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Cbe alls fWbraeftan
H SKetcb of tbe Unbtan Country.
An Incident Connected With Life at A Western Army Post
IH
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Comanche Jim drove Into the quar
teis about noon one hot, sultry tiny
when the wind was blowing a gale
across tho open prairie, sweeping
clouds of diiBt in Its train. He stopped
his covered wagon In front of tho
store nntl. Jumping out, quickly tied
his horses. The group of soldiers
lounging about the platform of the
store hailed him with hearty delight.
"Hello, Comftnch'! How comin'?"
"Where y' been, Comanche? Ain't
i.ecn you fer a century!"
"How's Comanche Jim?"
The newcomer did not answer for a
moment, but grasping his hat firmly
because of the wind, he sprang nimbly
onto the platform.
Then, "Where's the colonel?" he
asked, hastily nodding to tho various
ones.
"Over In the adjutant's office. What's
up?"
"Nothln'," he said briefly. "Don't
bother me now." Ho wan striding
away when one of tho men straightened
from his reclining position and called
after him.
"I say, Comaiuch'. hear the news?"
Tho other stopped. "Nope. But
never mind, It'll keep." He turned
away again. ""
'I (!-)n't know. You might as well
have It now as later. Why, say, listen
here. Miss Jessie " as the name Co
chancho Jim whirled about. "MIes
Jessie's engaged to the kid and they're
to be married) next week."
The tall, lithe figure of the cowboy,
half Indian, half white man, stralght
oncd stiflly. while a dark red flared be
neath his brown skin. Then he came
back a step.
"What did you say?" he asked quiet
ly. The other shifted his position un
easily. "Why, it's all over the camp
and the colonel confirmed It just this
morning. Nice fellow enough the kid,
though he is a little fly, and1 Miss Jes
sie's well, we all know there's nobody
can compare with her. You need'nt
glare at a fellow so."
Comanche Jim stoodi silent for a
moment, then without a wordi he strode
off townrdi the colonel's quarters.
"Colonel," he addressed' the kindly,
gray-haired man before him, "la this
square about Kid Atherton and and
MIbs Jessie?"
The officer arose and put out his
hand. "Why, Jim, my man, you here
this morning? Supposed you were
miles away, off In' Wyoming Territory.
Heh? My girl's engagement? Why
yes yes, It's true. Quite a nice young
fellow. Known him ever Since he first
came to the Flftyfirst. Guest they're
as-happy as two larks; at least Jetfsic
lookfi it. Only hope Atherton settles
down a little more In the future when
they're married. Guess he will all,
right. Going, Jim? Come back in half
jin hour, then; I've a little matter we
might "
When Comanche Jim reached his
wagon the store was cleared for guard
mount had been sounded and all the
men were off to their duty. He hastily
untied tho team and, Jumping into the
wagon, drove back of the quarters,
over a hill, and down Into a hollow
where a half-destroyed dug-out nestled
amid the tall ranks of prairie grass.
Climbing out, he went around to the
back of the wagon, pulled aside the
curtains of the hood and looked with
in. "Never budged an inch," he muttered
while a dark frown clouded his swarthy
laco. Then he reached In, grasped a
heavy body and lifted It out. It was
Kid Atherton. The features wore
thoso of a young man, handROme, well
formed, but now red and bloated, while
from between tho paited lips the breath
came labored and heuvy. The civilian
coat was worn and ragged, but the
dirty, dust-etained trousers were those
of a soldier In the United States army.
Comancho Jim lifted his burden with
ease, carried it Into tho dug-out and
deposited it upon tho ground. Then
he sat down In I he doorway and si
lently rogarded the form before him.
After several moments, with a sudden
movement, tho figure turned over and
Kid Atherton opened his eyes. They
gazed about vacantly until tlioy en
countered) tbe dfcrk ones of Comanche
Jim regarding him from tb doorway.
Thou ho raided himself on his elbow.
"Oh. isli you," lie spoke a little
thickly at first. "Whast you doln'?"
When you brought mo? Shay, why
don' shu spoak?"
Thrro was no answer.
"Well. yosh. you heh?"
Comanche Jim simply looked nt him.
"Blamed funny " ho looked for a
moment, into the dark face opposite
him, then suddenly his eyes grew puz
zled, he rained his hand to his fore
head, looked ngaln toward the Indian,
then quickly lifted himself to a sitting
position. "My God." ho murmured,
"My God "
"Kid Atherton, 1 won't ask no ques
tions of you and I don't want no ex
planations, neither. Hut I found you
out there," with a jork of his thumb
toward the prairie, "over near the foot
hills with that coat on and dead drunk.
