Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-06-03
Romance of the
....Cuban War.

II was break fast time AT Avon.
dale, and General lIiggcrson,
for the fifth time, wondered
what kept his daughter us h,
fdgctcd with his paper and
stirred his hot coffee. just as
his patience was ut an end the
door opened and admitted a tall
handsome girl, with bright blue
eyes. Sh" held a big bunch of
clcmatis in her hands.
where have you been Mo-
ma inquired her father.
down at the river: | found
the stone wall near the boat
house abIaZc with these bios
SONS. | am sorry To be late,
dear"
The Southern mail is in.
observed the general. nodding
toward small pile of letters
at her plate
She flushed slightly as she
laid the clcmatis on the side
board and took her seat at the
table 4 conscious smile cross
ed her fathers face US she
broke the seal of the first letter.
He turned to the paper in his
hands. and his eyes caught this
heading: "A Romance in Real
Life.
with the invalidcd officers
returning this week is young
Colonel Lawrence, who was
severely hurt in the charge 1T
San Juan. Among the nurses
who went to look after the sick
was a handsome young woman
whom the colonel formerly adj
mircd. Family misfortune had
forced her To adopt nursing as
Il profession. Their friendship.
was renewed, and when the
colonel came home he was en-
gagged to his old love. Colonel
Lawrence is to be married very
shortly. Report says that he
had cntanglcd himself with
another lady, who will now
find that she must look else
where for consolation"
As he laid down the paper
the general glanced at his
daughter She was sitting, with
Il dazcd expression on her face,
gazing at Il letter she held.
Father, what does this
mean = she exclaimed, hold
ing out the letter. He took il
from her. and this is what he
read:
Dear MAa-You may have
seen in the papers an account
of my being wounded; | made
light of il in my last letter.
fearing to alarm YOU. but the
truth is am Il wreck, as the
papers have accurately stated.
| am invalided and crippled,
and if il had not been for de-
voted nursing | should not be
here today. Under the cir
cumstanccs | do not feel JUST
fled in holding YOU To your en-
gagcmcnt; Notwithstanding the
pain it causes me To do ,his |
want to release you entirely
and leave YOU free to marry
some one who is not So Shatter-
ed as myself; but believe me.
dearest, that whatever my fu
turc life, YOU will always be
shrincd deep in my heart of
of hearts. Your faithful friend
HENRY LAWRENCE.'
"What does it mean" almost
shouted the old general. 1T
means that your lover is Il
scoundrcl, Mona; read news
paper containing ~ Romance
in the lips; Il mist before her
Real Life The girl grew white
To death and il mist before her
her eyes prevented her for "a
moment from reading the arti-
Gle; slowly She graspcd its full
purport.
1t was Il terrible blow to the
general: he had always liked
Colonel Lawrence and consent
cd To the engagement just be
fore the young man was order
ed To Cuba. Both Mona and
her father had SO thoroughly
believed i'm Lawrence $ love and
faith that his letter and that
story in the newspapers came
upon them like Il bolt from IL
calm sky.
Pacing the rooms wrathfully
he gave vent To his feelings in
swearing volubly. The scoun-
drcl. should like To horse
whip him myself for whclp of
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