| Show CUPID IN BOOTS dinner was over and M do preval and his guests had adjourned to tho library there cried suddenly so athla Is your first dinner since you married four months ago confess now that it has been pretty jolly it certainly has been replied tho master of alio bouso amiably and the fact that you fellows arc here Is the only consolation I 1 feel tor my cifes absence oh come that sounds extremely well for a man who vowed never get married fess up now and tell us bow you came to it willingly I 1 was married because ot iny boots allm you make such a poor excuse as that cried one of bis friends comfortably installed on the sofa wo wont ask why you were married but do tell us why you gave up the army when you have dono nothing but swear that tho military service was he finest of all and that be shot before you left it why did I 1 leave tho armat do preval with ahe same enigmatical 1 I act it because of my boots polite to make tun of your guests arlod another man carefully aiming a dofa pillow at his host thank you said de Pc reval promptly sitting on the cushion but im not making tun I 1 assure you not in the least it is the gospel truth 1 I left the army and waa married because of my boots if my wife were here she would tell you it Is the truth but so long as you have asked me ill tell you the atory it will just about last out your cigars about ten months ago I 1 was sent to tho garrison at it was a deadly place in my estimation and my superior officer kept going off on one leave after another leaving the men in my command 1 I promptly hastened to turn them over to my second lieutenant and spent most of my clr e running about the country and visiting the neighboring city in a garrison as email as ours there was very little rivalry and all the men were on terms of good friendship we were very strict about all matters of dress but I 1 noticed won after I 1 arrived there that all the men wore enormous square toad boots 1 I was destined later on to learn the reason for this strange fashion personally so nally 1 was rather proud of my own feet and always wore pointed boots tho best I 1 could get and I 1 saw no reason why I 1 should wear the regulation boots which were at least five sizes to large but one day at the club one of the captains caught sight of my boots and said laughingly those boots will get you into trouble some day young man im astonished old fatness said anything about them old fatness was our commanding officer and an excellent man but one who allowed no infringement of rules among his men he set the example himself and although a mounted officer wore boots that were regular canal boats he suffered at times from indigestion and his temper was then execrable otherwise he was very pleasant one afternoon the captain being at the barracks I 1 had prepared to go off lor the rest of the day and was waiting dressed in my best for my train when I 1 saw our commander approaching pro aching a terrible frown on his face what does this mean be roared why arent you dressed according to regulations I 1 never saw such ridiculous boots you march a toot go and change them at once but air I 1 protested growing angry and hearing my train whistle in the distance these boots are regulations sir and besides I 1 any others regulation fiddle sticks not another man in the barracks wears lucli things you may consider yourself under arrest tor tour diya d iya that will give you time to procure some different boots before you come out on parado again and he turned his back and walked off furious at losing my evening I 1 strode back to the club for din ner and thence to my solitary room on the way I 1 passed a simple private was with a pretty little nurse absorbed in hla declarations tho soldier passed without saluting seizing the first opportunity for venting my wrath I 1 called to him and reprimanding him severely told him to report tor faur daya police guard and biot noticing hla entreaties I 1 passed at dinner I 1 plated iny unfortunate adventure and the captain who bad warned me before said seriously 1 I told you what to expect I 1 suppose you think that wo all wear these enormous boots for the fun of it but lell you something now that you know before old fatness is a worthy but iio hag terrible tamea with MB feet and ho suffer from all sorts ot bunions and corns the worst ever he la obliged to wear sheea and moro than that special and on this account he la sure to be retired before he reache the height of bis ambition H knows this and consequently cannot endure to eee any one with mall boota on and when his blue devalt join a fit of arrests fly thick I 1 can tell you you bilm at a bad time that la au may the devil fly away with bin old feet I 1 I 1 exclaimed thinking regretfully gret fully of the lost pleasures 0 tho evening you nay be ture I 1 will order a tremendous pair of bookal the laughed ironically and I 1 went to bay room AB oon as I 1 entered my orderly told me that a laudy wout waking to eee me in the parlor I 1 hurried there and bowed to the moat the moet ideally beautiful young girl I 1 bad ever been she was no flesh and blood creation but a living ray of sun shine 1 I have come to ask a favor of you eho began blushing my name la mile do D this after noon you rave four day guard duty to a poor little private who was walking with my maid whom he Is to marry as soon as his time is up within six weeks ho was going on leavo to publish the banns in his tillage and now your punishment will keep him here and bis marriage must be postponed two or tour weeks 1 I have como to ask you to him for I 1 am much interested in this and but I 1 interrupted her anything in my power selle I 1 eald and striking the bell I 1 hastily wrote a few lines and gave them to tho orderly lolling him to see that the sergeant relieved the fellow immediately thank you with all my heart said the young lady as she arose I 1 live with my aunt and wo will bo very glad to see you at our house on any saturday afternoon then she went out and the room was dark because of her abonce the next morning old fatness sent for me sir he said yesterday you inflicted tour days punishment on a soldier ano had not saluted you today you strike k oft will you have the goodness to tell me why 1 I am sure the fellow did not see me sir I 1 replied determining to tell the truth and I 1 punished him to vent my wrath over the four days arrest you had just given me then I 1 found it was a poor way to act and I 1 countermanded term my order it struck me as useless to speak of tho visitor I 1 had had the commandant smiled his digestion was evidently all right that morning that was my own state of mind when I 1 ordered you under arrest sir lie said courteously permit me to profit by the lesson you have involuntarily given me and consider your arrest at an end lie aavo mo hla hand and I 1 retired really touched then recalling it was saturday I 1 went to call on mile do B and her aunt this Is the end of my story gentlemen mile do B became madame do preval and I 1 retired from the army in order to bo more entirely with her so was I 1 not right when I 1 told you that he reason was boots |
