The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-06-30
AN ARMY
LOVE AFFAIR
Bv JOHN AID DAMSON
Copyright by American Press Asso-
clatlon lyll.
Bv JOHN ADAMSON

| tore the civil war was like one family
that is. the officers and their wives
and children constituted one select sr
ciai circle. Recently there have h-eu
several episodes to indicate ;hli tt.
old spirit is dying, but dying nard The
following story illustrates this:
! was graduated at West POINT az
twenty. and don know a more dan
gerous age than that for young OH
Ger. His pay enables him u marry
He has seen nothing of the world and
nothing of the opposite sex except for
a couple of months each summer for
two years during the encampment sea-
son while he was a cadet Released
from a confining life, he Is ready to
fall In love with the first girl he meets
was graduated in the engineers.
and the first job was given by the
government was making an estimate
on certain intended repairs on a fort
on the Atlantic coast In q southern
state. The fort had not been kept up,
having been left in charge Of an ord.
nance sergeant, but In view Of q feel
ing on the part of the people Of the
United States that our coast defenses
needed strengthening the government
decided to look into the matter.
Fort L. was situated on a point of
land extending into the ocean and as
lonely as lighthouse. For a few
months In the spring the neighbor-
hood was resort for northern per-
sons. chiefly invalids, there being sew.
eral hotels on the beach. was sent to
the fort in October. When l first saw
the old pile with its empty easements
and empty quarters ! shuddered at be-
ing obliged to pass some time there.
The sergeant made me as comfort
able as he could in a easement. his
wife taking pains that 1t should be
clean, and my bed was provided with
snow white linen.
And now comes the point of my
story: The couple had daughter sew
enteen years old. What could do?
What did l do but make love to her.
l knew perfectly we'll that there is a
barrier in the army between the fam
lilies of commissioned and noncommis.
that Mary Converse was getting no
education and had never mingled with |
the class of people to whom ! was
used If l married her 1t would place
her out Of her element and she would |
be a lifelong drag on me-
But here was | in the springtime OF
life. shut up with girl in a fortress
and no other associate. | doubt if any
precaution would have availed. She
was situated just as | was, shut up
with a young soldier, and could no
more resist natural drift toward me
than toward her. ~-,.l l'.-----.,-
Before leaving | asked Mary Con
verse to be my wife. | knew ! was
her and myself in doing so,
but had conceived high notions of
honor at West Point and considered
myself pledged to her. At her age, and
being one of those feminine girls who
when they love love hard. believed
that If deserted her 1t would wreck
her life. So | went away engaged,
her both our lives would be wrecked.
My first visit to my fancee was in
the following spring. The hotels op
the beach were now open, and took
up my quarters in one of them. Some
seven months only had elapsed. ana
Mary was not much changed. | felt
the same toward her as before. The
reasons attributed this to are that it
was case of young and innocent love,
and Mary was a superior girl. She
was bright, she had what we call
character, and she was pretty.
At the hotel met Mrs. Boyington.
The wife of an army officer, who con
,eived a marked friendship for me
She was twenty years my senior, and
craved some one on whom to be-
stow my confidence So told her of
ny affair.
1T must be broken off," said the
ady, "hoth on your account and the
girls"
"She will not be able to endure it
without serious consequences" I re-
olied.
Our talk ended In the lady's going
% see my betrothed On her return
'he handed me a note from Mary bad
y written, misspelled and blotted
with tears. in which she said that
Mrs Boyington had convinced her
hat she would harm me and herself
~ marrying me and she released me.
was so far attached to her that
'pent some time making up my mind
% accept the release.
After that met many young ladies,
out none Of them pleased me- ! was
oreoccupied with my first love. In
Iced. did not propose to replace her
Since the difference In our stations
our marriage would mar
y no one. At intervals I met Mrs
Boyington. to whom / told my feel
ngs.
Don't talk that way at your age"
she replied. You'll surely find some
,ne you can love"
Six years later Mrs. Boyington and
met at the same station. She asked
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