She is twenty-three years old and as quiet as an old maid of seventy-five; she wouldn't run away or kick, not even if you was to build a fire under her." This seemed to dispose of the great difficulty in Kettle's mind, when the Sergeant suggested that he would see the milkman that very evening, and at nine o'clock the next morning, he would go to the officer in charge of mounts, and by ten o'clock Kettle, as soon as he had finished washing up the breakfast things and had taken the After-Clap for his airing in the baby carriage, could step down to the recruiting office and enlist.
Everything looked rosy to Kettle.

That night, at dinner, Kettle was radiant and informed Mrs.Fortescue, between the fish and the roast, that he had "done found his duty and was a-goin' to do it." Mrs.Fortescue had some curiosity to know what this new duty of Kettle's was, but Kettle maintained a mysterious silence, only admitting that it would not take him away from "Miss Betty and the baby." Next morning, however, in the cold light of day, the proposition had lost something of its charms for Kettle.

The yellow stripes down his legs did not appear quite so overwhelmingly fascinating.

He remembered that Sergeant McGillicuddy was afraid to ride in the buggy behind the milkman's horse.

Sergeant Halligan did not give Kettle any time to repent of his decision, and promptly appeared at ten o'clock and escorted Kettle to the recruiting office.