I A CLOSE SHAVE FOR THE LIEUTENANT
LIEUTENANT ROBERT
FIRST KAVANAUGH was
pacing up and down bis narrow
quarters in Fort Grady , Michigan ,
holding a 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 ill. Stay indefinite. Norah Des
mond. "
- Lieutenant Bob Emmett and Norah
Desmond were engaged. They were to
be married as soon as a-few accommo
dation superior officers would consent
to be killed off or die in their beds
and thereby give Bob a chance to
twrite captain instead of lieutenant be
fore his name on the official papers.
Tne young officer had fixed the limit of
'his ' waiting at about a year.
"Norah's going to Florida , " he mut
tered to himself. "I 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
who never gets well , and Norah'll stay
down there until the old man is willing
jto let her go. She's more of a stickler
* for duty than Old Muggs , the com
manding officer , and that's saying a
lot He won't give me a leave ; I've
had too many. Great Winfield Scott ,
'but I would like to see Norah before
'she goes. And Lieutenant Robert Em
mett Kavanaugh sighed.
Bob Kavanaugh couldn't keep any
thing to himself , and in five minutes
he was telling his woes to Captain Per-
'I TOOK A SHOT AT HIM. '
cy Lanyard , of the artillery corps.
"Brace up , Kavanaugh , " said Lanyard ;
"Muggs is going to send a general pris
oner through Chicago to Fort Sherman
to stand trial. He was going to send
a sergeant in charge. It isn't a very
pleasant duty , but if you'll volunteer
I think Muggs will send you , and you
can stop off on your way back from
Sherman It is only a few miles from
Chicago and see your blue-eyed Norah
before she gets on the Florida lim
ited. "
Twelve hours from that time Bob
Kavanaugh was sitting in a smoking
car on a Chicago-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 a soft heart The sol
dier at his side had seen eight years
of service and had never been in trou
ble before. He had assaulted-the "tep"
sergeant ; a serious offense in the army ,
as may go without saying.
; "Cheer up , Spencer , " said the lieuten
ant ; rtyou've been a good soldier , as I
know , and I don't think it will go very
hard with you six months at the most
and then you'll be restored to duty. "
, "I hit him all right , lieutenant , " an-
'swered Private James Spencer , "and
he deserved it , if ever a man did/but
youcan't do such things in the army ,
no matter what the 'top' says to you ,
-and so I'm good for two years and a
'bobtail' discharge. It's tough. I never
saw the inside of the 'mill' before in
my eight years' service , except when
I was on guard. "
Part of a freight train went into the
ditch ahead of the Fort Grady pas
senger train. Kavauaugh and his pris
oner were delayed five hours. The lieu
tenant fumed and said things under his
breath , finally the way was cleared
and1 the tmin ran on to Chicago. It
was Thursday , and in four hours No
rah's train would leave for Florida.
It was utterly impossible for the officer
to get his prisoner to Fort Sherman
and to return in time to say good-by to
his fiancee.
Kavanaugh. and his charge stepped
roni the train into the Chicago depot.
'Bob's heart was sore. "I must see
. her , " he said to himself. "I can't
stand it for six .months. " At that In
stant he saw at the depot cigar stand ,
making a purchase , Jack Bacon , a Chicago
cage clubman and an intimate friend.
Kavanaugh hurried his charge over to
ward the young fellow. "Jack , old
, - man , glad to see you. You have an
hour or two to spare , I knowyou have ;
don't say no , " and with this the Heu-
tenant 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 a $2 bill before the
clerk and ordered a room. He hurried
the astounded .lack Bacon and the
prisoner fnto the apartment on the
second floor. , , .
" .lack , " fnid Kavanaugh , in a low
tone , 'as you loye me , watch this man.
I must'Sse'e Corah Desmond. She's off
for Florida. Take this gun and don't
fail me , " and with that First Lieuten
ant Robert Emmett Kavanaugh shoved
a revolver into Jack Bacon's hand ,
bolted through the door out of the ho
tel and on to a trolley car. In twenty
minutes he was with Norah Desmond ,
who was in the midst of the last hour
of preparation for her Florida trip.
