The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

THE OTHER TRENT. ‘“T suppose the present colonel will re- tire to yield his place to a better man,” he said. “There is no colonel at present,’”’ Hart- ley explained. ‘‘ The regiment is tempor- arily in command of a major from the regu- lar army. That is why I have been invited to take the command.” ‘“Invited—to take—command!” echoed the judge utterly aghast. ‘“ You can’t mean it! Invited by whom?” ‘‘ By persons with the authority to trans- act such business,” was the disappointing answer. Waring grew suddenly serious. “Your various whims, Hartley,” he said, ‘are astounding in their extravagant ab- surdity. I implore you to abandon this new one before you make yourself ridicu- lous before the public. It is no smail mat- ter to buy your way to the command of a regiment, and then let people discover that you are not qualified to command a cor- poral’s guard.” ‘““T beg to correct you in one or two errors,” Hartley replied: ‘“‘ For one, you should know that military honors are not bought nowadays; they are awarded, for merit! As for my being qualified for such a position, you assume rather too much authority in judging for yourself. I am not under your authority in that respect, you know.” “‘ But you ave in certain other respects, I belfeve,” Waring retorted a little testily. “IT have not the power to forbid you to make a perfect idiot of yourself, and I can- not easily confine your wild expenditures to any reasonable amount; but I cap cur- tail your income to prevent you, in a meas- ure, from financing the National Guard. I dare say that you have promised to build that regiment a new armory, or do some- thing equally magnificent; otherwise, I am- quite sure that you would not be invited to be its colonel. In spite of the dreams of the idealists, money still talks. ‘TY have kept myself quite decently out of sight, as the guardian and trustee of your fortune,” he went on sternly, “ but you may force me to come out in the open. I may be compelled to announce publicly that the distinguished colonel of the Thirty- 101 first Infantry is practically my ward, and that I find myself obliged to cut down his spending money.” “And I, in turn, might then be forced to ask the courts to decide the matter,” said Hartley. ‘1 might have to explain, you see, that my misguided father ap- pointed for me a most unreasonable guard- lan. You were to give me control of my estate when I, in your judgment, was suf- ficiently mature to use it wisely, but I find that to you maturity is a thing to be asso- ciated with old age and senility.” “Tt is a pity,” said Waring a little more calmly, ‘‘ that we clash so frequently, when I have nothing but your best interests at heart. Well, I won’t argue with you, but IT shall not permit you to run wild, Hartley. I indulged you in that idiotic whim about persecuting the fellow who wore your name in public. To me, that took on the color of an interesting experiment, and it did not involve a million dollars, I dare say that notion is forgotten now, for you never ride two hobbies at once.” ‘“ Nothing of the sort!” snapped Hartley. ““T told you to keep your man at work on that case until the fellow came to terms or disappeared. And now, don’t you see, the thing is even more serious? The Thirty- first is the very’ regiment that the rascal enlisted in, when that absurd newspaper story came out. Well, can’t you see that I will not have him in that regiment? It would be a sad joke to have Colonel Hart- ley Stuart Trent and Private Hartley Stuart Trent in the same regiment! ““T must say, Judge,” he ‘went on sul- lenly, “that your clever young Mr. Hal- lock has hardly fulfilled your estimate of him. There seems to have been no end of talk and correspondence, but only a devil of a mess to show for it! What have you accomplished? Why, the brazen ruffian sénds word by the clever Mr. Hallock that he will agree not to harm me if I return to the city!” “At least it enabled you to return,” murmured Waring, who could not resist the temptation thus offered. ‘‘ Don’t refer to that again!” cried Hart- ley, losing his temper. ‘‘I explained that fully to you. I certainly wouldn’t change oO Comicbooe S CO