Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-01-07

EAoWi OF "a gun anu "a lAhlM ol
sparks marking the n Of a p%rojec-
tile sputtered through a path in the
night air running upward and onward
at an angle of As degrees toward old
Gro Nest mountain. There were more
growls and more sparks, and then the
old-time mortar battery ceased firing.
The yearlings at West Point were
showing the thousands Of visitors how
to handle, and handle quickly, the old
snub-nosed eight-inch mortars of the
siege battery.
Back of the battery on the hill over
looking the finest view of eastern
North America stood a little old
fashioned hotel. Tonight il was light
ed mp bravely, and there was music and
gayety both within and without. 1t
was the night before graduation day at
West Point Is years ago. While the
yearlings 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
of visitors.
Helen Forbes, a young New York
society girl, sat on the veranda of the
West Point hotel, looking far away up
the starlit Hudson toward Newburg.
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, round
ed the corner of the veranda. His face
was aglow. He was as fine a looking
fellow physically as one could find in
the whole corps of cadets. He went
straight to the girl. She held out both
hands and greeted him.
Helen Forbes had met James De-
laney during the cadets furlough in
his second class year. The next sum-
mer she had gone to the academy when
he, with his classmates, were enjoying
all the glories which come to a first
classman 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
cadets are not thrown into the whirl
of 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 tell
ing anything where women are con-
cerned. She certainly gave Cadet De-
laney every reaso to believe that she
cared for him, and cared for him deep
". 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 vas
ambitious. That was a gay winter in
New York for Helen Forbes. Her
mother had promised to take her to
the graduating exercises at West Point.
At the time that she met Delaney on
the veranda she had been at the place
a week and had seen him again and
again.
Let us go for a walk" said Delaney.
She rested her little white hand on
his gray coat sleeve just below the gold
chevrOns that told his rank as a cadet
captain and together they passed
along the veranda. In a moment the
open door Of the hotel Office was at
their right. Helen Forbes glanced
within. She gave a little start and
half withdrew her hand from De-
laney's arm.
All solicitude, he turned. What is
it?" he said.
81 felt a little cold" replied the
girl, and in saying it Helen Forbes
told no lie.
"Shall we 60 imp asked the cadet.
"No, let US walk"
They went down the hotel steps
through the lantern-lighted lawn, by
the front of the cadet encampment,
back Of the old battery of Napoleon
12-pounders, and finally reached Kos
ciusko's garden. They heard the wa
tiers of the Hudson murmuring
against the bank below. The splash
Of the fountain by which the old
Polish patriot loved to sit was in
their ears. They heard in a subdued
way the music from the hotel.
Well, it's a story that's been told
and told and told again, and still win
be told when a hundred generations
to come have gone from earth. Helen
Forbes was ambitious. There was
no future such as she dreamt of in
life as the wife Of a second lieuten-
ant of artillery, stipend S1,4OO q
year. She had led Delaney to believe
that she loved him. That night she
said; "0h, I didn't know it was like
this, and I am sorry, but it can't be.
I hate to wound You, if wound it Is
to be, but 1 did not know" and IN
saying she did not know Helen
Forbes lied a woman's lie.
Delaney stood it like a soldier,
though the wound wal deeper than
n that came 70 him In after years
IN the field. He stood up straight IN
that moonlit garden, gave Helen
Forbes his arm, and by the course
they had come they returned to the
hotel. The music was there, the