In twenty minutes more the door bell
of the flat rang violently. The maid
opened it , and in rushed Jack Bacon
flushed and fairly beside himself.
"Bob , " he yelled , "your prisoner
skipped. He kicked open a door into
the next room and jumped on to a
low roof and then into the alley. I
took a pot shot at him , but missed ,
and when I got down he was clean
gone. "
Bob Kavanaugh sank into a chair ,
his face pale. "Norah , " he said , "this
means court-martial and dismissal for
me unless I can catch the fellow. It's
a clean case of neglect of duty , awful
neglect of duty , and Old Muggs doesn't
love me too well , anyway. It's all up ,
dear , if I don't get him , and if I'm
kicked out of the army I don't know
what I'll do. I can't even dig a 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
door and down the stairs four steps
at a time.
* * * * * * *
Over on Halsted street in a room
above a store a pretty , pale' girl sat
talking to a soldier in uniform. "It's
all up , Polly , " he was saying. "I hit
the 'top' sergeant He deserved it but
I was put in arrest and was to be tried ,
and it meant two years. I just cut
away from a 'cit' whom the officer
who had me in tow left me in care of.
The officer went to see his girl. I
guess he's in love , or he wouldn't have
done such a fool trick. Well , I'm in
love , too , Polly , dear , but I've got to
get out of this as soon as I can get
other togs on. "
"Oh , this is awful , Jim , " said the
girl , "and you'll be a deserter , too. "
"I won't get any more for that than
I'll get for the other. I don't like the
idea any better than you do. I guess
the officer'll get it harder than I will.
It's neglect of duty with him , and
that'll kick him out of the service. I'm
sorry for him , for he isn't half a bad
sort" Then , suddenly changing the
subject , the soldier asked : "How's
your mother ? "
"Better , Jim , but she'd have died if
It hadn't been for Miss Norah Des
mond. She's an angel. I had to stop
work to nurse mother , and the money
gave out and I got sick , and Miss No
rah gave us a nurse and a doctor , and
did lots else. I think she saved my
life , too. "
"Norah Desmond , Polly ? That's the
name of the girl the lieutenant I cut
from is to marry. He'll be disgraced
and the girl will suffer. She saved you
and your mother , did she , Polly ? Get
on your things , quick. She leaves for
Florida. I know the train. The lieu-
tenaut'll be there , I know that. Hurry ,
girl. "
Lieutenant Robert Emmett Kava
naugh was kissing Norah Desmond
good-by. His face was pale and anx
ious. "I'm afraid it's all up with me ,
Norah , " he was saying , "but keep up
a good heart"
Just then from behind him came a
voice loud and with something of a
ring of humor in it "Sir , are all pres
ent and accounted for ? " Kavanaugh
turned like a flash. There stood Pri
vate Spencer , saluting with his right
hand , while his left was holding that
of a very pretty girl.
"Spencer , you're a brick , " said Kav-
inaugh , and nothing but army training
kept him from slapping his inferior
on the back. "I'll use every official
friend I have to get you out of your
scrape. "
A year later in pleasant quarters at
Fort Grady sat Captain Kavanaugh
and his wife. "Norah , " he said , "First
Sergeant James Spencer has applied
for a furlough to go to Chicago to
set married. Shall I approve the ap
plication ? "
"Bob , if you don't , " said Norah , with
her eyes dancing , "I'll get a divorce. "
Chicago Record-Herald.
Her Reason.
Doctor Porter had responded to a
note left at his door by a farmer , ask
ing him to go as soon as possible to
see his little boy , who had "a verry
bad cold. "
The doctor took one look at the child
and turned to the mother.
"Don't you know your boy is coming
ioAvn with measles ? " he asked'severe
ly.
