Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-05-31
A Naval Engagement.


more smooth and even than any
streets.
She took no thought of tomorrow,
so happy was she in today He spent
all his spare time with her when he
was off duty, walking, driving, bicy-
cling or reading aloud in the cool
porch. There the sunshine came
through in a soft green blur made fra
grant with the perfume, almost over
sweet, of the white flowers of the
clematis.
He read poetry. Elsie had never read
poetry before except in school, where
they had had Paradise Lost" to parse,
THE Faerie Queene" to explain and an
essay to write on Much Ado"
The MILDLY read the "Sonnets from
the Portuguese" and Rossettis House
of Life" He read with a great deal
of expression, and Elsie thought poet
ry was lovely The MILDLY laughed
sonnet, looking quizzical.
1t happened to be the "How do l
love thee, let me count the ways" one,
and Elsie (no wonder) blushed under
his look. After that the MILDLY did
not look quizzical when he read. Ell
sic might not understand poetry, but
she did understand some things.
After a week the MILDLY began to
quote poetry-in the moonlight. He
knew great deal and made verses
ok FOL 10 hol in r
to do but to read and write when they
were at sea, when she, with a sigh,
said she wished she knew all the love-
ly poems he did and that she were
clever and wrote poetry.
Once coming home in the moonlight,
he put his fingers over hers on his
arm and quoted some lines that be-
gan
My loves blue eyes are like the sea,
And there l make my home
The lines were of just about that re-
markable degree of excellence of the
variety of poetry known as college
verse, but Elsie thought they were
much more beautiful than any she had
ever heard. She said over some of
the words to herself that night as she
was getting ready for bed, and she
kissed her fingers just as if she had
read novels.
When they went to dances Elsie
could not remember all the men she
danced with, but she knew just how
many dances one particular MILDLY had.
There was a farewell dance given
sailed. Everybody was very gay.
Elsie had been reading poetry alone
that day and looked trifle pale. She
wore light blue-you know she was
blonde and just out of boarding
school. She carried big bunch af
white flowers and buried her poor lit
tie nose in them every now and then.
The MILDLY had sent them in the af-
ternoon with note saying that he
was so sorry not to be able to go with
her that evening, but he was officer of
the deck and could not leave. He
hoped she would let the flowers repre-
sent his thought of her, but they
could not express the sorrow he felt
at not being with her.
Elsie read the note and cried till
that dear little nose looked red and
she had to take to powder. She tried
to remember what it was the MILDLY
had said once about white flowers.
Wasn't it that they faded in an hour,
like a woman who dies without being
loved? 1t was something like that,
certainly.
Anyhow, she remembered having
said that she simply adored them.
They were a pallid, faded bunch when
she got home from the dance, but she
kept them.
There was good tide, so the ship
sailed early the next morning, and
her only farewell was another little
note and some pansies, with Here's
pansies; that's for thoughts" On the
card
Contrary to custom no one joked
Elsie about the MILDLY, and perhaps it
was as well, for two weeks later the
"Gentlewoman" published the an
nouncement of his engagement to
Miss Elizabeth Stone Pierce of South
sea-
The notice said Miss Pierce was a
pretty blonde and most charming
and accomplished young woman, who
had spent a great deal of her life
abroad, that the engagement was one
of long standing, but had not been
previously announced because of the
young woman's youth; that Miss
Pierce was an heiress; and that the
wedding would take place at st. Johns
in September.
Captain Forbes read this aloud in an
easy, natural voice at the dinner table,
while the soft wind futtered the can
die flames and the little curls on Ell
sizes forehead. She put down her cof-
fee cup with a strained look, and said
with the air of one who says some
thing to fill a pause in the conversa-
ton:
He was the first naval officer ever
met"
Which, Of course, was just what Ell
sic would say!-H. O. c., in Illus
trated Bits.