ing the
thick Smyrna rugs in the centre of his study.

His alert ear heard a whispering in the corridor. He discerned the
soft tread of nimble feet on the hall carpet, and then there was a
knock at his door.

That must be Frau Leimann, he thought to himself, for she frequently
paid him hasty visits at the afternoon tea hour, because at that time
her husband used to go to the "_Daemmerschoppen_."

To his "Come," however, a poorly clad woman with a basket on her arm
stepped over the threshold. Her youthful face showed already the
unmistakable stamp which care and sorrow had imprinted on it, and she
gazed shyly at the officer who had remained standing in the centre of
the room, whence he eyed his visitor with undisguised displeasure.

"And what is it you want again, Frau Meyer?" he blurted. "I've told
you once before that I will give you no more washing to do."

"I beg the Herr First Lieutenant will excuse me, but I wanted to ask
whether I cannot have to-day those forty marks, or at least a part of
them. I badly need money, for my husband has been lying sick for three
weeks past and is unable to work."

"Oh, bother!" replied Borgert, roughly. "Come back to-morrow night; I
have no small change about me, and I haven't any time to spare."

"But I hope you will keep faith with me this time, Herr First
Lieutenant; you have promised so often to pay me."

With that she diffidently opened the door and left, but Borgert undid
one of the windows and let the pure autumn air stream in. The odor of
these poverty-stricken wretches was insupportable to him. Disgusting!
He took from a carved cabinet on the wall a large perfume bottle, and
sprinkled a good portion of its contents upon the costly rugs and the
upholstery of his furniture. Then he rang the bell for his servant.

The man stepped in briskly. It was Private Roese, whom the captain no
longer wanted in the front, since he had proven unreliable, and with
his deficient conceptions of military discipline would only be an
injury to the squadron.

"What did I order you to do, you swine?" the officer shouted.

"I was to let nobody in without being announced," answered Roese with
diffidence; "but the woman passed me by, and I could not hinder her
from going in."

"Then throw the carrion out, thou sloppy beast! The first time
somebody is let in again without my consent, I'll cowhide you within
an inch of your life!"

In saying which, he struck Roese with both fists in the