Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1910-12-29
The
Unexpected
An Army Officer Meets
With a Surprise.
By THEODORE BARTON.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

HaWklnSs' said captain in the
United Sta, - army in San Francisco
to a brother officer, you and are Of
the same height and weight Let me
have suit of your undress uniform"
Certainly. May ask what you pro.
pose doing with ity'
"Yes, wear it. Listen. old man. and
III tell you secret"
Proceed. If the secret is worth
the uniform it's GO
Nearly ten years ago. when | was
beardless boy AT West Point, had
a Irritation with a girl"
You mean you had several dozen
hirtations with several dozen girls
Eyes, but one of them has turned
out to be the real thing We've never
met since. but we correspondent
have never forgotten her. and she
writes that she's never forgotten me.
To make Il long story short she has
agreed to marry me"
whats that to do with my uni
FORM?
I'm coming to that Marian Mari
an Singleton is her name is to come
to me at the Philippines to he married
I've written her that | have been
ordered out there and must report at
my station ut once. No time to be
married here She is to 90 ont to join
me ON the ship / sail in today, but
doesn't know that will be aboard
What | am aiming at is to win her
over again She will never recognize
in the bearded man Of thirty the
smooth faced cadet of twenty She
knows that I'm in the infantry and
what | want your suit with its artillery
facings for is 10 complete the decep-
tom
Il see what YOU are after is TO win
your fancee from Yourself"
"0r anew"
well, Norris, alI | have to say is
that, judging from my experience with
women, | expect y0ull succeed"
But don't you see that in either case
| VIM"
"Oh, | don't care whether Captain or
Cadet Morris is To be the lucky mani
You've no romance in you, Haw-
kins. For my part don't consider
marriage without the spice of romance
in it anything more than a business
contract"
Take care tEaj YOU don't have so
much romance thar you'll lose the girl,
Nonsense. 4 Nolnan is woman.
to be won, held o. taken away until
she is wife Then she becomes
amenable to what we call honor and
not before. Marian Singleton was the
most desperate hirt who ever tackled
the corps of cadets She moved us
down as with a Gatling gun. But
believe she is good woman. III
draw her into her old habit She'll
tiirt with me. but she'll tell me that
her hand is promised and she will not
marry me, or at least without her
tiances release. Don't you see what
a delicious situation ii viii be for me
to release her so that she can marry
me-
"Oh, don't bother me with your love
games. What DO they all end in for
US army men anyway? Logging half
a dozen children from post to post.
to have ranking bachelor officer turn
us out Of our quarters when he takes
a fancy to do so. Here's your uniform
l think it will fit you exactly. An
ask in return for it is that you shall
write me as TO 'chether Cadet or Cap
tain Morris wins the girl"
I'm do it, What's more, I'll keep
diary noting down how the affair pro-
crosses and send it to you when the
matter is decided
In the time required for a trip to
the Philippines and return Captain
Hawkins received a fat envelope, the
main points of which are contained in
the following synopsis:
Sept g.
Sailed this afternoon Didn't recog.
nize Marian tin | got the purser to
point her out 10 me She is changed
from eiddy girl Of eighteen TO
diguted woman Of twenty StiH,
l can see in her traces Of those facu-
ties So attractive 70 men with which
She bowled us aiI down at West Point
She seems 10 hg under the care of a
gentleman about forty years old, who
is starting on q tour of the world.
Sept T.
Have concluded to consider myself
a corps OF observation for awhile
Marian spends lot Of time on dccl,
with Merton. the gentleman who ap.
pears to have her under his care. lie
is q very smooth cut man. ana a lady
who knows him tells me Thar he is
very intelligent He seems also 10 /.
have plenty of money Marian I ann |
quite sure is at least hirting with /
him and there may be something deep. /
er in her intentions. Ii doesu'r seem /
to matter whether ! am in The mfau. I
try or the artillery So far as she IS \
concerned don't appear to cur any /
figure in the matter at all
sept 9.
Have been introduced 10 Marian as
Captain WitherS. She received me MS
she receives every oue-cordally but
there was not the slightest sign of rec.