The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-11-17
ONLY A CIVIL ENGINEER
BY Edith Hastings.

had worked at his profession aSSlduouSly
and achieved some prominence.
He had been cheered in his efforts by
the hope of attaining a sufficient compe-
tence to warrant him in asking Colonel |
Rogers for his eyes," otherwise known
as his daughter. Millicent They had met
at the house of mutual friend, and Mil
ton was at once captured by her many |
graces of mind and heart and soon found |
that if papa would consent she would not |
say him nay
Papa seemed to be, however, an insur- |
mountable obstacle. He had been prema- |
turely retired from the army on account |
of failing vision ard was well known in |
"army circles at Washington, chiefly on |
account of his irasciblity of temper and |
his intolerance of people outside the ar
my.
In justice to the colonel it must be said |
that he never visited his i'll temper upon
Millie, who was as sweet tempered as
she was beautiful-that is. not until he
discovered that the attentions of Milton
Hume were becoming significant. Milie
was at once court martialed and summa
rily convicted of having deliberately en-
couraged the attentions of good for
nothing civilian. a mere nobody, of whom
no one had ever heard. why" said the
him actually working among common la
borers, and in his shirt sleeves at that"
Millie was sentenced to Imprisonment
within the paternal abode and warned
not to communicate with her lover on
pain of being disowned. Milton was the
recipient of curt note from the colonel
forbidding him to call or write. and, on
meeting that wrathful gentleman the
next day, was informed that an attempt
to do so would be met with personal
chastisement with Il cane, sah."
The threat did not alarm Milton, but
the colonel was Miles father, and the
only thing possible to do was to wait
and hope for the clouds to lift.
Instead of lifting they became blacker
than ever. Milton became involved finan-
cially by crooked dealings Of his partner,
and instead of nearing the desired COM
| potency found himself heavily in debt.
| Sacrificing everything material that he
possessed he shook the dust of Washing
| ton from his feet and went to Boston,
where he had hope of employment, but
not before a stolen interview with Millie
was engineered. Eternal vows of con-
stancy were exchanged and the usual
| quantity of tears shed, accompanied by
uncomplimentary remarks on the tickle
i
| words on hers. Something tells me-"
said Millie, that everything will come
| out all right, and this new departure of
| yours may make your fortune"
| But the fortune did not materialize,
the field was overcrowded, and after sew
| era weeks of unsuccessful effort he
found himself nearly at the end of his
resources with no employment in pros
pect.
One morning as he started on his quest
for a position he was electrified by the
announcement of WAR with Spain!'
His mind was instantly made up. Hur-
rying to the nearest armory he enlisted
as a private soldier in a volunteer regi-
ment. Showing much zeal and aptitude,
he was made a corporal and in that
humble capacity marched bravely away.
A hurried letter apprised Millie of
what had happened, but did not add to
her happiness, as the colonel informed
her that a private soldier was all that
engineer fellow" was good for, and she
knew that in the colonel's mind a pri-
vate soldier was irrevocably outside the
social pale. She, however, had still some
faith in the future and did not entirely
despair.
One day in the wilds of Cuba Corpora
Hume's regiment halted on the edge OF
an apparently impossible gorge. With
his usual lack of foresight the command
ing general had not sent any engineers
with the advance, although the movement
was an extremely important one. The
men, exhausted by the heat and the Ions
march, threw themselves on the ground
glad of a chance to rest. Not so thu
colonel. He swore vociferously at tht
gorge, but, being neither Moses no
Joshua. it did no good. The gorge wal
still there.
This was Hume's opportunity. Wait
ing for a break in the colonels incanta
tions, he approached, and, respectful.
saluting, informed him that if he coult
have detail of 20 men he could bridg,
the chasm in an hour. "You can have tn,
whole blasted regiment If you need 1t,
| was the reply. 50
. The bridge was quickly constructed
and the regiment safely passed over
thanks to that engineer fellow, but in thu
battle of the following day he was Sc
verely wounded.
Long weeks of suffering succeeded. bu
one day as he was sitting in front of tn
field hospital, weak, but convalescent, al
orderly appeared and asked the surgeon
: in charge if Lieutenant Hume was there
= NO." said the surgeon, "this isn't tn
, officers ward. That's on the other sid
of the hill"
BEG pardon for contradicting supe
riors." said the orderly, but read this,
at the same time handing him paper.
1t was communication from Wash
t inston appointing Milton Hume a lieu
:, tenant of eng gineers for bravery on tn
! field and skill in emergency.
| OF his subsequent recovery, exper
q service where experts were much needed
q it is not necessary to speak. Suffice it t
say that several months later tai
1 young gentleman in the uniform Of a cap
y tain of engineers walked up the step
q of Colonel Rogers house with a YER
confident air.
r The welcome he received from Mill
e may be imagined, but the surprise an
CONSERVATION of the colonel cannot b
expressed.
That that engineer fellow" could hav
J. become an 'officer and a gentleman" wa
It past belief. 1t was contrary to all tra
+. ditions of "Ahmy Success" Due invest
CATION at the club, however, proved tina
,, Captain Hume's position was unassaila
BILE, so he concluded to make the best Q
l. the situation.
o The colonel has even been heard t
speak of the whilom engineer fellow" a
e. my son-in-law, Hume, of the engineer:
r sah."-Boston Post.
n Merely Sounded the Alarm.
"He is "A brave man." said one Parisia
NIT fh., hn f,s1,t dy,n