The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1905-05-12

tOriginaL1


did you notice girl come into the
room we were In, look out on the wa
ters wtstfully and go awayT'
II did. She interested me-"
"Shes harmless lunatic, I'm told
Miss Dudley. She has a mania--thinks
every man she meets wants to marry
her; must be notifying to her family.
Just think! She declines offers before
they are made"
"If she would accept one from me be-
fore it was made I'd be tempted to con-
slider 1t n contract"
Not with a lunatic, Billy. That
would be a crime"
The next day party was made up
| to go on the boat to Norfolk and return,
Harley and included. We had scarce
ly left the dock when Harley passed
me and said:
"She's aboard"
"WhoT'
THE lunatic, Miss Dudley, the girl
who declines offers Of marriage before
they're made"
"Well, poor girl, hope the trip will
| benefit her"
Later 1 saw Miss Dudley standing
with some people I knew and Joined
the party purposely to secure an intro
| duction. l was curious to know If she
would decline to marry me without an
invitation. made an excuse to get her
away from the others, and we were
soon In snug corner ont of the wind
beginning an acquaintance The topic
of conversation turned on the artillery
corps and our stations.
"It 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 r. spent on the coast"
''That accounts for more of the ar
tillery officers being married, 1 sup
pose" replied.
Are there more Of them married
than in the other corpsT'
replied that I thought there were,
! but was not sure. I had only asked
the question to lead her on to what /
wanted.
81 think" she said, that clergymen
and soldiers should never marry"
"Why 500"
"The clergy should be free from
responsibility of making a living for
q family; the soldier should carry his
| life in his hands"
81 don't agree with you. l believe
| that every man is q better man and
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 unpack household goods. What n
! life for woman to lead!'
But think of the certainty Of the
! income. Uncle Sam is the best Of
pay. 4 clerk marries, loses his posi-
ton, and poverty stares him in the
face. The officer holds his commission
for life"
But not for death. l have heard
that it is the part of n 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" l
said, even in the army, that 1t is
scarcely to be considered The army
is a delightful circle. We are all broth
ers and sisters In the service, and the
lives Of officers families, / believe,
contain more than an average of hap
piness. 1 think any girl, whether rich
or poor, could not do better than mar
ry an officer. II poor, she Is sure Of
fixed income; If rich, the army may
give her n social position she would
not otherwise attain"
She turned her head away and made
no reply for few moments, then spoke
with her head still averted.
Captain. you surely cannot blame
me for this. have endeavored to keep
you from saying what you have said
and cannot conscientiously permit you
to say more. 1t Is useless for you to
argue. l Will never marry In the ar
my"
Though had angled for II, expected
1t, was surprised when It came. In
deed l was heartily ashamed of the
part had played.
"AIy dear Miss Dudley" 1 said in
voice melting with pity, 'let us Join
your friends"
We arose and Joined group sitting
near. Somehow 1t struck me that the
poor girl | had led to show her mental
weakness wore 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 l noticed an embarrassed,
panied look.
At any rate, / was curious to know
more Of the emotion that possessed her,
and, joining her / led her to a window,
where we sank into easy chairs In view
Of the water
Captain" she said, forgive me.
am not the poor girl who declines offers