Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-07-01
MY PRESENTIMENT.
West Point "Reminiscences Told BY a
Graduate.

West Point "Reminiscences Ioiu ny y
Graduate.
NY roommate and best friend at West
Point was Fred. AShburtOn. We had
tented together during McClellan's
campaign in West Virginia, and the
friendship begun then has, l am happy
10 say, lasted through life.
Fred is now Colonel and Brevet
Brigadier, and one of the clevereSt
officers In the service; but in his cadet
days he was far from clever; in fact, at
mathematics so dull as 70 be 10 constant
danger OF dismissal, or, as we used 10
say at the Military Academy, OF being
found"
An thought was a FIRST section
man" and Fred an 'immOrtai;' that is,
I was always at the top Of my class and
he at the bottom.
Being his roommate l managed to
pull him through algebra, over difficult
places In analytical geometry, and out
of many dilemma in the calculus; but
when I'm our second class year we tack
led mechanics and stereotOmy the poor
fellow couldn't seem. 10 get 1.-The hang
OF the subject, and made such bad
recitations aud so mary OF them that
when June came aud the annual eXami-
nation stared him in the face he was in
despair.
He studied hard enough, was up after
reveiIle day after day and even after
taps at night, when all itS barracks
were supposed to be asleep. Fred would
hang a blanket over the transom in our
room TO keep the officers from seeing
that he had light, aud worry over the
essons often till break Of day.
To make matters worse, in the early
spring General Corbin, father OF a
classmate of ours, came TO the Point on
4 visit with his family, among the rest
= pretty daughter of seventeen or so,
and nothing would suit Fred but he
must fall in love with Rose Coroin.
He was always frank and outSpoken,
so finding how 10 was with his heart,
Fred went at once 20 the General and
told him.
General Corbin was an officer Of the
old school, and dearly liked franknesS.
He didn't care that Fred's family were
Ia moderate circumstances This father
was a clergyman in Ohio, nor that at
best Fred's standing In the class was
sure 70 be low; but, as he said, IL was
his duty 70 see that the man his daugh-
ter married could support her.
III Rose is willing" he said, cher
mother and I are. When you graduate
and get your commission il will be time
enough TO talk about marrying"
Fred was not the sort Of man to wear
his heart on his sleeve, but he never
kept anything from me.
when graduate" he said, Gloomily.
"Ah. Gil, sometimes l am afraid I'll
never graduate. Oh. il l only knew
what my subject would be at the exami-
nation"
said what could to encourage him,
but, though he studied harder than
ever. 10 was in a hopeless sort OF way,
ard his sleep even seemed to be haunted
with fears for the coming ordeal. He
tossed and turned AID moaned night
after night My subiect-mY sub
Jet
OF course, the record Of daily recita-
tiors throughout the half year counted
for much in fixing a cadets standing,
but. after all, il was the result OF the
June examination that determined his
merit. The cuStcm was TO give TO each
cadet some one especial subject lout oil
several hundred), aud by his proficiency
in that to Judge him.
Some OF these subjects in the high.
er mathematics are more difficult than
one would think, and Fred could hardly
be blamed, with his poor memory Tor
problems, for wishing 20 know what his
was likely TO be.
So the time slipped around TO June,
Fred'S anxiety growing greater day oy
dav, till really began TO fear that
failure would kill him, when the
thought occurred to me that possibly l
might In some way lind out what MS
subject was 10 be.
said nothing to any one, but reason
ed il all cut by myself. Captain Bacon
TOUR Instructor in those braUcheSl was
A very meJhOdiCal man. what more
likely than that ne had prepared a list
of examination papers, and had them
put away carefully somewhere In his
quarters?
After this | began 10 take great in
terest in Captain Bacon's movements
they were even more me-
tbodical than l had supposed. HIS
roous were in what was called the
Angle of Barracks" He rose late ana
breakfasted at officers mess punctuaiIy
at 7:3O.
The dav after made these discoveries
I fell out Of ranks atreveille, and with
out any attempt at evasion reported TO
the officer of the day my purpose TO
visit Captain Bacon in his quarters.
Inside the hallway, careful to make
no oOiSe, l tiptoed to his door. 1t stood
ajar, l stole in. The curtains Of the
alcOve were drawn. listened. Yes,
the Captain was asleep and snoring.
stole across the room 10 his desk. l
opened il and quietly ransacked every
nook and corner, every drawer and
pigeon-hole-not a sign OF subject.
was in despair His coat Why hadn't
I thought Of that first? Time was pre-
ciouS. looked around. Yes, there
hung the coat found big wallet in
the pocket, drew il out trembling,
opened il, iumbled over the contents,
and among them, sure enough, paper
neatly folded, labeled: "Ex-SubS, 9th
Sec, Second Class, Phil"
opened the paper; ran my eve over
it; saw what Fred'S subject was, refold-
ed II, pat IL back, replaced the wallet,
and got out of the room. And Just in
time, too, for at this moment the snor-
ing ceased, and there was a movement
in the alcove.
1t had been nervous work aud work