Evening star., 1898-12-31
A ROMANCE OF THE WAR.
1t Was Only the Sequel That SpoiIed
n Pretty Story.

don't want any more of your war ro-
mances in mine, with the hero and the
pretty girl and all that sort of rot" said
hne-looking young lieutenant of yoIun-
teers In party of friends at an uptown
hotel.
ASKED TO explain, he did so, as follows:
was one of those lucky fellows down
at camp Thomas who drew A nrize in q
pox OF good things sent to us from a town
IN ONO about three hundred miles from
my nome and on the way to it. My prize
package consisted of very nicely worded
note TO the effect that the writer was
twenty years old and wanted a soldier beau
ana that the recipient of the pie which
carried the note pinned on top of it. the
"hole thing tied up in many Wrappers
would please think of the maker and send
tr as ne ate 1t, and answer her little mis-
SIFe II Ne dldn have a wife or sweetheart
az nome 1t was such a pleasant. innocent
KIND OF a verdant maiden note that an
SWered II, seeing that L hadn't any wife
ana was having a scrap with my best girl
"nich made me all the reader to seek
SOlace elsewhere. Well we got ont of
Thomas and down to TAMPA. and / pot
over TO Cuba on a special call and all the
ilfhe Kept up kind of a hOp-step-and-
Jump correspondence with my prize pack
age.
L X,
and, after batting around awhile in and
out OF the hospital | got q chance tn 90
home and on the way | concluded to stop
ana see the unknown. She hadn't told me
much about her family. but said she was
living at hotel in the town. which / found
on arrival at the place was the best there
didn't know anybody. and l didn't know
the girl, and l had sense enough to go a
niue SLOW but when l reached the hotel
and asked the clerk if Miss - lived
there. and he said she did. I thought |
wasn't all together fooled anyhow He
looked at me in = queer kind of fashion
ana said that Miss -- lived with Mrs
Blank. who occupied the third floor suite
and she could tell me about her [ sup
posed she was niece of the lady or some
thing like that and as soon as I had
sicked up bit / sent up my card. Mrs
Blank came down to the Darlor to see me
When she did see me she looked at me
funnler than the clerk did.
! beg your pardon she said, awkward
ly; did you want to see Kitty -"
Yes / told her Isn't she here"
No: she left yesterday
'Indeed?' said I. and hesitated for Miss
- had not told me anything about GO
ing away, and should have known I was
coming, for 1 had written that l would be
there.
Yes, you see she went on. rather hur-
rIedly and as if I might think she intend
Ell to reflect upon the young lady in some
way. Kitty was very nice girl and the
children Were very fond of her but some
how l never could get along with colored
help, and Kitty was so bright and smart
and was so fond of books that she was a
little neglectful, I am afraid, and I had to
let her go. | shall be very glad to recom-
mend her if you want to know anything
about her character
Il didn't need to ask any more questions
after that, and | didn't. But to let myself
down gracefully took a letter of recon-
mend from the lady, and then took the
next train cut of town. 1t was not going
my way, but | took it just the same and
doubled back. That was my little war TO-
nance. and now when l read stories and
hear tales about heroes and lovely damsels
and those, l think about Prize Package
Kitty and never say word