Trooper Tales — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

Two Women and a Soldier. 83 cer to drink in the same place with his orderly. Old Bishop was never unsoldierly. The result was that Venning became ugly and white; in the first place, because a deep gash was rent in his pride, and, secondly, because he lost his supper. All of which shows he was not cut out for a common soldier. Had Venning possessed the proper spirit of an orderly, he would have rejoiced over his dry outing, and been proud that his captain trusted him to the extent of dis- playing his weaknesses before him. It can be readily seen how culture and education spoils the good soldier inaman. Finally, Venning received the barely articulate order to take his captain back to the post. There was a look upon his handsome face which was far from agreeable while the orderly helped his superior officer into a cab. ‘ There had been no Mrs. Captain Bishop since Nellie’s mother died, happy in her husband’s oath of a reforma- tion, immediate and absolute. Nellie was the pretty daughter. It was quite late when the sentry at the entrance of the post grounds challenged the carriage. At this time Venning’s military training only covered a pe- riod of six weeks, and it is not wonderful that he forgot all about it, when the dark-eyed young woman whom he had often seen on parade grounds tripped through the vesti- bule to the front door of the Bishop residence, where he was standing. “Iam Orderly Venning, Miss Bishop,” he said slowly. (E() CONNIE OOK}