General and Mrs. Bourke are still dazzled by the brilliancy of the new
silver star on the general's shoulder straps, and can still smile.
Faye says very little, but I know that he often frets over his present
monotonous duties and yearns for the regiment, his duties as adjutant
of the regiment, the parades, drills, and outdoor life generally, that
make life so pleasant at a frontier post.
Department Headquarters is in a government building down by the river,
and the offices are most cheerless. All the officers wear civilian
clothes, and there is not one scrap of uniform to be seen any
place--nothing whatever to tell one "who is who," from the department
commander down to Delaney, the old Irish messenger! Each one sits at
his desk and busies himself over the many neatly tied packages of
official papers upon it, and tries to make the world believe that he
is happy--but there are confidential talks, when it is admitted that
life is dreary--the regiment the only place for an energetic officer,
and so on. Yet not one of those officers could be induced to give up
his detail, for it is always such a compliment to be selected from the
many for duty at headquarters. Faye and Lieutenant Travis are on the
general's personal staff, the others belong to the department. Just
now, Faye is away with the department commander, who is making an
official tour of inspection through his new department, which is
large, and includes some fine posts.
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