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Show , j . Military Honors A STORY WITHOUT A MORAL BY O. A. KENNEDY Thry are telling S f'.ory In railroad circles with a military color and, per-, haps, a moral. It hfimo necessary for a certain group of distinguished gentlmont to travel from New York to San Francis-I co during the recent world's fair In. the California city. They traveled In a private car, well equipped wirh nil manner of comforts and luxuries and not th least of the luxuries was a colored portir, of the j strictly Pullman type, nann d Sam. Soon after the partv hoarded the car. Sarn made the discovery that one of the distinguished gentlemen was known to his friends as "Colonel"! and he promptly accorded his passenger pas-senger f-.iii military honors. However, h" also noted that the Colonel was the onlv one of the party who filled to hand him a tip. All the others hft.1 "come across, " som With quartern, quar-tern, others wflh half dollars and a few with dollars. But the colonel seemed to belong to an antl-tlpplug society Half way out to Chicago Sam had occasion to pass around liquid refreshments re-freshments and when he said. "I hope yo' likes the way I mixes 'em. Kun-nel,' Kun-nel,' He thought sure that an ac-knowlodgment ac-knowlodgment of a pecuni&ry nature WOUld be forthcoming, bnt it was not. Somewhere west of Chicago, Rim wns busy making up the berths. The colonel had complained of insufficient bedding the night before. As he passed down the aisle. Sam called after him. Ts puttin' a extra blanket on yo' ixid tonight. Majah." Tiie Colonel grunted, but gave no other fign of appreciation He retained re-tained the rank of major until Omaha was pessedi then Sam electrified the party by deliberately addressing him as "Captain " A council of war was held In the smoking compartment where, amidst much hilarity, the colonel announced "I know what's the trouble I have not tipped Sam. and I'm not going to until this trip is ended - "Then yon will be a second lieutenant lieuten-ant l-.ni: before we see California." he was told. Put he refused to relent ar.d as the train was passing Devil's Slide In Echo canyon and all the pr-.r'v had crowded to the windows on one Hide of the car; Sam came up to the colonel and sild. "I guess deso Is yo gloves I done pick up on the flo'. lieutenant." As soon as Sam had passed out of hearing the co!onl shook the gloves at his fellow passengers nnd said, "You chaps are putting him up to this, hut I'll not be bulldosed by him, or you, eltner," and he stood pat. At Ogden he sent Sam out for a telegraph blank. Sum returned shortly short-ly and handed thc blank to him wi;h these word3: "Here yo' Is. Sirgeant" The colonel was so frustrated that he could hardly compose his telegram. The next morning at Reno, on a dare from one of the p.;rty. he requested some service from Sam. and Sam smiled cheerfully and said. "AH right, Corporal 1 Better dig up now, Corporal," said his friend, "before vou are reduced to the ranks." Put he was firm and allowed the other passengers to call him "corporal" during the remal-vi'-r of the trip Thc train at last was nearlng Oakland where a reception committee would hoard the car The colonel called the porter and a ij "Sam I'll have my shoes shlned. They are looking a little rusty." Sam was very thoughtful while performing per-forming thexi )a: l rites and wh-'n he had finished with the shoes he applied ap-plied the broom to the colonel s clothes and wound up with brushing his hat The colonel took the hat from Sams hands and fished up a five dollar gold piece from lis pocket "Have you any change. Sam"' he asked. "I sure has. Corporal." said Sam. producing a coin pouch about tie ..7.e of a marker basket. "How much''" "Well," said the Colonel, handinr over the coin, give mo back a -quarter DUt of th.it for carfare and keep the rest." Sam promptly went to plcc. He dropped the coin sack and humped his bead on a car seat stooping fori It. h :i he rec verc-d Ills coin and poise he Raid humbly. "Here ts yo' quartan, Qlneral and l se a thousand times obliged to yo'." I Thus the colonel not only regained j all his lost titles, but received promotion pro-motion on the field of battle i And perhaps there was no moral. I after all. J |