Trooper Tales — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

82 Two Women and a Soldier. cially between an enlisted man and a commissioned officer of a troop. The fact is well known that it is a breach of military etiquette for an officer to affiliate with a man in the ranks. It is infinitely worse than a breach for an . oflicer’s daughter to do this. Unfortunately, the laws of nature are mightier than army regulations, and ever since the world has been made merry and sad by human attachments, young girls have become desperate over handsome men. Captain Bishop, the troop commander, was one of the best pistol shots and one of the worst drunkards in the army. Very natural it was for such a man to have a pretty daughter. It was very natural, also, for Private Venning to be chosen orderly the first time he mounted guard. His hose and equipments were perfect; his cloth- ing was new and fitted him; in short, he was the best looking soldier in the detail. And the best looking sol- dier is usually chosen for orderly. Now, it is the duty of the orderly to shadow his com- manding officer, to keep his chest thrown out, his chin drawn in, and his mouth shut—and to obey orders until relieved. Among other minor things which Venning did the next day was to stand “at attention” for four hours in a downtown café, while old Bishop waxed con- vivial toward himself and lenient toward men and things. During the last hour the troop commander became so popular that he felt called upon to buy drinks for every- body in the house, with the exception of his orderly, of course. It would be decidedly unsoldierly for an offi- CORMIElDOOL<S ((0)