The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-06-17

! The United states gunboat Atlanta
pulled iaZily into San Juan bay. The
thermometer wua up IL the sos. but Il
trade wind vas 1rcshening bit and the
officer on duty mopped his face and
Kept his watch" upon the canopied
deck, walking back and forth, footsore
| and weary. Damn Dewey and his ma
manoeuvr"s and the choppy Caribbean
sea. o'd rather be tripping on the
| heels Of the Detroit and Nashville in
| san Juan harbor than to walloW around
with sealed orders and blistered feet
in n sea that's boiling. Hun.
| Whist Up there Grey, it's the old
man that's coming" came Il whispered
| warning from below.
! The next instant Il command was on
the wind. "OrdcIly tell Nj. Grey that
| | want loss noise above"
The orderly touched his eyebrow and
delivered his message
| Lieutenant Grey leaned over the rail
and said: "Cavenaugh ask for shore
| liberty tonight"
| well, if that isn't the limit" Cave
naugh exclaimed under his breath to a
fellow officer, Grey will be dismissed
from the service yet He is one OF
| those fellows who is always dead right.
Never is, in fact. but is unreasonabiy
nit a mistake. just the kind that
bore holes in you and run UP against
| Il courtmartial sooner or later
| The captain appeared on the bridge
now and the conversation ended.
Al six bells in the afternoon the At
Ianta anchored within hailng distance
of the Detroit and Nashville and half
!, mile off port
One of the Dctroits launches was
now under way for San Juan and cir
! cled around the gunboat by way OF
welcome.
Hello, there Morgan, What's doing
in San juan came Il voice from the
| Atlanta.
Hello, Briggs; YOU mere? Jolly crowd
out at Santurce The Deans from Key
West. the Smiths and Il Whole beVy OF
American beauties. Cotilion on tonight
ut the Country club. Band concert, too;
better ell turn out
The last sentence was fairly Shreked
at the officers bending over the At
lanta's rail, for the launch was already
putting towards San Juan, leaving long
rolling waves Of the green sea be-
tween them. 1t was sweltering hot on
the water and unusually hot ashore
for the trades seldom fail to stir the
palms in morning and swell the harbo!
waters.
But today the elite of San Juan basl1-
u
while it found life at sSanturce almost
insufTerable.
Lieutenant Grey moOdly paced the
deck and waited impatienuy for The
mail. He was sullen and called Brown
above just to say, The old man has
had that mail bag in his quarters fully
an hour"
What of IT," answered Brown, you
don't expect any mail from the states
t this port do YOU?
That's just it," Grey broke in. You
remember those Smith girls we met a
Key West last year don't you? Wei
(reddening) I've particular reason fol
here now and when l left Key Yves
I was-wel!, Miss Smith and l CORE,
sponded-and later u
so that's it, is it? Let NE see, i
was the elder Miss Smith, wasn't ito
Grey NODDED in the affirmative.
Wish you luck. old man.
The half hour had been called before
the Atlanta's launch appeared along
side, ready for shore. Lieutenant Gre.
was the first one over the gangplanl
and hurried along the pier.
Hold on, Grey; it's too internally no
for all this Speed"-
Take your time. Boys. l may NEE
you at the Deans later" he called
back: then. in a louder tone, "Coch
ero!" as a sleepy coachman drove slow
ly up he jumped in and rode to tn
Smith residence, opposite the plaza
just as the last notes of La Paloma
died out in Il wall.
him and greeted him with enthusiasm
Just come here" she said. 'Tv
something to tell YOU" Grey hesitated
then meekly followed.
You are engaged to the wrong girl.
she said with directness You wer
| 4 Il r1,,~ .
, is Mary you are in love With and whom
you courted last summer"
. "Madame-I think l know my owl
business best" he replied, and l wan
to see your daughter Alice.
The last hour before taps had bee,
called when tn. launch had come along
side the Atlanta. Lieutenant Gre
climbed three steps at a time TO tn
deck. He was excited ana flushed an
: stopped before Browns stateroom. Fl
, took OFF his cap. wiped the persppiratio
: from his forehead and said: Cad"
!, Brown was already in his bunk bu
raised himself on his~elbow and said
, whats wronS?"
Gee But I'm in for it,
"Courtmartial?" !nterrcgated Brown
: "Courtmarti;u would be easy III con
. parison. I'm engaged TO the wron
y girl. You see. last summer. l rushe
p | Miss Smith, and YOU know. Brown
= never happened TO hear her name
y was always Miss Smith. Well as yo
= know. she has sister, and one da
: While we We're down off Venezuela
;, wrote to her, and one of the boys to
ne her name was Alice. Well. her lie
ters were all right, and, we'll. Miss Allie
and l arranged it all right, and
thought all the time she was her siste
e Did you ever hear of such luck?
. Her mother tried to explain it to II
t this evening when l called and 70
i me that 1 had made a mistake III;
$ Mary was the girl l wanted. and to
: her that I thought was the best juds
4 OF what 1 wanted, and she left II
e room in a huf and sent in Alice. Ge
o When she came in l knew the old lac
Il was right, but l was game-'
|. Good God. You don't intend
e marry the wrong girl" Brown e;
: p!oded.
DO YOU think I'll let That old lac
;, have the laugh OF: Ns--:ot much"
e Well. I'll be- Browns mour
: mouth closed with a snap and he g
t up and slammed the door. Then. reco
S sidering his action. he opened it abrup
:. ly and said 10 Grey, who was leanir
q against the rail outside. You idiot