rrepressible
leader in all the frolics and frivolities of his comrades. He had leaped
to popularity from the start. He was full of courtesy and gentleness to
women, and became a pet in social circles. He was frank, free,
off-handed with his associates, spending lavishly, "treating" with
boyish ostentation on all occasions, living quite _en grand seigneur_,
for he seemed to have a little money outside his pay,--"a windfall from
a good old duffer of an uncle," as he had explained it. His father, a
scholarly man who had been summoned to an important under-office in the
State Department during the War of the Rebellion, had lived out his
honored life in Washington and died poor, as such men must ever die. It
was his wish that his handsome, spirited, brave-hearted boy should enter
the army, and long after the sod had hardened over the father's
peaceful grave the young fellow donned his first uniform and went out to
join "The Riflers." High-spirited, joyous, full of laughing fun, he was
"Pet" Hayne before he had been among them six months. But within the
year he had made one or two enemies. It could not be said of him that he
showed that deference to rank and station which was expected of a junior
officer; and among the seniors were several whom he speedily designated
"unconscionable old duffers" and treated with as little semblance of
respect as a second lieutenant could exhibit and be permitted to live.
Rayner prophesied of him that, as he had no balance and was burning his
candle at both ends, he would come to grief in short order. Hayne
retorted that the only balance that Rayner had any respect for was one
at the banker's, and that it was notorious in Washington that the
captain's father had made most of his money in government contracts, and
that the captain's original commission in the regulars was secured
through well-paid Congressional influence. The fact that Rayner had
developed into a good officer did not wipe out the recollection of these
facts; and he could have throttled Hayne for reviving them. It was "a
game of give and take," said the youngster; and he "behaved himself" to
those who were at all decent in their manner to him.

It was a thorn in Rayner's flesh, therefore, when Hayne joined from
leave of absence, after experiences not every officer would care to
encounter in getting back to his regiment, that Captain Hull should have
induced the general to detail him in place of the invalided field
quartermaster