The Washburn leader., 1911-07-28
A SENSITIVE
PAIR
BY OLIVE EDNA MAY
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.
This is a story of the old army in
BY OLIVE EDNA MAY

ante civil war times.
Among the graduates of the West
Point Military academy class of 1S-
was Paul Lambert. He was adjutant
of the corps, which is a prominent
position among the cadets, and was
graduated in the engineers. There
was present at the graduating eXer-
cises that year Florence rutherford, a
young lady equally prominent with
Lambert. The two had met there in
June once before and had been much
together.
Perhaps there is no place more con-
ducive to lovemaking than military
post, and for the purpose West Point
stands pre-eminent on account Of the
youth of those assembled. The cadets
are in camp near the hotel, and when
they are on leave couples may be
seen on the piazza or starting up to
old Fort Putnam or down Filtration
walk-indeed, anywhere they like
within bounds
Paul Lambert and Florence Ruther-
ford were one of these couples and
puch observed for their physical beau
ty. AS soon as Lambert was given
his commission he made proposition
of marriage to Miss Rutherford. He
had been in doubt as to his acceptance,
for the girl, though she permitted his
attentions whenever he talked "spoon"
to use slang phrase-was very
chary of a response. But every lover
is in doubt until he receives Il con-
sent. Lambert when he was refused
received as great blow as IL he had
been sure of an acceptance.
The girl was very conscientious and
the man very sensitive. She took too
much pains in interrogating her feel
ings, and he attached too much i'm
portance to her refusal. Had he per-
severed she would have yielded. But
our paths in life are determined often
by some small incident. The worlds of
these two persons were determined by
Lambert's failure to ask the same
question twice. 4 consent upon the sec
ond asking would have made him in
expressibly happy. The reason he did
not ask again was because he had
been so sure of himself that he con-
sidered that the girl could not fail to
recognize her own feelings. Had she
felt toward him as he felt toward her
there could be no mistaking the emo
tiOn.
The consequence of this reasoning
on both sides was that two persons
who seemed to have been made for
each other were kept apart and con-
sequently entered upon lives the honey
Of which had been extracted. Lam
bert never dreamed that Miss Ruther-
ford regretted her decision the mo-
ment it had been made, and she could
not understand how, If he loved her,
he should be content without her.
And If he was not content without her
he must surely try to win her. This
similar reasoning in each, though
nothing in itself, served to make
chasm between them.
Five years passed, during which nei-
ther of the lovers married. Then Miss
Rutherford. being assured by friend
of Lambert that he would never
marry, taking the reason for granted,
wrote her lover Il note, reopening the
case.
But what was her surprise to re-
ceive a reply ignoring what she had
intended. All her pride revolted at
having so demeaned herself. She con-
sidered that she had been served
Alright for attempting to recall a man
she had refused, and she did not
blame him for having declined what
was virtually an offer.
Nothing could have been more touch
ing than the note written by Lambert.
There was the same melancholy in 1t
he had shown ever since he had been
refused. He did not refer to that re-
fusal or its consequences. He referred
to life as inexpressibly depressing in
his case, but made no intimation as to
the cause. Had he done so 1t would
have left loophole for another COM
munication from Miss Rutherford that
might have led to union between the
two. AS 1t was. 1t sealed her lips on
the subject.
There was one suspicion In Miss
mind that made her think
tUdL 1/nMUCIG udA lC06OA AOi AVS AS@
opening his affair with her. At the
time her letter was sent Lambert was
in attendance upon his father. who
was a confirmed invalid. She fancied
that Lambert might feel that he should
permit nothing to interfere with his
giving all his devotion to his parent.
Then she heard that the father had
died, and faint hope sprang UP in
her breast that If there had been such
a cause 1t was now removed. Rnt time
passed, and she heard nothing from
her lover. Then she settled down to
the belief that Lambert had grown
away from his love for her.
But he certainly could not have come
to love any one else, for he became a
recluse. He left the army and shut
himself up in house by himself.
When the Cuban American war came
m he ro.onfora6 the service and by