The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-04-07
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~sas Welcomed hY hs siiftiied II,
spss9 she s.Iicers
il.e Adlurs iile sami ias Of IA
Gers NJ met Miss Leila afrnl4ss 6
daughter Of Colonel Turnless rpn
mander IL the II rfan.ry. ~
Turnlee understood his device cad
Now, the way Absrcrombie knew
that Miss Turnlee understood his con
trivances was because she always Sd 4
"Yes" and Indeed" and How clever
exactly al the right time, and when h.
asked, do you follow me?" she Away,
replied, Perfectly"
Mrs. Turn ee was much pleased that
her daughter had a mind capable OF
lrsce'wing the explanations OF Aber-
crombie's inventions by Abrecrombie
himself, not that she CARED anything
for the inventions, but she hopsd her
daughters yigor of intellect would
lead Abercrombie to become interes !
ed and possibly that fine catch would
fall to the family. The good lady had
dragged half dozen children over
many territories in the western por-
ton of America during her younger
days and had known what it was 10
get settled In quarters to be immedi-
ate'y ordered to some other station
or turned out by ranking officer.
Abercrombies yacht was preferable
| TO an adobe hut or log apartment even
when fixed. In other words, Mrs.
Turnlee desired that her daughter
should marry elsewhere than in the
army.
At dinner one evening at Colonel
Turnlee's quarters Abercrombie was
explaining to the family ris new sys
tenn of sea codes. Colonel Turniee.
who was a West Pointer and should
have understood anything In the sig
nal line. knew but little Of what his
guest sad. Mrs. Turnlee understood
never word. Miss Leila did not need
to ask single question. II all seemed
to go straight to her brain and find q
Judgment there.
Upon my word" exclaimed Absr
crombie "How did you good peopli
como to have daughter so much
br, ghter than yourselves?"
Leila has always attended the besl
schools" said the found mother pon.
eddy Besides, she has scientific
tastes
II have never met" Abercromb.e de
clared enthusiastically. zone who ha,
taken in everything | have sad 81
readily"
"She inherited IT from her grand
father. Admiral Turnless.' the mothe
pursued. He wrote book on cora
reefs and other on volcsn'c forma
tions. Children always take from
their grandparents rather than thei
own fathers"
| Colonel Turnless, who was crackin,
nuts. did not notice his wife's asper
sons on his own generation.
do you think. Mss Turnless." sal,
Abercrombie. "that II were to sent
you a message by my code from m,
yacht out In the bay you would uneer
stand ~
Il think I would replied the cir
demurely-"taht is. IL II were not too
long"
VERY wei. Look out for one to
morrow afternoon"
How shall I reply? have no sig
nails"
You can write. or. better. tels
graph"
Miss Leila made no reply TO this
Possibly she was timid at being pu
TO the test, fearing that she might fail
III don't know how.she felt about II.
only throw this out as a suggestion
Her mother had confidence that sh'
would understand the signal perfect,
and furnish Abercrombie with fresl
evidence Of the brilliancy Of her In
te'lect. The colonel went on cracking
and munching nuts. but sad nothing
When the dinner broke up he had u
go over to see the commanding gen
eral, and Mrs. Turnlee received a Wis,
from the majors wife. This left Aber
crombie and Miss Leila alone togethe
for the rest OF the eYeing. Abei
crombie in order to give her a bette
chance to pass the test TO come Of
next day coached her bit. ask'nI
her a few leading questions concern
ing II. He discovered that she did no
know az much about the code as b
had thought she did. n eleftsh
doubling tina; she would be able Z
telegraph him correct answer to hi
message.
The next day al 3 there were ev'
dences on the Theta OF desire 4
communicate with some one. Aber
cromb.e himself was holding up it'll
flags and running them down again
Ills message was. You are a yer,
bright girl" When the signaling wa
over Abercrombie waited for her te's
gram. IL did not come. but later Co
onel Turnlee's orderly brought note
II read:
your fiatterfng offer Of your hear
and hand comes so Unexpectedly tina
should have time. But my own hear
! saws now and always Yes"