The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-01
ION -THE HURRICANE DECK.....

and joked among themselves, and told
themselves that they enjoyed It all.
Then he thought OF the scorching days
and the rainy nights that followed.
| That slippery hill! He never could re-
| member what It was like at the top.
! Some one had told him all about u;
but that wasn't Ike getting there your
self He closed his eyes rs he thought
, how cool the rain had felt that night
MS Il splnshcd on the leaves overhead
into his face. He remembered all about
| that night. What the surgeon had said
about the wound, and how they had
carried him back somewhere az day
light. But the next day and the next
were not very clear in his mind. That
must have been the fever.
Fighting Is another story. Who wants
TO be policeman?
The ship was carrying him on relent-
lessly. In the morning he would see
a blue line over there to the left, then
some palm trees-but he could see 1t all
now, without waiting for the morn
ing.
The lieutenant remembered that she
had promised to write to him every day.
He felt in his pocket for the letter she
| had given him to read on the way. He
couldn't see to read It nov, but he
could think about 1t, for he knew 1t
By heart.
He wondered how he had managed
to be SO happy before he had known
her.
Somewhere near him a merry group
was singing. Some one was playing
chords on a gliitar-chords that were
not always chords.
ttNNus hrnfbaVa - G0Fnn OFn VVna saving
Sing 'sho Was Bred in Old Ken
lucky"
The lieutenant growled to himself.
but the brother SANG.
Then the lieutenant could hear that
low, musical voice again. He couldn't
see the girl. but he found himself lis
teninG to her voice. Where had he
heard It? It wasn't just like hers. She
didn't drop her RS that way, either.
Where had he heard that voice? He
was thinking rapidly. Just then the
reporter came up and shook him.
Wake up, old man. Come. and let
me Introduce you to n nice girl over
here. She is going down to Havana
with her brother and her mother"
The lieutenant stood up. He could
see the group Of singers now. sitting in
the shadow. There was n man with n
guitar. He wore q uniform. There were
several young officers whom he recog-
nized. Then there was Girl. She
wore jaunty white REFER and n Tam
o. shauter surrounding mass OF fluffy
hair.
He found himself bowling, and shalS-
Ing hands. and the Reporter was say
ms something about Miss Somebody
and Mr.. Somebody and Mr.. Somebody
else. He had ceased to hear. He found
himself sitting with his back to the
railing, looking at the Girl, trying to
make out her face In the dimness. The
lieutenant wasn't sure about that face
whether he had dreamed about It, or
whether he had really known a girl
who looked like that. He was trying to
talk to her about Havana, but he was
not thinking about Havana. He was
trying to remember about that face.
Now and then the Girl would push back
wlnd-blown curl, or would pull the
Tam o. Shanter farther forward.
why is IT," she said, that dark.
! rainy nights never remind US of other
rainy nights? Now, n night like this al
ways makes me think OF other times and
other places. Does It affect you that
way?"
"oh. we're soldiers. We don't get
money" said her brother,
Then the Glrl DeRan uSalns 'OnCe
was rash enough to travel on an Ohio
river steamboat The days were horri-
BILE; but we had moonlight nights. AZ
ter sunset used to go up and sit on
the hurricane deck and get cool"
The lieutenant moved uneaslly.
There was nice man on board.
she went on. land sometimes he used
to stay up there and talk to me after
the others had gone"
What did he do, sis? Tell US about
him Did he make love to your
"Well-he forgot me-"
Showed wretched taste"
Then they all laughed.
1t was very late. The others had gone.
The lieutenant and the reporter were
alone.
Lucky chap, that Ensign" unused
the reporter.
"En5ign7"
yes. The fellow that girl is engaged
so she's engaged, Is she7"
YES"
And they both fell to thinking.