Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-10-29
The
Unexpected
An Army Officer Meets
With a Surprise.
By THEODORE BARTON.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.


to brother officer, you and are Of
the same height and weight. Let me
have n suit Of your undress uniform"
Certainly. May ask what you pro-
pose doing with it?"
"Yes, wear 1t. Listen. old man. and
I'll tell you secret"
Proceed. If the secret is worth
the uniform it's a CO.
Nearly ten years ago. when l was
a beardless boy at West Point. had
a Irritation with girl
You mean you had several dozen
firtations with several dozen girls
"Yes, but one of them has turned
out to be the real thing. We've never
met since, but we corresponded. l
have never forgotten her. and she
writes that she's never forgotten me.
To make long story short. she has
agreed to marry me-"
whats that to do with my uni
form2"
I'm coming to that. MarIan-Mari
an Singleton Is her name-is to come
to me at the Philippines to be married.
I've written her that | have been
ordered out there and must report at
my station at once. No time to be
married here. She is to go out to join
me ON the ship | sail in today, but
doesn't know that | will be aboard.
What l 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 to complete the decep-
ton"
81 see-what you are after Is to win
your fiancee from yourself"
"Or anew"
that, judging from my experience with
women, l expect you'll succeed"
But don't you see that in either case
1 win?"
"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 1t anything more than business
contract"
Take care that you don't have so
much romance that you'll lose the girl"
Nonsense! A woman Is a woman,
to be won, held or taken away until
she is wife. Then she becomes
amenable to what we call honor and
not before. Marian Singleton was the
most desperate flirt who ever tackled
the corps of cadets. She moved us
down a3 with a Gatling gun. But
believe she is a good woman. III
draw her into her old habit. She'll
flirt with me, but she'll tell me that
her hand Is promised and she will not
marry me, or at least without her
fance's release. Don't you see what
a delicious situation it will 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? Lugging half
a dozen children from post to post.
to have a ranking bachelor officer turn
us out of our quarters when he takes
a fancy to do so. Here's your uniform.
think 1t will fit you exactly. All
ask in return for 1t Is that you shall
write me as to whether Cadet or Cap
tain Morris wins the girl"
III do It, What's more, I'll keep
diary noting down how the affair pro-
crosses and send 1t to you when the
matter is decided"
In the time required for trip to
the Philippines and return Captain
Hawkins received fat envelope, the
main points Of which are contained In
the following synopsis:
Sept 5.
Sailed this afternoon. Didn't recog-
point her out to me. She Is changed
from a giddy girl of eighteen to a
dignifed woman Of twenty seven. Still.
can see In her traces of those facul-
ties so attractive to men with which
she bowled US all down at West Point
She seems to be under the care of
gentleman about forty years old, who
is starting on tour of the world.
Sept. Z.
Have concluded to consider myself
corps of observation for awhile.
Marian spends lot Of time on deck
with Merton, the gentleman who ap-
pears to have her under his care. He
is very smooth cut man. and lady
who knows him tells me that he is
very intelligent. He seems also to
have plenty Of money. Marian, l am
quite sure, Is at least flirting with
him, and there may be something deep
er in her intentions. 1t doesn't seem
to matter whether ! am in the infan-
try or the artillery so far as she is
concerned. | don't appear to cut any
figure in the matter at all.
Sept. 0.
Have been introduced to Marian as
Captain Withers. She received me as
she receives every one-cordially-bu
there was not the slightest sign Of rec
pgnition. 1 would have been more like
ly to recognize her than she to recog-
nize me, since l have a bushy beard
and am pretending to be In a different
corps from what she expects. | pass
ed half an hour with her on deck