The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-12-21
AN EPISODE
Of the
CUBAN WAR.

his Iatner and his grandfather befor,
him had been soldiers, and so kee.
had been his desire for fighting In hi,
Younger days that he had sought IL IN
foreign lands. All the surrounding,
OF his beautiful home indicated thai
u was the residence Of military
man. Two old smooth-bore cannof
fanked the house at either end ant
were framed upon the entrance to the
grounds.s The angles in the rambling
architecture OF the building showed
that it's ground plan was that OF q
fortress Here and there on the broad
cxpanse of lawn were mimic batteries
supposed to protect strategic points
Inside, his home was embellished
with rare paintings and fine engray-
ings OF battle scenes. and the por-
traits of famous generals, chief among
them being that Of Napoleon. Swords,
armor and helmets adorned the hall
and library, and in room set apart
Tor the purpose at the top of the
house was rare collection of the inn
plements of war belonging to both an
cient and modern nations. and 20
civilized and savage peoples.
While the general was a genial
man, we'll informed and capable of
conversing on a wide range OF topics,
his 'favorite theme was that OF war,
andShe generally managed TO turn the
current OF conversation in that di-
rection with any. new acquaintances
ne made, and on the Attitude they as
sumed regarding that subject depend
ed to a great degree his estimate of
them. q He held war to be the grand. /.
est and the noblest of all the profess
sions. The blast Of bugle, or the
beating OF q drum, would stir his
blood as no other music could do. He
argued that no nation had ever
achieved greatness except by the
sword, and that none could hope TO
long retain their nationality unless
they were at all times ready to de-
fend II with the sword
Aside from other considerations he
believed that the absence OF the mill
tary spirit implied lack of manli-
ness. and so, while he regarded those
OF his friends who did not agree with
him In spirit OF renerous federation
II is certain that he felt for them q
degree OF well-concealed contempt.
He believed that the absence in a
man Of the fighting instinct was an
unfailing indication OF yellow
streak" and coward he detested
above all other things.
When Harold Knox returned from
Newchester military training school
the general regarded him with
newIy-awakened interest. He was
the son OF his nearest nelghbor, ana
his father had rendered valuable SER
vice to his government as a volun-
teer oficer during the civil war. The
Knoxes were a family of wealth and
distinction, and the social relations
between them and the Hamiltons
were Of the most cordial character. /;
Is not strange that, having no son Of
his own, the general should regard
with more than ordinary interest the
growth and development of the hand
some and stalwart Harold from the
estate of a boy to that OF mature
manhood
IL may be, too, that there was mo
tive which furnished stimulus 10
this interest that the general would |
not have cared to openly express. Hts
family consisted, aside from himself,
OF a wife and daughter only. Madge
Hamilton was a, good and charming
girl OF 20 years, and was much ,adr
mired by the young men Of her set. /
II had been for q long time the gen
erals intention-though, he had never
mentiQned it--in case the young peo-
pie vera 50 inclined, to promote a
marriage 5 between 10 Harold and his
daughter ffor he regarded the matcn
a suitable one nsiewed from either
side.isa sufO]sG l9Ys Lh aIlf1 ft NJ
With slobject in view, he had
watched the unfolding of the young
mans character, In order, II possible, /
to discover whether or not he pos.
sessed certain manly qualities which
ne considered necessary to constitute
him a At husband for her. At the
epdl OF his college term, although he
had graduated with honor, and had
achieved distinction on the athletic
Held, the general had not reached a
conclusion concerning him. He no.
Iced, however, with some apprehen.
sion that Madge and Harold were
growing very fond OF each other.
He was sitting on the piazza read
ng an interesting account OF an i'm
'ortAptUengagement between body
'ftcuban insursents and the Spanish
roops, in which a young American
'filceg had achieyed a. victory for the
,Yba9 arnisAgir The old soldiers mill-
aty yAfdot,i was aroused. His emo
Ions J%erea profoundly stirred, and
ust sss his, enthusiasm had reached
II htEhest pitch Harold Knox put iu
NJ sppsArsnce. " 49,
sAh, here is something to stir a
dung mans blood. and to excite In
lin an ambition TO achieve glory and
istinction with the sword!p ex-
laimed the general. ''Egad, II | were
ut 20 years younger. would espouse
ne cause of Cuba llbre and take ths