The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-08-13
A Heavy Swell.

SeACll 1ASL 9uSlS SAW O4C3 LII
They had driven out to view the won
derful fertilization through which, at
the naval exhibition the week before,
her majesty's ship, Rodney, had, from
a distance Of five miles at sea, sent a
ball from gun Of 100 tons.
There were three feet Of solid steel,
three feet Of iron, six feet of crossed
oak timbers, six feet Of concrete and
six feet Of brickwork, and there the
penetrating ball was seen, with its
path through twenty feet OF seem
dngly impregnable barriers cleanly cut
behind it, just ready to drop out of the
Patchwork.
The Drumgolds were Americans, 50
1T was perfectly natural for Myrna
Drumgold to say, as she looked With
considerable awe at the sinister
pointed ball:
"shows what half dozen such ships
might do if they were i'm New York
harbor.''
CHATS place they can't get into,
though replied her cousin, Atlee
Drumgold, very decidedly.
"Hush! Your British divinity Will
hear you,'' smiled Myrna, glancing
around the fertilization spot ITO where
Miss Edia Aultman stood talking
calmly with Mr.. and Mrs Drumgold..
''What power there must have been be-
hind that ball to make it dare attempt
such a bulwark as that! I should
think the first glimpse of it was
enough to- make any common missile
swerve and go around
a"But that is not common missile,
and you see it has almost gone
through" replied Ahee, who seemed
to be in a state of suppressed excite
ment that day. .ssAnd, Myrna, you
know that in the heat Of conflict COM
mon sense deserts us, and we dare that
! to which in our sober senses we would
/ not aspire"
Myrna laughed, at first at his fiery
countenance, then at his metaphor.
She understood him perfectly.
Atlee had fallen in love with Miss
Aultman, and, although neither he nor
any one else believed that Edna would
accept him, he intended to propose to
her before departing for America.
Myrna was intensely amused at the
situation, but she stroveito conceal her
amusement from Atlee. She had a
way herself of encouraging any
amount of seeming sentiment, but the
real article she always laughed at. It
was so ludicrous, she thought. She
felt that she must 'dissimulate.
II wish you even better success than
this monster ball has attained" she
said. II hope you will make your way
against all obstacles; if you will let me
-. q, +@ 1,or, T
will assist you.''
'Will you really?" cried Alice, not
noticing the fun In his cousins eyes.
eff Edia were not so stand ofish and
dignifed, I should not mind it so
much Do you know, the other even
ing pressed her fingers little; but
she withdrew them so quietly, and
busted them off with her handker-
chief so daintily, that I do believe she
thought it was a worm, or something
similar, that she had touched"
Myrna laughed quietly, then rsobered
with the remark"
How can you like herr
''Why do we like ices in summer?''
Because they are chilly, suppose"
'And sweet Then Miss Aultman is
SO different from the other girls whom
] have known and pretended to love-"
II understand But if she should ac-
cept you, which still must doubt, you
will have to go through life ina per-
fectly dignifed and 'courtly manner,
and when you propose -Atlee, i dread
it for you.''
Il shall try my luck tomorrow. 1t is
my last day; and, Myrna, I rely upon
you to give me an opportunity to do
So"
'In what way?''
You can quietly withdraw when we
three get together. I do hope father
and mother will not go with usr'
How very considerable of his friends
feelings man in love can be! And I
really had forgotten where we were
going"
Tomorrow we are to board the war
ship Rodney and have a look lat the
gun which fired the little shot"
$50 we are Atlee, I have an ideal"
us sure to be q good one. What is
it?"
''You know, on board ship, they al
ways fill their ears with cotton, when
the great guns are fired, for fear that
the blood will gush forth. I'll tell un-
Gle and aunt that guns are momenta-
rily expected to belch their thunders.
and advise them to stop their ears.
q But need not stop mime, need L?
You will not care if I hear2 Then [
shall know what to say if any one ever
proposes to me-"
might have known you would
make fun of me- CALCULATED Atlee, an
grily turning his back upon his cousin
and going around to the other side of
the fertilization, where Miss Aultman
was wondering what kept him away
from her.
Myrna did feel some conjunction.
ut would be a terror to most people to
propose to the fair, royal creature
whom Atlee had chosen to love. How
had it happened that Edia Au1tman
had ever noticed them, anyway? 1T
was not that Myrna had made adj
vances to her. She stood in too great
fear of the aristocracy Of England for
that. And her aunt and uncle had az
ways looked askanse at the friendship.
1T must be. Atlee's doings, and yet she
could not believe that Edia Aultn2aM
would ever consent to be his wife.
But she would help him if she could.