The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-09-06
THE BULLET THAT
 MADE II ALL THE SAME
[orlRlnaLl

the news in Ameflcu NnNl Euuct hou declared war against Prussia. l refer to the war of 1870 was sitting in the garden with Aunt Margaret. was then eighteen and Aunt Margaret was twenty-elght She was still beautiful Snd was always what may be best de scribed as a high bred dame, having great dignity and reserve. l had re- gently visited West Point, and every thing connected with war interested me. But I noticed when 1 read the telegram in the newspaper that Aunt Margaret shuddcrcd.
 "You don't like war; Aunt Mar Earetg' said. "I think lt must be fine"
 "If you had been old enough to real lze what we passed through from lSGl- 65. you wouldn't consider 1t SO fine. You would consider it horrible"
 Cant you tell me something to make me feel as you do about lt, Aunt Mar garety"
 She was silent for some time, then said:
 "I shall have to touch upon con. quest but you must excuse that and not cOnsiutf mc Na,n. ! was 0t West Point during the civil war when one of the classes was graduated. There was a little fellow In the graduating class-his name was Hutchlns-who looked funnier in his cadet uniform than most of them. Ills hair was crop ped very short, and his face was un- usually red except when he blushcd, and then it was scarlet. He singled me out from among the girls for hls special devotion. This amused some of the cadets. and could see them laughing together when he came up to me all in a fldgct. blushlng to the tips of his ears, to ask me to go down Fir tation walk or climb Co Fort Put or to dance the second or third time during a hop. It was rather amusing to me, too, for was used to attentions from only the most courtly young men at home.
 I tried to keep the boy or without wounding his feelings, but that was impossible. He told me his classmates rallied him on what they called his as- surance and poked a great deal of fun at him. "I know" he said, "that I'm making a fool of myself, but I can't help lt." did all l could to show him that he was not making a fool of him' self. but at the same time gently hint cd at the lmposslbility ot anything se- rlous between a girl with position In society to maintain and an officer of the lowest grade in the army. He said he knew it. reiterating that he was fool. but couldn't help being a fool. There was a pathetic look on his face when he bade me goOdby, saying that n southern bullet would doubtless make it all the same to him Of course lt wouldn't do for me to laugh at this, though l fancied he would be in love again In less than year, possibly a few months.
 At first the war was quite exciting, and the young fellows who were hur- rylng about In their new uniforms en- joyed it. and everybody was interest cd. But it dragged on and on, and aft CT awhile an unusual number of wom- en began to appear in mourning the mourners increasing every year. Then I read an account of an affair where a number of men had done something very wonderful, the whole thing hay ing been planned and the men led by Lieutenant Hutchins. l believe they entered tho sOutherners' camp and spiked a lot of guns, though l don't know what that means. Hutchins was very badly wounded during the re- treat. A bullet had entered his chest so near the heart that the surgeons did not dare to probe for it. So, after all. the bullet which was to make it "all the same for hlm" came and end cd his career before it had fairly be- gun.
 He dicdY
 "Yes; be died in a hospital"
 1 waited for her to say something more. but she did not She took up the paper. read the war dispatch and laid lt aside. It seemed to me that there was something incomplete about her story. wondered if the young mans death had affected her. She had such admirable control of herself that l could not tell. Indeed. so well poised was she. SO used to the attentions of wealthy bachelors, men of the world, that could not believe that 1t had been matter of much moment
 Long after she told me the story l one day went to her dressing case to A..,,,. , ,, , ,-ttcio ,f tott..tr,.- for I yvne