Middletown transcript., 1904-11-12

lO the operations q 'he na'
0 with Spain with more ~
terest than frail Miss Ellen
Dale She could not buy the extras
which she strained her ears to i'ear' ~,
such a proceeding would have canseu
little short Of scandal at the Old Ladies
Home : but she devoured eagerly every
word of war news in her daily Tribune . !.
luxury which she allowed herseli ou' =
her modest income.
Miss Dale was alone in the worlo' save
for well-to-do nephew, who cohsioereu
that he had done his whole duty When
he secured for his aunt entrance lllto '.e
exclusive retreat for old people when sue
desired. It is true that he haa ii1s'
offered her home in his own am,y'
with some misgivings as to his "i.e
approval but Miss Dale knew 'he WIFE,
and being a wise woman in her way,
had answered that .'Relatives are often
better friends when independent OF each
other" Thus it was that she relieved
the conscience Of her nephew. whose
f,iture attentions took the form OF
twenty-dollar check, dispatched each
wear in the same mail with the dutilul
Christmas card from his wife. win
these reminders Miss Dale appeared wen
content. No one knew how, in the solic-
itude Of her own heart, she hungered lot
the companionship OF some OF her very
own or how, in this default, she lived
much in the memories.o the past and OF
those ''gone before"
Her history was sad one. AT the
dawn Of the Civil War she had been
betrothed to young naval officer ne
left her to become one OF the devoted
band,that went down in the ill-fated
Cumberland. With him perished also
her brother, fellow-officer. The double
tragedy had well-Eigh bereft her OF rea'
son, leaving her after the storm with
silyered hair and broken health. Her
father, an army officer, emerged IRON
the conflict only to succumb to disease
resulting from hardships Of the cam
paigns, leaxing a family OF which Miss
Ellen was now the only survivor. She
received small pension from the Gov
ernment, which enabled her to live care
fully under the friendly shelter OF the
Old Ladies' Home.
Her sorrows had not embittered her,
but seemed rather to have softened hel
nature into wider and more sympathetic
interest in people, and in public events
than she might otherwise have known
When the war broke out she was thor
oughly certain in her own mind OF it,
necessity, much as she dreaded its hor
rors. But not so the other inmates OF the
Home in body they differed from her
and in company they shuddered at the
tarbarity of war, the culpability OF the
Administration, and 50 forth. But after
one bout with Miss Dale they retired
from the field Of argument; her convic
tions were SO we'll backed with facts and
logic, and theirs so fiimsy and vague, thai
they found it more convenient in future
to denounce the situation in her absence
ssTo think" said one Of these prudent
critics, s'that Miss Dale should be SO san
culinary, and she so good to every dumb
creature T.
'sThat comes Of reading newspapers !!
remarked another prim little gentle
woman, sententiously.
II always Thought there must be some
thing unnatural about her, as she never
talks of her forebear," announced thiro
who had vainly sought to penetrate into
Miss Dale's private history.
Among those in the habit OF visiting
the Home was Ethel Vernon, the daugh
ter of one OF the trustees and favorite
with Miss Dale. She was all attractive
girl with winning ways, and gift o
sympathy which dispensed itself as natur
ally as the sunshine. Miss Dale wal
quick to respond to such a nature and
they soon became warm friends. Ethe
brought SO much brightness from the
busy, outside world into the old lady's
lonely life, that it was grief to her wher
the young girl, being Red Cross nurse
was called away to the hospitals by the
war.
Deprived Of these visits and driven in
upon herself by the uncongenial atmos
phere around her. Miss Dale spent much
of her time in her own room. 1t was
gayly dressed with flags, among them q
Cuban one which Ethel had given her,
and which she promised herself should
not come down until Cuba was free. Tie
walls were further decorated with pic
lures OF the different heroes Of the war
which multiplied rapidly after the san
tiago victories.
One day it suddenly occurred to hel
that it would be pleasant labor to make
scrap-book Of the war, SO she began to
save newspaper clippings and pictures fol
that purpose. II shall have no one tc
leave it to-" she sighed ''but it may
sometime be Of value and, at least, / shall
enjoy it."
In collecting and classifying the mater
ial for her book she gained very clear
comprehension Of the operations of the
war, and noted many. individual. acts Of
bravery only briefly mentioned.
Il wish / knew some OF those brave
men," she thought and her eyes grew
misty as she fell to weaving romances
about their names and picturing the pride
with which their friends must greet them
on their return. II should like to tell
them what think OF their deeds for our
country" she went ons wistfully. "And
why should not? There would be no
harm in writing for their autographs ]
could tell them in that way"
She decided to begin with Admiral
Dewey in Manila. Accordingly, she
wrote him a concise, business-like letter,
frankly putting the request for the anto-
graph first and her words Of admiration
- ALa - With ~ sl,a ano1osal -,