Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-03-27
What She Taught Him
IOrigfnaIl

Captain Gerald Donovan Of the til
! United States artillery took the ground
| that all girls were unreliable in mat
| tiers of love and a man should deal
! with them according to their own
methods. Donovan was stationed at
Fort Monroe where he studied at
the artillery school by day and fiirted
with the girls at the hotels during the
evening.
Among other girls he saw q great
deal of Lorella Bertrand, the daugh-
ter of retired army officer living IN
Washington. Miss Bertrand was quite
young and very unsophisticated. Cap
tain Donovan was the first grown man
who had ever been especially attentive
to her. and her poor little head was
soon turned. He was her constant at
tendant at dress parade In the after
noon and In the evening was always
seen sitting In one OF the luxurious
chairs opposite her at the hotel where
she was staying with her parents.
Then one day came Miss olcott, q
New York belle, and whisked most Of
the young officers Of the fort in her
following, as a train Of cars win draw
papers on the track flying in the air
after it. Captain Donovan at once be-
came the favorite, and he made no
more of transferring his attentions
from Miss Bertrand to Miss Olcott
than of changing his uniform of khaki
to full dress. Poor Miss Bertrand met
her first attention and her first deser-
ffSr INr1f fhn LOT
ter troubled her she did not show 1T
Outwardly at least she accepted the
situation, and. as she was Just grow
ing into attractiveness. she found no
difficulty in filling up her time with
other officers.
From Fort Monroe Captain Don
ovan was ordered to the Pacific coast.
He remained there three years, when
he was transferred to the war depart
ment at Washington. On the evening
Of his arrival at reception of the Sec
rotary of war he met Miss Bertrand
Three years had filled out her figure
and stamped beauty on her face. She
was the same retiring, gentle creature
that she had been when Donovan had
first met her, and when he approached
and spoke to her, after a slight appar-
emit embarrassment, she received him
not unkindly. AS Donovan surveyed
her critically from head to foot he re-
GREETED that he had not taken her when
she was ready to fall into his net
However, not being troubled with back
wardness, he manufactured a cock and
bull story about his conduct, limiting
at excuses greatly to his credit, and
asked permission to call and explain
Miss Bertrand told him that she would
be at church the next wednesday, aft
ernoon at 4 o'clock and he might see
her there.
Donovan went from the reception to
the Army and Navy club where he
met Major Price, with whom he had
passed some time In the Philippines
when they were both subalterns. They
sat down together at a table for re-
freshment and Donovan, who was at
the moment full Of his former love,
spoke to Price of having met her. Price
smoked in silence while Donovan gave
him an account of his attentions to
Miss Bertrand, his switching off to fol-
low Miss Olcott-"couldn't help 1t; she
was such a stunner"-and ended by
telling Of the appointment between
himself and Miss Bertrand the next
afternoon.
"Oh, she wouldn't hurt any ones feel
1ngs for the world" said Price. "She's
a lovely girl and has recently inherited
a fortune from her grandmother"
The two officers parted with expires.
s1ons OF satisfaction at having met aft
er so long an absence, and the next
afternoon at 4 o'clock Donovan went
to the trysting place. The street before
the church was filed with carriages,
which surprised the captain, who could
not understand how SO many people
would attend service on a week day.
Then, seeing a canopy stretched from
the sidewalk to the church door. he
concluded that some friend of Miss
Bertrand was to be married and this
and not the ordinary service was what
had brought her to church.
He had scarcely entered when a
wedding march came rolling out from
the organ. Who should Donovan see
proceeding as the groom down a side
aisle but his friend Major Price. As
founded, he turned to the correspond
Ing aisle opposite, and his wonder was
tenfold at seeing In the bride the lady
he had come to meet, Miss Bertrand.
Donovan was entering a pew at the
moment and caught at its back TO
steady himself. In twinklng he saw
himself from beirg about to be lifted
Into heaven cast down into hell Hefl
stood during the wedding service sup
porting himself on the back of the pew
In front Of him, and when the bride
and groom walked out through the
center aisle, passing within few feet
OF him. he stared at the bride like a
condemned mau at his executioner.
But she mercifully kept her eyes to the
front.
Captain Donovan went to his rooms
q sadder and wiser man. He had