"Yes. doctor , I knew he was , " said
the wonan.
"Then what in the world did you
mean by writing me he had 'a verry
bad cold ? " asked the doctor.
The woman hesitated for a moment ;
then , looking at her husband , she said ,
svith sullen frankness , "Neither him
aor me knew IIOAV to spell measles. "
A Dream of Bliss.
Dora Wouldn't it be lovely if we
md $35,000,000 ?
Clara Of course.
Dora Perfectly heavenly ! This book
jn "Facts and Figures" says a ton-of
liamonds can be bought for that New
fork Weekly.
Husband ( angrily ) I never saw a
ivoman as hard to please as you arc.
Wife , ( calmly ) My dear , j'out forget
that 1 married you.
FREED BY A MANIAC.
Telephone Lineman Passes a
Unpleasant FCTV Minuses. (
An old lineman lately told of a try
ing experience which came to hiiq
while he was hunting for a break in
the telephone connection between thq
main office and the insane hospital at
Indianapolis. He had followed the
| line all the way out , and found that
the difficulty lay between a forty-foot
j pole and the telephone in the men's
building. As he passed along he no
ticed several "trusties , " guarded by
their keepers , working in the garden.
I had to climb a tree in an isolated
part of the yard , he said , to unfasten
J a wire that had become entangled in
i a limb. I connected my test set and
called up the wire chief and explained
the case to him. With the work and
the talk perhaps I was in the tree
twenty minutes.
I was on the point of dropping from
a lower limb to the ground when 1 saw
a crazy man waiting for me with a
large pruning knife in his hand. He
was one of the gardeners whom I had
passed.
"Come down ! " he cried. "I know
you. You stole my five thousand del
'
lars. Give it back , or I'll kill you. "
And when he saw me hesitate and
draw back he yelled : "Come down ,
or I'll come up there after you ! "
I scrambled higher into the tree and
shouted for help , but none came. The1
madman found a heavy board , and ,
placing it against the tree , started to
climb up ; but in his hurry and ex
citement he did not place it securely ,
and when he was about half way up it
slipped and he went sprawling to the
ground. He tried it three times with
the same result Then another inmate
ca-uie sauntering by , and at once took
a hand in the game. He held the
plank for the other man , who soon
made good headway.
At that instant I bethought me to at
tach my test set and sumiuon help
through the office.
"Call up the insane hospital , " I
called , "and tell them to send help
to me in the garden ! There are two
lunatics after me , and one of them has
a long knife. Hurry ! "
I looked down then , and saw that
the maniac was in the tree. When
just below me he seated himself on
a limb , and , drawing the knife back
and forth across his palm , said : "Look )
Won't it cut ? "
He started toward me , and had one
hand on my foot , and I had raised the
other to kick him , when several keep
ers rushed up. Two of them climbed ,
the tree , and just as he raised the
knife to strike they reached him and
threw a rope round him. So intent
was he on getting at me that he did
not see them , and was easily taken.
TOMMY ATKINS OF JAPAN.
Soldier of the Mikado .Esthetic Even
Uurinjj a Battle.
If the British Tommy Atkins wera
to study the character of his Japanese
brother-in-arms he would
- - undoubtedly
pronounce him a queer fish. Hia
most striking characteristic is , peri
haps , his gentleness and his esthetic *
ism. I have seen privates walk hand
in hand like little school girls to cer
tain famous Iris gardens situated at a
distance of , perhaps , seven or eight
miles from their barracks , pay for ad *
inittance , admire the Irises for hours
and go home again , having tasted al ]
the day nothing stronger than weal $
tea , says the Japanese Times.
At intervals during the hottest fight *
Ing in China in 1900 the Japanesq
soldier hastened to unfold the faq
which he carried with him and to fan
himself. Even in his looting he wag
esthetic , for the objects he brought
away with him , when he did bring
anything away with him , and that
was , of course , very seldom , were brici
a-brac whose value the Avestern sold *
ier could not appreciate. A marked
difference between the Japanese sold *
ier and the British lies in the fact
that , while King Edward's uniform hag
notoriously an attraction for nursesj
and general servants , the mikado'g
uniform possesses no such fascination.
