“Why—why—by watching them, I suppose,” replied Mary Louise.
CHAPTER III
DANNY DEXTER
They walked through the thronging crowds to the other side of the little city where the main activity was now located.
Here the soldiers were erecting their tents, arranging their personal belongings, preparing for their brief stay—for here they were sworn into the service, and here they hoped to be immediately mustered out. The great war was over, every man had done his duty, and now they were back again, each one determined to do better both in position and ways than when he had left home.
Dorfield was not large enough to import many workers, therefore the merchants were delighted at the return of its men and impatiently waited until they should he mustered out. All the old jobs were awaiting them, with an advance in wages which had followed the increased cost of living.
There were busy scenes at the cantonment during the next few days while the officers were dismissing the men who were no longer needed by the government.
In a short time all of the returned soldiers were hard at work at their old jobs, except those who were strangers and had no jobs to return to. The government was supposed to attend to these, but the government was lax in its duty, and though the number of such men gradually grew fewer, there were still plenty for Gran’pa Jim and Mary Louise to choose from. But although the girl begged for this or for that one, the old gentleman was particular and suspicious.
“Why, I’d as soon have Danny Dexter as that fellow!” he would exclaim, for Danny Dexter was quite a well known individual by this time. He would sit upon a taut rope, swinging his feet and smoking his pipe all day long, and if he was called upon to do anything, he was absolutely unresponsive. Both in skin and clothing he was dirty and untidy. But he was a cheery, smiling youth, and the more Mary Louise saw of him the better she liked him.
As the encampment faded away, Danny Dexter alone remained to say good-bye, and Mary Louise remarked that none left without a shake of Danny Dexter’s hand.