch, though I'd try
willingly enough for you But this won't
catch him. I'm off, but I'll be at the train to
say good-by," and Kavanaugh was out Of the