Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-05
DAILY STORY
DID SHE MEET HIM?
GOriginaI.l

III i5iiiet4.l
During the closing years of the nine
teenth century an old widower with i
daughter had Il summer residence on
the eastern end of Long Island. Evelyn
Cameron not having mother, being
devoted to her father. and he very care
full of her, hau not to her nineteenth
year seen anything of the world In
June of that year she was invited To
20 with party to West Point to attend
the graduating exercises of the cadets.
Her father with much trepidation con-
scented to her going. One would have
supposed they were parting. the one
to go around the world.
To 4 girl who has never seen any
thing of life, especially of military life,
West Point in the month of roses is Il
fairyland The broad plain, encircled
with mountains, the river bending
around on the other side. the sounds of
martial music. men i'll uniform con-
stantly Fastening hither and thither, all
give Il picture such as civil life never
affords. Among others, one of the
graduating class, Il handsome, manly
young fellow, every inch soldier. was
introduced to Evelyn. and the mingling
of their two young hearts was as COM
plete as it was sudden. At the end of
her visit Evelyn returned TO her father
at the seashore and when they were
claSped in each others arms she knew
that Il new world had been opened to
her, 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 chair and groaned.
Lieutenant Victor Paine received
leave 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
~ SO. But there was muttering OF a
coming war storm far 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
camping ground.
The parting took place ut rustic
seat built between three trees. From
there Il path wound down through
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 long war. 1t will be ended before
you go back to town. l will write you
when 1 am coming and you will meet
me here-here where we are parting.
Then we will have wedding. after
which there will probably be no part
ing for years.
Her arms relaxed. and, placing her on
the seat. after one more embrace the
young man hurried down the path.
Then came the battle, Las Quasi
mas, FL CaRey and others. AS the
news was received with list of killed
and wounded though her lovers name
was not among them, each report gave
Evelyn blow from which she failed
to rebound. May there not be love so
strong that it reaches beyond things
cropping into what is spirit
ual? If Evelyn saw death in the flu
ture she said nothing of 1t; the only
evidence of presentiment was the con-
slant and increasing blight Letters
came with as much regularity as could
be expected from soldier in the field.
Frequently a number would come to-
gether. 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 |
be had been ordered on Il 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 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 |
Point
Toward evening Evelyn went to the |
trysting place. She did not return at
1uSk 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 |
white on the rustic seat the
Did man, sure it was his daughter,
jailed again. but still there was no
reply. Reaching the place, there was