What you wore doln' thcio, or how you
got there I don't ask you, tho' I can
guess. All I got to say Is that I ain't
got much use for thorn kind of fellows
tho kind you look like you belong to.
Deserter ain't in my line."
Tho man before him shuddered and
covered his eyes with his hand, but
Comanche Jim continued, stolidly.
"When I brought you back I was
goln' to hand' you as fast as I could
over to the colonel an' let him an' the
United States settle you as they settle
your kind" He got no further for
Atherton sprang to his feet.
"Hut, my God, man, I was drunk!
I didn't know what 1 was doing. - I
was wild, crazy! Oh, Comanche, you
won't, toll them1 'don't, for heaven's
sake, tell thorn! Think of the dis
grace the horror and and there Is
Jessie!" H stopped, mutely staring
before him.
Comanche had arisen also, his lips
tightened, one hand grasping .the belt
of his leather coat.
"Yes." he Mild, slowly. "There Is
Miss Jessie." A moment's pause and
Comanche Jim continued abruptly.
"Atherton, I won't tell the folks over
to the fort. I won't tell nobody. You're
safe enough with me. But, Kid Ather
ton. I ain't doln' this for you. It's for
her for her, mind you, tho sweetest,
bravest " ho heaved a sigh. "Well,
we'll drop that. I wouldn't care If you
went to the dogs tomorrow. I wouldn't
lift a finger to keep you back, but when
I think of Miss Jessie over there, and
(c colonel, why, I'd do anything for
them. And what you've got to do Is
to brace up and be a man like you were
once before you got to drinkln' your
whlsKey and stuff. Kid Atherton," ho
stepped nearer, "If you marry that girl
and if 1 ever catch you in that low,
hound's position again; if you ever
touch another drop, I'll tell what I seen
last night and today as sure as there's
a God In heaven! Now, get out."
When the last ol Kid Atherton dis
appeared over the top of the hill Co
manche Jim stood motionless and
silent, gazing toward on little cottage
down at the onii of the rovT. uen he
turned hiswaiting team and. mount
in gto the scar of the wagon, turned
his horses' heads in the direction of
the prairie and drove away, over to the
yoming Territory. M. C.
Mr. Brown and His Wife.
(With Apologies to Dickens.)
Mr. Brown was a man. He was not
an ape, nor a champanze, nor an an
gel, nor a tacetious prof., nor a tenor'
Blnger. nor a wearer of red necktle.
No. Mr. Brown was none of these
things. He was a man.
He wore his hat on his head, not In
his hand, but on his head like the man
he wns. He had two eyes, two ears, a
nose, a mouth and a wife. In short he
was just an ordinary man.
He entertained much affliction for his
wife because she was very dear to
him, and this affection was mutual,, be
cause his wife reciprocated it. They
did nol, quarrel nor have differences,
and they wsre very happy because their
life was very pleasant.
Now it happened one day that a dif
ference, arose between Mr. Brown and
his wife. No one could deny that It
was a difference In fact no one at-
tempt to deny it, because no one know
of It except Mr. Brown and1 his wife,
and they did not deny it because they
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were convinced that it was true. It
was a difference over a grammatical
construction, not over the woather, nor
tho cooking, nor the gold standutd, nor
the price of coal, mind you. but over
a grammatical construction.
Mr. Brown was In the wrong. It may
as well be stated at tho outset that
Mr. Brown was In the wrong, for,
since Mrs. Brown was In the right. It
Is only logical to conclude- that Mr.
Brown was in the wrong. He declared
and Insisted and argued that tho word
"than" was, is and will be followed by
the accusative caae, not the nomina
tive, nor tho dative, nor the genltlvo,
mind you, but by the accusative. "You
don't know any more about It than
me," he asseverated, aB he brought his
hand down upon the table with a bang,
thus showing his emotion.
Mrs. Brown answered this statement
quietly, not loudly nor fiercely, but
calmly, thus exhibiting much repose
and strength of character.
"You aro not wiser than I," sho said
placidly, speaking In a calm voice.
They discussed tho question for some
time, and after sovoral hours had
elapsed, a though struck Mrs. Brown.
Why this thought did not strike Mr.
Brown is a matter that must bo left
to the conjecturo of the reader. Suf
fice II to say that the thought struck
Mrs. Brown.
"Let us look it up in a Grammar."
sho suggested gently, and they did so,
thus proving Mr. Brown In the wrong
and Mrs. Brown In tho right.
LET A S.
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