The Springdale news., 1905-03-31
HER M A MIA
priginaLl

been visiting friends at the hotel liar ley said to me:
 Did you notice girl come into the room we were in, look out on the wa ters wistfully and go away
 .'I did She interested me.
 She's 8 harmless luuatic I'm told Miss Dudley She has a mania-thinks every man she meets wants to marry her: must be mortifying to her family. Just think. She declines offers before they are made"
 If she would accept one from me be- fore il was made I'd be tempted to con sider il contract"
 Not with lunatic Billy That would he crime"
 The next day a party was made up to 20 on the boat 10 Norfolk and return, Harley and included. We had scarce me and said:
 shes aboard" :"
 ssWho:"
 The lunatic. Miss Dudley, the girl who declines offers of marriage before they're made.
 Well. poor girl. I hope the trip will benefit her.
 Later l saw Miss Dudley standing with some people l knew and joined the party purposely to secure an intro duction I was curious to know if she would decline to marry me without all invitation. l made an excuse to get her away from the others. and We were soon in a snug corner out of the wind beginning an acquaintance. The topic of conversation turned on the artillery corps and our stations.
 Tt seems to me" said Miss Dudley. that you gentlemen of the red have the pick of the service-at least in peace times. You never go out into the western wilderness, most of your time is spent on the coast
 That accounts for more of the ar tillery officers being married, l sup pose" I replied
 Are there more of them married than in the other corpst''
 I replied that I thought there were. but was not sure. had only asked the question to lead her on to what l wanted
 "I think" she said. that clergymen and soldiers should never marry"
 "Why so:H
 The clergy should be free from a responsibility of making a living for a family: the soldier should carry his life in his hands"
 .I don't agree with you. believe consequently better able to do his duty in any field when married than when single
 What would you. for instance, do with wife, You are ordered from pillar to post. and every time you move your wife would have to pack and unpaek household goods. What life for woman to lead.'
 But think of the certainty of the income. Uncle Sam is the best of pay. A clerk marries. loses his posi- ton. and poverty stares him in the face. The officer holds his commission for life
 "But not for death. I have heard that it is the part of a soldier to die. .
 There was not in all this one word to indicate an unbalanced mind. and instead of leading up to a point where she might decline to marry me her words tended to keep me away from such an event.
 Death is such an uncertainty" I said, "even in the army. that it is scarcely to be considered. The army is q delightful circle. We are all broth CTS and sisters in the service. and the lives of officers families, l believe contain more than an average of hap piness. I think any girl, whether rich or poor, could not do better than mar Y an officer. If poor, she is sure of a fixed income; if rich. the army may give her social position she would not otherwise attain"
 She turned her head away and made no reply for a few moments, then spoke with her head still averted,
 Captain. you surely cannot blame me for this. I have endeavored to keep you from saying what you have said
  to say more. It is useless for you to argue I will never marry in the ar my"
 Though had angled for it, expected it, I was surprised when it came. h. deed l was heartily ashamed of the part had played.
 My dear Miss Dudley" l said in a voice melting with pity, ''let us join your friends
 We arose and joined a group sitting near. Somehow 1t struck me that the poor girl l had led to show her mental weak ness wore a look akin to distress.
 During the evening while at the hotel l saw Miss Dudley at distance. She bowed to me. and with the bow thought I noticed an embarrassed. pained look.
 At any rate, I was curious to know more of the emotion that possessed her, and, joining her, I led her to a window, where we sank into easy chairs in view of the water