Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-09-11
Did She Meet Him7'
Ioriglnal.l-

devoted to her father, and he very care
full of her, had not to her nineteenth
year seen anything Of the world. III
June of that year she was invited &c
go with Il party to West Point o attcnd
the graduating exercises of the cadets,
Hell father with much t%repidation con
sented to her going. One would have
supposed they were parting. the one
, Il go around the world.
To a girl who has never seen any
thing of life, especially of military life,
West Point in the month of roses Is n
fairyland. The broad plain, e~ncircled
with mountains, the river bending
around on the other side, the sounds of
martial music, men in uniform con
stantly Fastening hither and thither, all
give a picture such as civil life never
affords. Among others, one of the
graduating class, a handsome, manly
young fellow, every inch a soldier, was
introduced to Evelyn, and the mingling
of their two young hearts was as corn
plete as 1t was sudden. At the enc OF
her visit Evelyn returned to her father
at the seashore and when tley were
clasped in each others arms She knee
that a new world had been opened to
her, a new love had come to her COM
pared with which the old was as twi-
light before the rising sun. But not
dreaming that the new would shut out
the old, she told her father all. He bore
the news manfully, but the moment
Evelyn had gone to her room he sank
into q chair and groancd.
Lieutenant Victor Paine received q
ieave after graduating and spent it by
the ocean with Evelyn. If the towering
hills, the beautiful plains and bend
ing river had been inspiring to the
lovers, the roll of the waves was equal
ly SC. But there was a muttering Of Il
coming war storm faS to the south
that tinged the eternity Of waters with
sadness. To the soldier it appeared
but family; to Evelyn it darkened the
world. When it broke it found the
young soldier full of enthusiasm, While
it seemed to suck the life from the girl.
One would have thought that it was
she, not he, who was going to Deaths
cullplllB SFOuIiu.
The parting took place at a rustic
seat built between three trees. From
there a path wound down through a
wood to the village and the railroad
station. Evelyn chung to her lover.
Again and again he strove to unwind
her arms. Then he said:
''Think of my return. This cannot
be a long war. 1t will be ended before
you go back to town. l will write you
when l am coming and you will meet
me h~ere-here where we are parting.
Then we will have a wedding, after
which there will probably be, no part
ing for years" ~ 2aAH
Her arms relaxed, and, placing her on
the seat, after M more embrace the
young IA hurried down the path.
Then came the battle. Las Quasi
mas, Eel Caney and others. AS the
new was received with list of killed
and wounded, though her lovers name
was not among them, each report gave
Evelyn a blow from which she failed
to rebound. May there not be love Sc
strong that it reaches beyond things
material, cropping into what is spirit
ual? If Evelyn saw death in the flu
ture she said nothing of it; the only
evidence Of presentiment was the con
slant and increasing blight, Letters
came with as much regularity as could
be expected from a soldier in the field.
Frequently a number would come to-
gcther, when Evelyn would shut herself
in her room or go down to the seat
where she had parted with Victor and
read them again and again.
Her father watched her anxiously.
He did all he could to divert her mind.
but he could not do much and what he
did was without effect. He dreaded to
have her go to the parting and ex-
pected trysting place, for when she re-
turned she was always the more droop.
ing. Finally, when the Spaniards sur
rendered and all was over, she sur
prised him by not going to the place
at all.
Just before the end Victor wrote that
he had been ordered on a duty which
would prevent his sending letters with
any regularity. From that time no
news came from him, while the troops
sailed for home, and one day q fleet of
transports appeared on the horizon.
Evelyn watched them first with a glass.
then with her naked eyes while they
approached, and saw them pass on to
the eastward. They were making for
Montauk Point.
Toward evening Evelyn went to the
trysting place. She did not return at
dusk and her father went to look for
her. 1t had grown SO dark that he
could not see plainly, and he called to
her' There was no reply. Seeing
something white On the rustic seat the
old man, sure 1t was his daughter
called again, but still there was TIC
reply. Reaching the place, there was
Evelyn sitting on the seat, her back
supported between two of the trees.
my daughter" exclaimed the ole
man, what is the matter? Why die
you not answer?"
Still she did not speak, and, graspins
| her hand. he found ii cold She vn,