The Washington weekly post., 1900-10-02
By GEN. CHARLES KING. U. $. A

For even a troop ship may have one.
Ours did. By the time the Sheridan was
half way over the ocean en- route 10 Ma
Mia. Mr.. Walton Blair, first lieutenant
OF the Fiftieth Foot, was much more
than half way in love with the daughter
of the lieutenant colonel commanding
What Is more. everybody aboard ship
knew IL, including, OF course the damsel
herself, who was only eighteen and just
out OK school. What nobody knew was
whether she cared for Blair in return: she
herself didn't know. She had had most
romantic parting with the brother OF her
pet seheOlTnate and ehum. The girls had
cried their eyes cut. and Brother Fred
had looked woebegone Kate Logan sup
posed, OF course, that pretty Maud Lay
ton was fascinated with Fred and would
never think of wedding another. Yet by
the unie they stopped at Gibraltar
Maudie was the picture OF health and
happiness as she trotted about the Rock
on the arm OF Mr.. Blair. At Suez she saw
he wouldn't go ashore because she didn't.
At Singapore she knew his story by heart
and was full Of pity. which. being akin
to love, well nigh settled the matter. and
the night they reached Manila and heard
that there had been sharp fighting and
the Fiftieth was needed at the front
without delay, there was banished the
last shadow OF doubt, only she hadn't the
vestige of a chance to say so, for with
the very first load for shore went Lieut..
Blair-a shrewd move that on part of the
colonel-and not for six months there
after laid she eyes on him again.
"a. f-s-
Fred's and Kate's both, and II ever a
girl was torn by conflicting emotions II
was Maud Layton throughout that first
summer in Luzon.
1t rained torrents almost every day.
the skies wept and so did she. What
with having father and-all the other off
GERS away up country wading waist deep
through swamps and rice fields or clam
bering slippery mountain trails in pur-
suit of still more slippery natives, what
with having nowhere to go and nothing to
do but listen to the plants of dozen 9TH
er womenfolk, old and young, ali similarly
bereayed, she took to writing long letters
''home" that told perhaps fiattering tale
TO the Logans. Many women found-and
gave blessed comfort in visiting the sick
and wounded in hospital, but Maud's
mother forbade that. Blair didn't write.
He hadn't been asked to in the first place,
and hadn't dry scrap on which to pen a
line il he had been. The colonel kept that
boy ION the jump" day and night, sent
him on every kind of scout, chase, and
expedition. II he had hoped to get rid Of
him the chances were in his favor, for the
duty was perilous. But somehow luck
favored Blair. He came scathless from
scout after scout, lost much flesh, but
gained confidence, reputation, and the
praise OF Gen, Lawton, a thing worth
having, for that hard-fghting, hard-work-
ing soldier found need of an additional
officer on his staff and offered the berth
to Blair.
Then in her sisterly loyalty and jealousy
Kate Logan did an unwise and mischiev-
Gus thing. She wrote to army friends
that Fred and Maudie were engaged, at
least as good as engaged, and big as was
the distance the fb was bigger and bad
news. YOU know. travels fast, even across
the trackless seas Lieut. Blair mad rea-
SON 10 hope. at least, that Maud
Layton loved him when they part
ed so hurriedly that April night,
He reioiced when his general
smoke of sending him into Manila with
dispatches late in August, but later de-
clined in favor of a comrade who had
been ailing, for men showed him their
home letters, saying the engagement was
announced They said, moreover, that
Col. Layton would not deny IL. The Lo-
cans had wealth and position. Why should
he?
And waiting hrngrily In Manila for
word or sight of her bonny lover OF the
forty days aboard ship. Maud Layton
heard of his having hal the chance to
come ina most deserved chance, too, and
wouldn't take il, so there they were at
loggerheads.
Now, a good story might be made out Of
this episode, old as is the situation, but 1T
is founded on fact and has to be told as
it told itself-whlch was In a very queer
way.
Mrs. LAYTON found Manila life unen-
durable They were hucdled together, a
Iot of army women, in very primitive
quarters In the Ermita suburb, with poor
attendance and a scant market. brill
liant member of their circle. who knew
whereof she spoke, suggested a move to
Nagasaki A transport took five of them
thither. Maud and her mother inclusive,
and there were they In clover and chrys-
anthemums. There were they joined by
Fred Logan. Just out from San Francisco.
and then came the climax. He. OF course,
had not yet heard of Biair's deyotions.
Kate had, but Kept them to hold over
Mard in days TO come. Everything for
the present had TO be done to smooth the
road for Fred, for the first thing Maud
felt al sight of him was wonder that she
could ever have thought him good look
ing. He landed from the Doric, his sam
pan scllling him straight for the big he
tel All he went ashore for was a change
from ship diet and a chance to stretch
his legs, and there on the broad Veranda
sat Maudie, the girl he thought TO meet