The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-09-24
Observation-Disclosures
\ II lUiIl and tbe Way.
*
\ BY GWENDOLEN OvERTON.


TXISTENCE under the guardianship
1T, of some one who is doing his duty
by you is not an unmiXed pleasure.
Miss Bradford's sister, Mrs. Gallatin,
fwas doing her duty by Miss Bradford.
The former was not at all pretty. The
latter was very, very pretty-which is
80 much more charming than being
very, very beautiful. But Mrs. Gallatin
WAS married and Miss Bradford was
mot. This came of the fact that Mrs.
lGallatin had visited at Fort Preble and
had captured an unfedged lieutenant
by maneuvring and a miracle, and that
Miss Bradford had spent her 81 years
In small Maine town.
Boys in the village had been in love
with Bessie Bradford. but she had not
been in love with them. and she had,
moreover, decent appreciation of her
own value and knew she was far too
good for such as they. There had been
D college youth. also. once; but he and
she had quarreled before the end of his
summer visit. And now Bessie was one
hnd-twenty and the family worried. 1t
worried itself into a state where even
Hhe raising of a mortgage on the home
ldid not seem too great thing, II ii
would but insure her marriage. With
The money thus obtained she was sent
across the continent. with instructions
10 get herself welded before she came
back. Those things are treated as
business in New England hamlets. She
was told to marry general If she could.
pr not-anything down to a second lieu
tenant. But rank was to be the primary
consideration. Miss Bradford agreed.
She picked out very nice general, mem
tally. He would be about five-and-
thirty, and handsome and dashing.
That years went with rank was one of
the things the civilian novels of army
life she had read had not taught her.
Besides. she was romantic-as a very
pretty girl should be. So she promised
That grade should govern her choice.
Then she departed to visit her sisters at
the Presidio.
Lieut.. and Mrs Gallatin lived in the
building known as the Corral" If the
Corral were in the city. 1t would be
called a tenement. But Uncle Sam
doesn't quarter his officers in tene-
lments. The Gallatins were cramped
FOR room-very cramped. They had
three children and second lieutenant's
pay. So they were poor. Therefore.
taking Miss Bradford in was not a pleas
lure. It was duty. And Mrs. Gala
tin would not have been a New Eng
lander If she had not done her duty.
But Bessie felt the unpleasantness Of
i. the situation the very day of her ar
rival.
s Capt. Soutter is going to take you to
the hop this evening, Bess," Mrs. Gala
tin said; Bessie was cutting paper bird
cages for her niece. Mrs. Gallatin was
Intending pinafore.
"I've promised to go with Mr.. Mil
ford" answered Miss Bradford, stop
ping and looking up from the scissors.
"Mr. who?"
SaAIr. Milford. Col. Milford's son. who
Hives in St. Louis"
"Where have you met him?" The
"him" warned Bessie that she was run
ming on rocks.
l
He's in business in st. Louis, and he's
coming to visit his people because he's
On bad health. He is a very nice man."
Man! He must be about %. per-
feet boy. And his business is being a
tbriefless barrister Now. let me tell
you one thing. Bessie. You must learn
from the first that the civilian son Of
an officer is nobody at all in a garri-
son. You will hurt your chances bad
ly with the officers by going with him.
How did he know there was to be
hop?"
Bessie finished opening the cage, gave
Ut to her niece with kiss. gathered
the scraps of waste paper in her hand
and threw them into the waste basket,
clasped her fingers behind her curly
brown head and answered, leisurely:
''He didn't know there was to be one
Tonight. He asked me to go to the
first one there should be after our ar
rival"
Mrs. Gallatin thought how very, very
pretty Bessie was and wondered if her
husband contrasted them.
ale probably will never think of it
again. Capt Soutter is going to call to
ask you this afternoon, and you'd bet
tier accept"
Gan one go with two men out here
snte-nuptially?
"Don't be vulgar. You needn't con-
slider the Milford boy"
"Oh, but l must, Genevieve, you
know. I promised" Miss Bradford's
big gray eyes were guilelessly earnest.
! "I've no doubt that pose is taking
with the men. But you can't make your
devotion to promises succeed with me,
dear l know you too well. l can't re-
member that they worried you with the
boys at home"
"This promise don't worry me. Not
Ia little bit"
swell. should suggest that you take
my advice and he less fippant. Recol-
Ilect that you were not sent way out
here to firt with penniless civilians and
small boys"
"If forget. remind me, will youP
I'll make you little red silk flag, if you
like. can make flags. made one for