The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-08-15
A Woman's CHOOSING

"A oman S ".
f.
There was a sort Of a subdued groWi
of a gun and a train Of sparks marking
the course of a ~projectile sputtered
through {. path in the night air run
ning upward and onward at an angle
Of forty-five degrees toward old Gro
Nest Mountain. There were more
growls and more sparks, and then the
old time mortar battery ceased Tr1ng.
The yearlings at west POINT were
showing the thousands of visitors now
to handle, and handle quickly, the old
s~nub-nosed S-inch mortars OF the siege
battery.
; Back of HI battery on the hill over
looking the finest view OF eastern
North America stood a little old fash
Toned hotel. Tonight it was lighted up
bravely, and there was music and
gayety both within and without. 1t
was the night before graduation day
at West Point fifteen years ago. While
the y%earlings were being put through
their artillery PAGES the graduates OF
tomorrow were foot loose from duty,
and with scores Of officers were acting
as hosts at the hotel for the hundreds
p. Of visitors. g. II -
: Helen Forbes, a young New York
society girl, sat on the veranda of the
West Point hotel, looking far away up
the starlight Hudson toward NeWberg.
There came the sound Of a rapid step.
The girls eyes frightened. James De-.
laney, cadet first classman, tomorrow
to write himself second lieutenant of
artillery, United States army, rounded
the corner Of the veranda. His face
was aglow. He was Is fine a looking
= fellow physically as one could find in
the whole corps of cadets. He went.
straight to the girl: III held out both
hands and greeted him.
Helen Fofbes had met James De-,
laney during the cadets furlough in his
second class year. The. next summer
she had gone to the academy when he
with his classmates were enjoying all
the glories which come to first class
man during the last encampment of
the academic course. This sort Of
thing happens everywhere, perhaps,
but is particularly likely to happen at
West Point, where popular belief to
the contrary Notwithstanding, the ca
diets are not thrown into the whirl Of
i society. James Delaney, this cadet,
this boy practically, fell In love with
Helen Forbes, and fell in love with all
the intensity of his nature.
AS for the girl-well. it's hard telling
anything where women are concerned.
She certainly gave Cadet Delaney ev-
cry reason to believe that she cared
for him, and cared for him deeply. The
winter after her summer spent at West
Point she came out in society in New
York city. She was a beauty, and the
men soon found it out. Her father was
not rich, and Helen was ambitious
for Helen Forbes. Her. mother had
promised to take hersto the graduating
exercises at West Point. A the time
that she met Delaney on the verands
she had been at the place a week an6
had seen him again and again.
Let us go for a walk" said De.
laney.
i. She rested her little white hand OF
his gray coat sleeve just below the golc
cheyrons that told his rank as a cade
captain and together they passed alons
the yeranda. In a moment the Sope1
door of h hotel office was at thei
right. Helen Forbes glanced within
drew her hand from Delaney's arm.
Ali solicitude. he turned, What ii
II he said.
.I$felt q little cold,,' replied the girl
and in saying it Helen Forbes told n,
lie.
SHAH We so imp asked the cadet.
mo, let us walk"
They went down the hotel step
through the lantern-lighted lawn, b
the front Of the cadet encampment
"a back OF the old batteryaof Napoleol
12-pounders, and finally reached Kos
ciusko's garden. They heard the Water
of the Hudson murInuring against til
bank below. The splash the fountai:
by which the old Polish patriot love
to sitEEWas in their$ears. They heard i
a$subdued way the music from the ho
u tel, aSS8Ss@
Well, It's a story that's been told an,
told again, n still WillSbe, told Whe
a hundred generations to &cone hay
zone from earth; Helen Forbes was am
bilious. There was nc $future such a
y she dreamt Of In life as the wife OF
secoiidSiieutenant of artillery, stipen
IS $1.400 q year. She had led Delaneyt
z believe that she loved him. That nigh
9 shegsaid,st4s0h, 4 didn't know 1T was lik
this and amssorry, but 1t can't be
y ! hate towound you, if 1T is I
be, 4 die moi know. and In sayin
she did not knox, Helen Forbes lied
e womanss lie.
Delaney stood 1T Ike q soldier
g though the wound was deeper tha an
= b came to himsin after years III TIL
3 field. He stood up straight in tina
y tloonit gardensS gave Helen Forbes hi
3 arm, and by the BUR they hadFcom
~ they returned to the hotel. h must
was there. b lights were there, butt
I prae boys heart there was neither must
nor light.
y They reached the veranda.sTheywe r