The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-10-12
FOR LOVE OF a TOMB0Y.
A Love Story. BY JOHN FORD.
EGGIE CorSINS ana

l. friends as long as the former
could remember. In casting
mental glances back across those
Fears of affection and close union be-
ween them l often wondered what
lad prompted their intimacy in the
hrst place. Blount was some FIVE
Fears older than Cousins, being a
Dtaid, rather matter-of-fact man Of
thirty Mt the time when fate threw the
wo friends into the constant society
" Monica and Maudle Fnlay. the col
DnePs orphaned nieces. Blount, how
.ver, was n captain and Cousins mere
" lieutenant He was extremely
Soyish for his age, seldom taking any
hing seriously. The whole world
seemed to be TO him zone huge joke"
as he himself expressed 1t, but 1t was
his hearty laughter. his mischievous
FRANKS and his good-natured tempera-
ment that endeared him to all his fell
low officers. But first and foremost in
the young mans heart stood Maurice
Blount. This affection was fully re-
turned, and they were known as the
"Inseparablcs"
OF course 1t was almost a foregone
conclusion that the arrival of Monica
and Maudie on the scene was bound
to make difference to one or other of
the two officers. although they had
hitherto been known to declare that
neither intended to marry, and that
each found all he could desire in the
close eomradeship OF the other. But
It was more than unfortunate that they
should simultaneously lose their hearts
over the younger Of the sisters. Mau-
die. Monica was, il anything. lovelier
than Maudle, her gray eyes were full
Of winsome usefulness that won the
hearts of every one OF us. always ex-
cepting those of the "Inseparables. :"
1t was apparently to be in their af-
fairs of the heart as in all things
Cousins followed In his seniors foot
steps, laying his hand and fortune at
the feet of Maudie Finlay.
1t was a puzzle how they came to
pass over the sweeter, gentler, elder
sister. to fall victims to the boisterous.
rather tomboyish charms of the
younger.
Maudie only tossed her head at them,
delighting in their devotion, which
was clearly of the faithful-dog fetch
and-carry order, merely because it
gratified her vanity. she having pre-
viously been well Informed that
neither Captain Blount nor Lieuten-
ant Cousins had ever been known to
fall in love before.
l was on sick leave at the time this
was happening, but / heard it all,
with somewhat exaggerated details.
when | rejoined, and the odd part of
the business appeared to be that both
apparently saw through the girl they
worshiped!
The elder man had been heard re-
buking the younger for his foolishness
in allowing himself to be played with
by the heartless coquette, and the
younger man had been seen persuad-
ing Blount not to go near the fascinat-
ing Maudie on various occasions. 1t
was mysterious. to say the least.
At dances they We'd with each other
In obtaining the greatest number from
the younger Miss Finlay At picnics
they outdid each other to the best of
their abilities In carrying tempting
dishes to Miss Maudie, in seeing after
her comfort in every possible way.
Neither of them entered for the
Thread and Needle Race" at the
sports because Maudie could not be
partner to them both.
And all this while Monica was prac.
ueally left TO herself. not that the en-.
tire regiment behaved as idiotically ms
the 'lnseparahles. but because Mon.
lea, quite early in the game. gave the
Others to understand she did not re,
quire their attentions. The fellows
chafed me, saying it was only ON nc.
count of my age that she tolerated my
presence so graeiously. that no one
would think if she was seen about with
man Old enough to be her father.
About the time that we received our
marching orders | noticed that Monica
mad become rather paler than usual
naturally wondered at it and whether
our move 10 Egypt had anything to dc
with 1t. Then one day l saw Blount
looking at her; Monicas face was half
turned from him, and the view he had
OF 1t was perfect. l felt sure. | knew
her profile so well and could fancy any
mans heart being stirred by xits
beauty; for all that l was puzzled hv
the look in Blount's eyes and his Inns
We're set in hard straight line across
his teeth. Then, for one brief mo-
ment Monica lifted her sad gray ewes
to his, and-he sighed. The next-she
was gone, and Reggie Cousins slipped
his arm through that of his friend
pulling him round with jerk. and
they both laughed. The laugh I
thought nervous one.
Soon after that we sailed.
The campaign of 1S9- was the FIRST
active service young Cousins had ever