I have folloAved long processions of
conscripts to barracks , but have never
seen a girl waste a glance on them ,
and during a residence of three and
a half years in this country , I havq
never seen a soldier "walk'ng out" a
girl. It is different Avith sailors , who
get more opportunity of seeing for *
eign countries and improving their
manners.
Oiiy One "Wellington.
That was a graceful compliment ,
which was paid to the Duke of Wel
lington 'by Queen Victoria. Not every
one recalls the fact that a certain style
of high boots , not commonly worn now :
adays , bore the name of Wellington !
When the duke was prime minister
he once visited Windsor Castle to con-
suit Avith the queen on an important ;
state matter. The day was damp , felt
leAving a heavy rain , and as the duke
left the castle her majesty remarked ,
"I hope your grace is well shod ? "
"Oh , " said the duke , "I have on a
pair of Wellington's , and am proof
against dampness. "
The queen retorted , "Your grace
must be mistaken. There could not
be a pair of Wellingtons. "
New Motor Omnibus.
An excellent motor omnibus has just
made its appearance in London and
from the .moment that its speed , relia
bility and comfort are proved that
utter abomination of locomotion , the
bus , the despair of all students of traf
fic problems , is doomed.
The Candid Editor.
"You ask me to criticise your poem. "
wrote the editor , "and I am frank5
to say that I found nothing in it but
six stampsAtlonta Constitution ,
CORN BREAD.
Its Old-Time Delectable Qualities Made
of Meal Water-Ground.
A dispatch from Chicago state that
"Aunt Jemima , " alias oja js Moody ,
the old colored cook who Av-t-nt to the
Paris exposition , and at tot i United
States "corn kitchen" th : > \ demon
strated the use of corn meat ! s dead.
For forty years the old Avoninn lived
In Chicago , and was a local celebrity
long before the idea AAas conceived of
taking her to Paris. "Her services in
the corn kitchen are said to haA'e in
creased the annual export of American
corn meal several million dollars , "
says' the special from which we quote.
The last statement Ave are not pre
pared to believe. The Europeans from
time immemorial have been used to
eating cold bread. They do not cook
bread more than once a week ( and in
many parts of the country not nearly
so often as that ) , and AVC all know
that corn bread is not at its best cold.
A man has to be as hungry as the
Confederate soldier was in his normal
state to be Avilling to eat cold corn
bread. The Europeans , as a rule , pos
itively Avill not do it But there is a
groAA'ing demand there for American
corn for food for horses and cattle.
Even here in America , even here in
Virginia , corn bread is not the popu
lar thing it once was : hence Ave think
that this country affords a far more
promising field for the corn bread
"missionary" than Europe does.
Some say the Availing popularity of
corn bread is because the 'Western
iioru noAV so much used in the South
is not as good as the corn raised in
these parts. Others say that it is be
cause so little of the meal IIOAV put
upon the market is "Avater ground"
i. e. . that most of it comes from steam
mills. And , Avhether it be true or not ,
the popular com'iction is that corn
ground by a water mill is A'astly supe
rior to that ground by steam mill. The
explanation offered is that the Avater
mill grinds sloAvly , and the regular and
measured movements of the millstones
do not cause that amount of heat to
"be generated in the grain that is al
ways found in mills of other descrip
tions. Certain it is that many of the
country mills were groAving into dis
use. All over the State abandoned
mills are to be seen. The ruined Avheel
and the useless waterfall present a
picturesque but not profitable sight.
