Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-10-27
ONLY A CIVIL ENGINEER
BY Edith Hastings

When Milton Hume arrived in Boston.
he was in a greatly discouraged state of
mind. Educated ;,s Il civil engineer. he
had worked at his profession ;ssiduously
and achieved some prominence
He had been cheered i'll his efforts by
the hope of attaining Il sufficient compe-
tence to warrant him in asking Colonel
Rogers for his eyes," otherwise known
as his daughter. Miliicent. They had met
at the house of u 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 iusur-
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 irascibility 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. Miliie
was at once court martialed and summa-
rily convicted of having deliberately ell
couraged the attentions of good for
nothing civilian. mere nobody, of whom
no one had ever heaid. "Why,' said the
irate colonel in summing up. Il have seen
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 Il 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 81 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 t" lift.
Instead Of lifting they became blacker
than ever. Milton became involved 6nan-
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 be had hope of employment, but
not before stolen interview with Mi!lie
was engineered Eternal vows of con-
stancy were exchanged and the usual
quantity of tears shed. accompanied by
uncomplimentary remarks on the tickle
jade, Fortune. on his part and cheering
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
eral 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 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 private soldier in 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 Millic of
what had happened. but did not add to
her happiness. as the colonel informed
her that private soldier was all that
engineer fellow" was good for. and she
knew that in the colonel's mind u pri-
vate soldier was irrevocably outside the
social pale. She, however. had still some