Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1902-10-04
A WOMAN'S
DEVOTION
[Original.1

[OriginaLl
One summer while on a bicycle tour
I stopped at evening on the banks of Il
lake beautifully situated and looked
about for place to spend the night.
A farmer came along driving yoke of
steers, and he told me there was but
one house in the ncighborhOOd that
would he agreeable to me, Captain
Laurcnce's, but the captain was gen
tleman and did not take in strangers.
Mounting my wheel, l rode around the
lake till came to the house in ques-
ton.
1t was one of the contest homes |
have ever seen, built on an angle
formed by the lake and n stream.
Great Overhanging trees shaded 1t, ana
the house was covered with vine. y
gentleman sat on the porch reading Il
magazine. l spoke to him, told him my
situation, and after going inside for a
moment to consult his wife, suppose,
he returned and invited me to be his
guest till morning. | most gratefully
accepted.
l sat down to a dainty supper with a
family consisting of the captain, his
wife, refined woman with whose ap-
pearancc l was especially struck, and
several boys and girls of various ages.
After the others had gone to bed the
captain and | sat on porch Overhang-
ing the lake, smoking.
Il know of Captain Laurence" l
said, though l never saw him. You
can't be he, because he went to the
bad"
Captain l.. c. T. Laurence Of the
-th United States artilleryT
yes"
81 am the man.
was astonished. The Laurence
referred to had been one of the most
promising young officers in the army,
but, having been caught cheating at
cards, was cut by all his comrades and
was forced to resign.
IF | had known that you had ever
heard of me-" said Captain Laurence,
Il would not have invited you to stay
over night. AS it is, l may make it less
embarrassing for you Qor l have
ceased to feel embarrassed about my
disgrace) by telling you how it oc-
Cured. If you believe my story, you
will rest more pleasantly tonight under
my roof; if not, l will have done all in
my power to make you comfortable.
MY early years in the army We're
spent in a seacoast fertilization isolat-
ed, especially in winter, from the rest
of the world. TO pass the time we
played poker, for awhile for money,
but as the excitement of gambling was
distaSteful to me l finally declined to
play for stakes, whereupOn we played
for chips. This not proving interesting,
we began to cheat one another. study
ing different methods, some of us be-
coming quite expert. We would play a
game of freeze Out'-that is, any man
caught cheating was ruled out, the 9th
ers playing on till all had been caught
but one who was the winner We
played this game necessarily one win
ter and found it more exciting than Il
game for real stakes played legitimate
ly. At the end of the season | was de-
clarcd the hest cheat of the party, hav-
ing won more games than any of the
others.
I'm the spring l was ordered to one
of the principal posts in the west, In
which were located the headquarters
of the department. There l met the
daughter of the general commanding,
to whom l became engaged. Poker Is
common in the army and was univer-
Il nrf III1f my c
taste for the game was so great that l
declined to play. However, one even
ing | was standing over a poker table,
and the players looked so social that ]
decided to take hand.
"IIalf an hour passed without any
change whatever in my finances. In
fact. the game proved so unintcrcst-
ing to me that my thoughts wandered,
l was thinking of the girl ! had re-
Gently won and the happiness in store
for me. | was soon to be ordered to
the command of an arsenal. where !
would have an opportunity to Use my
scientific knowledge and perfect Il new
gun had invented. All these matters
were passing through my mind. and
the game | was playing was absolutely
forgotten. Suddenly l heard one Of
the company say:
"'Captain Laurence, you are a
swindler.'
"All rose from the table, some look
ing at me with establishment, Others
CHANGING at me. One who had been
looking over my hands declared that
he had not only seen me cheat once,
but several times.
II awoke to the consciousness that
during my observation-disclosures | had
dropped into the habit formed during
the previous winter. What would it
avail me to assert my innocence?
WAS ruined.
Gentlemen began and stopped.
Why make defense that would not
be believed? l covered my face with
my hands, turned and left the room.
1.-The next morning | was cut by
every officer at the post. The general
sent for me and told me that to avoid
to my corps and the army it would be
necessary for me to resign, and if
did not he would be obliged to prefer
charges against me of conduct unbe-
coming an officer and gentleman,
'Of course he concluded, all Is over
between you and my daughter
al resigned my commission, but left
it with my fiancee to decide upon her
course after she had heard my story.