The times have changed , and the
milling business has changed with
them. We do not hope to see the
country mill restored to its former
prominence and usefulness , but it is
possible that the corn pone and cake ,
the "flap-jack. " "batter , " or "egg-
; bread. " "crackling bread , " etc. , may
.come into Arogue again. The delectable
ash-cake requires an open fire and ashes -
! es of oak or hickory things not to be
gotten in cities , and not often in the
country ; but the other forms of corn
bread are easily obtainable and are
healthful and invigorating , and many
persons believe they are antidotes for
dyspepsia. Richmond Times-Dispatch.
What Will the Harvest Be ?
His name is McFadden , and he manipulates -
ipulates the wheel on the "box" ele
vator in the southeast corner of the
'city ' hall , relates the Philadelphia Tele
graph. He dwells in a pretty cottage
out in GermantoAvn , and has a back
yard latent with floricultural possibili
ties.
Somebody with a political pull told
him that Uncle Sain Avould furnish
seeds for the asking , providing the
[ request came through a congressman.
NOAA % McFadclen's servant in the
'house is the Hon. George McCreary ,
who , being new in the business and
an alturist when it comes to serving
his fellow man , responded Avith ala *
crity , and in a marvelotisly short time
the elevator operator received a big
package from the agricultural depart *
ment
On opening the package McFadden'g
delight turned to disgust , for instead
of flower seeds he found seeds war *
ranted to groAv into any knoAvn vege *
table. Included and neatly labeled
Avere cucumber , sweet and "horse"
corn , watermelon , cauliflower , spinach , '
egg plant , carrot and a myriad of
other kinds of seeds.
But McFadden is not Avithout a saA'-
ing sense of humor , and it came to
his rescue in the form of a decision to
mix the specimens , plant them in a
bunch in his back yard , and start a
guessing contest among his friends at
u nickel a guess , the AA'inner to take
all.
all.McFadclen's
McFadclen's guess is succotash.
Telegraph Pole Industry.
Between Chicago and Denver , a dis
tance of 1,030 miles , along one line
of railway , there are 31,500 telegraph
poles , says Arboriculture. They are
set 176 feet apart , or thirty to a mile.
As there are considerable more than
2,000,000 miles of steam railway in
the United States , increasing in mile
age each year .and many roads have
double lines of poles to accommodate
the great number of wires required to
transact the telegraphic business of
the country , there are 8,000,000. poles
in use on raihAay lines.
When to this is added the poles used
by ti-ollej * lines and by telegraph and
telephone companies AVC find an ag
gregate of 15.0UO.OCO poles in use. If i
these should be placed at once it would !
require 250,000 flat cars to transport
; hein ; SlOU locomotives Avould be neces
sary to haul the trains , Avhich if con
tinuous would reach 1,750 miles. If
the poles were placed end to end they
would reach .more than three times
around the earth at the equator.
When a doctor loses a patient and
lie isn't sure of the cause he attributes.
it to a complication of disorders. j
Every young man should cultivate , 4
the habit of listening.It Avill come in
Uandy after marriage :
GET-UPS FOR SUMMER
MANY DIFFERENT MATERIALS
ARE DE RIGUER.
Not in a LORK Time Has Fashion
Sanctioned So Many and So Varied
"Weaves Pine Examples in the Pict
ured Models.
New York correspondence :
IliTE linens art !
rlu > leading mate
rials for midsummer
fashions , though
. 'here i.s a-plenty of
other goods of cur-
r i ? ii t stylishness ,
many of them as
distinctly summery
as the linens. Not
often , indeed , is the
list of indorsed fab
rics so long. Some
depend in. large de
gree for their sea
sonable appearance
upon their delicate
shading or their
whiteness. though
these wool goods are
light , too. if , not as filmy as materials of
the transparency order. Serges , veilings ,
mohairs , canvases and cloths in white
meet the eye on every hand , and the look
of them befits admirably the hottest spell.
Canvas particularly is favored , its vogue
rising superior to the suggestion of rough
ness conveyed by many of its coarse
SUMMER .STYLES FOR THE MAJORITY.
weaves. White gowns of these materials
are marked as brand new by finish of
red , this coming in piping , cording or
stitching. Some of them are set off so
strikingly in this manner as to be a bit
too conspicuous for lovers of quiet ele
gance , but red used on white judiciously ,
and that means in moderate quantity , is
entirely safe a-t least for younger women.
