Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-03-31
The
Unexpected
An Army Officer Meets
With a Surprise.
BY THEODORE BARTON.
Copyright 1910. by American Press
Association.

Hawkins" said captain in the
United States army In San Francisco
to brother officer, you and l are Of
the same height and weight. Let mo
have suit Of your undress uniform"
Certainly. May ask what you pro-
pose doing with it?'
Eyes, wear it. Listen, old man, and
III tell you a secret"
Proceed, II the secret is worth
the uniform it's a CO."
Nearly ten years ago. when was
beardless boy at West Point, had
Irritation with a girl"
"You mean you had several dozen
hirtations with several dozen girls"
Yes, 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 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 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 20 out to Join
me on the ship / sail In today, but
Hnnantt knnku hak I mil ha al urI
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 I'm the infantry, and
what want your suit with its artillery
facings Tor is to complete the decep-
ton"
II see-what you are after is to win
your 6ancee from yourself"
"Or anew"
well, Morris, all l have to say 10
that, judging from my experience with
women. ] expect you'll 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 manp
You've no romance In you, Haw-
kins. For my part l don't consider
marriage without the spice of romance
In 1t anything more than a business
contract"
Take care that you don't have 80
much romance that you'll lose the girl"
"Nonsensel A woman is a woman,
to be won. held or taken away until
she Is q 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 Calling gun. But I
believe she Is a good woman. I'll
draw her into her old habit She'll
fllrt with me. but she'll tell me that
her hand is promised and she will not
marry me. or at least without her
6ance's release. Don't you see what
a delicious sltua ton 1t will be for me
to release her so that she can marry
meT'
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 a ranking bachelor officer turn
us out OF our quarters when he takes
u fancy to do so. Here's your uniform.
think II viii at you exactly. All
ask In return for It is that you shall
write me as to whether Cadet or Cap
tain Morris wins the girl"
"lll do IT, what's more, I'll keep a
diary noting down how the affair pro-
crosses and send II to you when tho
matter Is decided
In the time required for n trip TO
the Philippines and return Captain
Hawkins received fat envelope, the
main points Of which are contained In
the following synopsis:
Sept. g.
Sailed this afternoon. Didn't recog-
nlze Marian TIL ! got the purser to
point her out TO me. She Is changed
from IA giddy girl OF eighteen to a
dlgnihed 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 a
gentleman about forty years old, who
Is starting on a tour of the world.
Sept. Z.
Have concluded to consider myself
a corps Of observation for awhile.
Ia