Amador ledger., 1903-11-27
Rufus'
FQreW
Hon By
DOUGLAS
Copyright, 1908, by 7. O. Mcclure


Rufus, or, to give him his title cou-
pied with the name bestowed upon him
by his sponsors in baptism, Cadet Lieu
tenant James Woodward Sims, U. S. N,
was in love.
That it was an attack of cadet love
his classmates emphatically denied. At
Annapolis the accepted proverb is "ca-
det love is akin to calf love-" and they
could not detect symptoms of the latter
malady in Rufus.
The fact that he was in love was
evinced when Reardon, his roommate,
came suddenly upon the young man in
a reverie of which the inside boards Of
his locker door seemed to be the object.
Reardon coughed and otherwise made
his presence known. If Rufus had been
caught in the act of scaling the wall he
could not have exhibited a more guilty
expression. For the first time in their
acquaintance Reardon saw the big lieu
tenant blush like schoolgirl His color
rivaled the auburn of his hair, from
which he derived his sobriquet
A photograph of girl hung on the
inner side of the locker door. The usual
array of athletes, family portraits or
footlight favorites was absent. This
picture alone adorned the space.
Reardon looked at the picture for a
minute. Studying girlology, Rufus?"
he asked to break the awkward silence.
"Looks like it, doesn't it?" Rufus
embarrassment was evident.
at needs study, old man. A fellow
must study it carefully, and even then
he often 'f1unks' when the test comes"
''This species needs it." admitted Ru-
fus, looking up at the face in the pho
tograph.
"Yes," said Reardon in a slightly in
seem curious.
"She-it's Bess, you know-writes me
that she will be unable to come to the
farewell hop. She has a previous en-
gagement, she says"
Perhaps she has," Reardon suggest
ed by way of consolation, although the
idea seemed ludicrous to him. A previ-
GUS engagement when the Annapolis
farewell hop was in question:
"Well, but she couldn't, man-that is,
we have talked of it the whole year
and when 1 was at home on the last
leave we-well, Reardon, we sort of
fixed things up, you know" confessed
Rufus, the deep red lodging through
his skin again. "And she said she
would be down for the hop and to our
graduation. 1 suppose it's her wom-
ans prerogative to change her mind,
butt Rufus hesitated.
II understand, old man. It's a bit
rough on a fellow. She may explain
later" Reardon felt awkward in the
role of sympathizer. 1t was such for
eign element in his relation with Ru-
fus.
There's one little thread of possibil-
ity in some nonsense which has passed
between us that might explain matters
to me; but, oh, it is such an absurd,
such an utterly impossible, reason, that
would not suggest it to her."
Rufus was silent Should he put in
to words the foolish little matter which
had been weighing upon his mind?
Reardon looked at him eXpectantly.
you know, Reardon, how we fell
lows always joke and laugh about the
necessity of naval officers marrying
money. You realize that on every oc-
casion we give vent to the time worn
declaration that we must have a girl
with capital. l, like the rest of you,
have done it, and-well, Bess was quail
ified in that direction, though it never
occurred to me at the time.
Recently her father met with re-
verses-not serious, you understand
but oh, hang it, don't you see? She
might have taken all that nonsense Sc
riously," finished Rufus. He did not
look up at Reardon
And Reardon did just the wrong
thing at that moment He laughed. 1t
all seemed so far out of the limits of
possibility.
Forgive me, Rufus" he said, put
ting out his hand, "but could not help
1t. Cheer up. And, 1 say, Rufus, don't
you think perhaps overstudy has affect
ed your head?" he said, significantly in
dicating his head.
Rufus smiled in spite of himself and