As a parade get-up for town , the combi
nation may not be always suitable , but
for the resorts , whether for herwho
spends all the searon at some summering
place or for a short tripper , it is an ad
mirable selection. Red is similarly add
ed to pongee , appearing in many shirt
waist suits. It then hardly seems so
dainty as in the red on white , but of the
two uses one is no more stylish than 'Uie
other.
Embroideries , laces and ribbons are
employed to embellish such'gowns , and
often the wool goods is combined with a
transparency in some intricate scheme.
Nets richly , embroidered come in for this
mating , and often are beautifully enrich
ed by interweaving of ribbons of har
monious shades. Cape collars are galore ,
SIMPLER ELEQ-&XCE.
atid almost invariably are an improving
addition. Fichus are numerous , too , no
little ingenuity being apparent in the
manner of employing them. Laces are
put on with a lavish hand , and there is
a strong tendency to use them with pen
dants. Pearl , passementerie and jet are
added thus , and some pendants show
neutral riiades. The laces , most'used
are white , though a * surprising amount of
black lace is seen. Dyed laces appear
with impressive frequency , yet have not
come into the general vogue that some of
their uses would sen to warrant. Ruchr
ings constitute a newly stylish enrich
ment of lace , outlining and emphasizing
the pattern of the web.
To tell half the attractiveness of sum
mer silk gowns would be a long chapter *
Choice is not , as is so often the case ,
restricted to a few weaves. Pompadour
silks are a new addition to an already
long list. They are combined with muller
or organdie for summer evening dresses ,
usually in schemes notable for intricacy
and' beauty. Checked silks are more
seen than in early summer , especially m
shirt waist suits. Black and white checks
no longer are the whole showing , blue
and novelty
white
and white , green and
colorings appearing with sound indorse
ment. A new development in making
brightly .color
them appears in the more
ed ones and consists of strappings of
some bright shade , usually red or green ,
accompanied by touches of gilt m but
tons or passementerie , the trimmings ar
ranged in military finish. This last should
be taken with the caution that the mili
tary finish should be a suggestion only.
Don't imitate the real soldierly get-up
closely That isn't what the styles now
indorse Taffetas of delightfully soft
skirt-and-three-
in
texture are much used
qnarter-coat suits. Black is a good
choice. Silk grenadines are in pleasing
variety , the figured ones making a rare
ly tasteful showing , ard making possi
ble splendid results for the skillful choos
er of colors in their trimmings. - Foulards
are coming for more use than it seemed
they would have. Satin broclie foulards
are fine enough to deserve a place on the
stylihL list , and they are getting it The
wonder is at the apparent reluctance
with which women took them up.
Between the dressy and the elaborate
summer get-up there is the strongest pos
sible contrast Taken separately or to
gether , they do not supply any indica
tion of that return to simplicity that has |
been rumored for several seasons. Cer
tainly most women would prefer to seel
the highly wrought fashions retained i J
only their purses would permit Models , '
from both grades -were sketched for these' ]
pictures. The gown of the small illustra-j
tion was heavy red linen , and had a cluny' '
lace collar finished with white tassels.
From left to right in the next picture see
a light gray voile banded with black silk
and finished with gray cord ; a white
etamine . embellished with black velvet ,
guipure and seed pearls , and a white
voile showing white passementerie de
sign trimming and white silk cord orna
ments. In the concluding picture are"
simpler designs ; a white habutai silk ,
tucked and showing Valenciennes Inser-
tion , and a ivliite etamine whose loose
jacket was finished with yak lace and ]
silk cord ornaments. Severely plain ]
models can be had by those wio want
them , but to u.c such when some degree
of dressiness is called for is to run dan
ger of seeming indifferent to fashion's
rulings.