The Somerset reporter., 1903-04-09
TWO SIDES TO
A QUESTION



was in New York for a day with
nothing to do, and to pass the time
strolied into the park. There was
balmy air coming up from the south,
eloudless blue sky, opening buds, the
piping Of nest building birds. Strolling
down the mall | met perambulator,
pushed by negro boy, in which sat a
young man of twenty-five or twenty
three years. AS he passed me l no.
dced melancholy look on his face
which bespoke some great grief. To
my surprise, he gave me glance of
recognition. Besides, his features were
familiar to me. l turned and he looked
back.
"You don't remember me, colonel"
he said
81 admit l can't place you"
Not remarkable since you have not
seen me since l wore cadet gray, was
clean shaver and had my hair cropped
You were teaching me the art of war,
which in my case meant how to make
a wreck of myself"
you were of that class graduated in
, advance to take part in the Spanish
war;
II was; Granger-Ward Granger"
Suddenly it all came back to me-
This man had been one of the promi-
nent men in his class, a cadet captain,
an excellent student, an all round pop
ular man.
My dear boy" l exclaimed, taking
his proffered hand, 81 remember you
perfectly for an honor to your class
and | know by your war record that
you are an honor to your country"
"a retired honor, with no feet" he
said gloomily.
A picture flashed before me-a hop"
at West Point. Granger was a grace
full dancer and I had noticed him es-
pecially sailing past me in all the
freshness and confidence of youth with
a beautiful girl to whom he was en-
gagged to be married.
Let me see" l said musingly. ut
seems to me that you and Miss
"TowneW
eyes, Miss Towne."
1--WE were engaged when | went to
Cuba When l was sent back in this
condition His voice trembled.
"Surely she did not
"She showed herself a noble girl. 1t
was | who would not consent"
Your"
Eyes. l." he went on bitterly. do
you suppose l would permit a young
girl of twenty to enter upon the care
of a man condemned to live a cripple,
to witness every day his wrecked
hopes, to see him trundled about like
this, to turn her course at the very be-
ginning into a channel which must
grow darker to the end? Not l. You
never taught me that kind of honor,
colonel"
"Yet how many women in their
youth have wrecked their lives by
marrying men perfect in bodily health,
but lepers within! An imperfect body
is better than a devilish soul"
mo, woman would get herself in trou-
BILE marrying devil If she knew it;
no woman should knowingly take my
burden, and no woman shall take it."
Though l made no reply, felt that
he was right.
"Is Miss Towne marriedY' | asked.
mo"
l sat down on wooden bench. The
negro went short distance away, and
Granger and | talked for an hour.
Then l left him, bidding him goodby,
for | had been ordered to a southern
post and was to leave the next day.
A year later | received an envelope
by mail from which l took cards an
nouncing the marriage of Lieutenant
Ward Leighton Granger, U. S. A, re-
tired. and Helen Airline Towne. By the
same mail came letter from the bride:
Dear Colonel B.-Ward has asked me to
write to you to confess what he calls
his shameful retreat" from the position
taken by him at the time he last saw you.
i bear witness that he maintained that
position for a year. during which time
resolutely fought to carry 1t both by as
sault and undermining He says he gave
you his reasons. and II only remains for
me to give you mine-viz, l could not live
without him.
laid the letter down with a sigh.
was sufficiently experienced to under
stand the burden this woman had TAX
en- on herself and considered her
course and the yielding of her hus-
band a mistake. | wrote q note of en-
enlargement, but refrained from ex-
pressing any approval Of the union.
Three years later while exchanging
stations passed through New York. l
knew | ought to call on Ward Granger
and his wife, but dreaded to do so, ex-
pecting, even after few years, to see
the effects of what | considered an I'm.
fortunate marriage. Nevertheless
called. | was ushered into the library
and in few minutes heard the thump
of crutches above, then Granger COM
ing downstairs. Beside him, holding
with one hand to a crutch and with
the other to the balusters, walked a
boy of two years, chattering like a
magpie. Mrs. Granger followed, ad-
monishing her son to be careful and
not get in his fathers way. | ad-
vanced into the hall to meet them and
at glance saw that Granger was no
longer a mental sufferer His face
broke into a happy smile, while his
wife, also smiling, exclaimed:
"You thought we'd made a mistake,
colonel didn't your"
"I-miStake-I assure you
"a nice letter of congratulatlon you
sent us-cold as an iciclew