Smith was
his enemy. Whichever way he voted as President, the Major could be
depended on to go against his decision. There was a feud between those
two hot-tempered fire-eaters which had lasted for years. He glanced at
his future son-in-law with a smile of assured victory. Tom Smith would
vote against him, but the trembling youngster who had quailed before him
that night asking for his daughter's hand was practically in the family.
He smiled at the certainty of downing Smith once more.
In a voice, whose tones left nothing to the imagination of the
presumptuous Second Lieutenant, the Colonel growled:
"Gentlemen, we are asked to allow an officer to sit in the formal
judgment of a court-martial without uniform--I put the question to a
vote and cast mine. No!"
"I vote yes!" shouted the Major.
The Colonel did not condescend to look his way. He knew what that vote
was before he heard it. He bent his piercing eyes on his future
son-in-law:
"Lieutenant Davis?"
There was just a moment's hesitation. The Lieutenant smiled at his
embarrassed young fellow officer and mildly answered:
"I think, Colonel, in view of the distance to St. Louis, we may excuse
the young man for the first offense--I vote--yes."
The old Colonel stared at him in speechless amazement.
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