The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-04
BRIDES AS VISITORS 70 wARs4,ps
Why Newly Married Couples Like ia
Wander About ON War Vessels.

Why Newly Married Couples Like to
Wander About on War Vessels.
There was leaden sky overhead and
a gray mist all about the big battleship
Indiana, on whose yellow upper works
an occasional raindrop spattered.
Wrapped in his overcoat, the officer of
the deck tramped up and down, stop
ping every few minutes to look over
the dreary stretch of soggy soil and the
yellow navy yard buildings beyond. 1t
was Tuesday of last week.
The officer of the deck was a young
lieutenant. He was in a grumpy mood,
for deck duty on a day like Tuesday
is far from pleasant. A sailorman APP
preached him with a request for shore
leave.
Are you on the liberty list?" he
asked. and when the bluejacket answer
ed atfirmatively he looked disappoint-
ed. go ahead" he said sourly, and
the sailor hurried down the gangway
and made tracks in the mud up the
yard All of which impressed an on
locker with the idea that the young
lieutenant was sour-spirited and I'M
pleasant person. But he wasn't. He
was simply wet and cold. His real nat
ure rose to the surface a few minutes
later when party of three emerged
from the superstructure. They We're a
young man, young woman, and prem
tice boy. A smile wrinkled the lieuten-
ants mouth and sparkled in his eyes
as he saw them. The young man was a
very ordinary young man in a very eX-
traordinary frame of mind. His glance
never strayed from his feminine COM
panion. NJ She was comedy and rosy
checked and clad in a gray something
that harmonized with the mist, and one
of her little hands rested confidingly in
the right hand of her companion. In
his remarkable state of mind the ordin-
airy young man walked plump into the
officer of the deck.
"Oh, / beg your pardont" he said,
II thought you were the gate
"John!" said the little woman as the
color spread from her cheeks to her
forehead and chin. The ordinary
young man became trifle embarrass-
ed himself and stammered:
II mean 1 thought thought we
were going-going, you know, to the
gate of the ship"
There it is. over there" said the
lieutenant, pointing to the gangway,
The young man and young woman
walked off hand in hand.
IF I had told them it was astern
they'd have walked overheard" said
the lieutenant.
iiS IVY olooo oi Tic 0tth
and grinned.
What are you laughing at?" asked
the officer, turning on him sharply.
That's pair" answered the boy
How do you know, you young ras-
CALI"
kin tell be the cut O. their iib, sir"
Get in off the deck" commanded the
lieutenant, and the grinning boy van
ished.
Funny said the lieutenant, as he
turned to the Sun reporter. Think of
anybody coming down here on day
like this. If we didn't have to be here,
you and I, we would be in nice warm
room, with a pipe and a mug of hot
punch, I imagine. But that was
honeymoon pair. Great Scott! Here's
another of them"
Truly enough, another couple was
approaching the ship, and be the cut
O. their jib,' as the prentice boy said,
they were newly wed. They walked
up the gangway and were turned over
to boy who was ordered to show the
ship to them.
THE number of brides that come to
visit the ship is amazing; that's what
it is-amazing," said the officer of the
deck. You can see dozen honeymoon
couples in the yard any fine day. And