A iSXDDY IN KHAKI

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2665, 10 January 1916, Page 7

A STUDY IN KHAKI

THE MAN WHO FOUND HIMSELF (By. Doll Leigh, in tho London. "Daily Chronicle."; The old gentleman witb tho immaculate trousers crinkled lus newspaper before the club fire, , anil Wade, hated him, from his patent leather shoes upwards to his pearl pin. "Don't like this news from the ■ Rilssian front," tho old gentleman. drawled, adjusting'his spectacles and addressing nobody in-particular. "Now, let rue see, their lines of communication " "Oh! confound their lines."' Wado jumped up and strode out of the room. It was the same upstairs. Two men with tho dust of Flanders still upon their jackets, addressed a third: "Wo got) some of the new hand-grenades yesterday, devilish cunning things, corrugated so that " "Hullo, Wade,-" this from a man in the window, "no job yet? Poor old dear, have a drink, anyway." Wade, when he got his step, had married an, heiress and her relations, nuecumbed to the; influence of a rather bourgeois mother-in-law who wanted an estate "managed," had sent in his papers duriug a very .good grouse seasou, incurred the enmity of his colonel for life by so doing, and had been bored stiff ever since. Betty had died, and their first child also.

Two months afterwards England set Ear. hand to the plough with Germany, and transports bearing Wade's regiment and a'liopt ot others slipped their moorings, without fuss or advertisement, and sped across smooth water upon their lawful occasions. , Ho bad tried desperately to get back. Hut' there "were no vacancies at present," although "his application had been noted and ho would be commnni--1 eated with . . etc.; and all the letters "had honour to be, Sir, his obedient- servant." The War Office, eyes with disfavour promising officers who resign their commissions for the llesh pots—and his "confidential reports" had been very good. r i "Speshul! .'. .La to War Edishun. . . . Cavalry in acshuu" . . .'lmps raced along the railing of the Green Park. The next morning, as tlio Piccadilly traffio hummed and throbbed past the club windows, Wade read the snortest of all obituary notices, "Killed in action," mid realised with a bitter' anger that .fivo 'of the best men who ever pushed feet into field boots would no longer touch the bell iu ths wall above his chair. "Five gon%; two senior men; three subs.j don't know them; how will they carry on? Wonder if* the Old Man misses me . . .' wish I could see him. . . .. Great Scott I could it' he done ?" "Why not? , Nothing .to lose" . .. . ha looked round' the empty smokingroom. A company of Guards passed the windows. A yearling from Tattersail's pirouetted on the kerbstone, its groom holding desperately—Horses . . . Men . . . Life!!

, ."Jackson, I want a hundred pounds in" cash, none of your pound notes." Tho Bank Manager raised .deprecatory shoulders and smiled. But had not Wade married an heiress and her relations? Thereafter followed two., heartrending days with officialdom and passports'. "Why. did he'want to go to Boulogne? Had he business there?" "No, an aunt.'. : The Foreign Office ciark raised • incredulous. ; eyebrows. Aunts do not livo at British advanoed bases in any quantity. "Your photograph must be affixed. What did you eay your name was? Smith? I see.' Call again to-morrow, will you?" Late the next night' Wade unstrapped his cabin' trunk .for the third time aud fumbled anxiously about. That saddle was jolly lumpy at the bottom. Would B»me cursed Customs -man haul it out to his undying shame? ' 'Have you anything to declare ?'' No, only some uniform decently dirty from his last icauoeuvres. Can one bribe these Customs men? Would the Embarkatiou Officer at Volkestouo sjwt him? I'errars, they said it was. He had shot with him last year. With these aud a dozen other .pessimisms AVade tossed about until sleep" came. Tho long train bumped into the Harbour station. "Officers, N.G.O.'s, and men right-hand gangway, civilians left," shouted a stentorian voice. "Wade moved instinctively to the right, checked himself, blushing furiously, and moved down tho queue slowly with ordinary mortals. "Show all passports, please." A little trickle of sweat ambled slowly down his spine; . ... ' . He chose a chair on the lee.side, and lit a pipe gratefully. "Strordin'ry x luck aL Victoria . . . most cursory examinationwonder what happens at Boulogne?" " Two captains sat down nest him grumbling at the shortness of ninetysix hours' leave, at their lack of breakfast, at the weather. 'J'lioy eyed tho civilian on their right n little suspiciously and slid imperceptibly into regimental "shop." At the words "49th'Cavalry Division" Wado fell into an exhaustive study of

j magazine, and listened with both • ears. . ' "I hear they've been moved over to us . . . "the 28th lost pretty heavily in oiEcors ill that last scrap; suppose they've come back' to refit. . . ." Whereupon Wade, ' turning in his chair, threw precaution into tho dirty water of the harbour, and unburdened his soul. "But, my dear chap, you run the most awful risk if you've sgaffied," said one at tho conclusion of Wade's rather breathless monologue. "I liavo got my kit with mo," Wade roplied. "All I want is to get somewhero near them; and I don't quite see how to do thai' from Boulogne." - Tho other, officer, his Irish temperament roused by the sporting nature of the journey, leaned forward, and with a tinge of County' Cork in his voice said: "Look here, we're going through in car to-day to our hole in the wall. If you're in uniform wo might paiSs the hotel where .you elect to change your kit, and 'er—well," ho winked solemnly, "brother h'orficer missed the last bus, don't you know—what?" "Thanks," said Wado; "that's deuced good of you." "An officer to see you, sir," said a grimy farrier-sergeant, trying to stifio a grin of delight,'which, despite all his efforts, he felt was climbing slowly across his face. A grey-haired man shifted one leg to tho other under the deal tnblo without looking up, and grunted acquiescence: His face was drawn and , his eyes puffy from lack of sleep, and be continued his study of a map spread before him. Presently he looked up. "Good God, Wade, my dear fellow. .... I have had 110 advice about you through brigade office . .■ . . when did they post you?" "They didn't, sir." "Eh? What's that?" rising suddenly. "I just couldn't stand it any longer, sir. I'vo come on my own. Will yon take me, and apply for me afterwards ?" "Well, upon my soul, you've got a confounded cheek." 'file Colonel checked himself in midroom. "Heaven luio.vs I want ofTe<;ri badly enough," and to h"!jsclf he added, "he's worth threo of those poor chaps ..." ~ "You're an infernal blackguard to impose on me like this. But as • you have found yourself in this v/ay, I can't very well kick you out , . . just now. "You had better carry on, I suppose. . . . We'll write Minutes, about it later." ;