The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-07-29
BY EMILY ]. ARMsBY

/ pIrEtutlg. Siit W dS y lOfclN Shi.
"She 10 IN especia. friend of mine.
She told me once that she was engaged
to cadet who graduated about your
time, possibly of your class"
'Indeedg'-
| Eyes. He sailed for the east after
leaving here and did not return"
Surely he wrote 70 herr"
81 believe he sent her a letter or
two. but that ended the correspond
ence."
Dropped by the lady, / presume.
We naval men are noted for our con-
stancy."
IF having sweetheart in every port
is constancy then you are all models OF
faithfulness."
Il cannot conceive member of my
class-they were all honorable fellows
-disregarding his plighted troth."
There were some of them / can't
conceive of regarding It was a
young lady when your class graduated,
and knew many of its members"
Zone of us you wrong. That l know
myself"
"Indeedr'
"Yes. / loved girl attached to the
academy. her father being a member
OF the academic staff"
Professors daughters form excel
lent material for cadets to practice
making love upon"
You speak In irony. I parted FROM
the girl loved the night before l sail
ed right here where we are standing. !
The moon was at the full and shone |
down through the leaves, patches of
light quivering upon the grass on which |
we stood. We vowed eternal constancy. |
1t seemed at parting that could not
let go her hand. At last / tore myself |
away and the next day began the wan
dering Of naval officer"
He bowed his head, then finished In
a trembling voice, ALAS, when / re-
turned few years later to America ]
heard that she had married another"
"Alice told me all about it,
Alice"
Eyes. You had not been long In ia,
pan when a cruiser returned from there
bearing an officer who had met you In
Tokyo. Alice met him In Washing Il
ton. He knew nothing of your engage
ment to her and told of two affairs OF
yours at the capital Of Japan"
And Alice believed these storiesT
"Others told them as WELL"
IL swear
by the inconstant moon. or. rather
don't swear at all. You are absolved
from all blame There Is some incon
gruousness in a midshipman of twenty
keeping faith with his first sweet
heart Besides, you have gained ra.h.
err than lost. Alice is now thirty. Yop
would not recognize in the woman
nearly middle aged the girl of nine
teen. You may still fit from flower to
flower for another decade and then be
young enough to pluck a bud"
Il shall never love any woman OK.
cept Alice"
you would not recognize her II you
should see her."
II would know her among a Thou
sand"
Come and see me this evening and
I will give you an opportunity to pick X
her out among BALI Dozen the third I
house over there in the officers quar-
ters'
she passed on, leaving the lienten-
ant uneasy. He could not remember
very well how Alice ID. had looked as
a girl. Now that she was ten years
older to recognize her would be dill.
cult. Nevertheless the officers of the
United States navy are used to stand.
Ing by their guns in more than one
respect. He called on the lady he had
met and found Ave other women of
ages between eighteen and thirty. He T.
entered the room, casting furtive
glances on those assembled. They
were all IN the secret and on the qui-
vive Of expectation. He was present
ed to them all. but none of their
names was spoken.
And now" said the hostess, "the
yr you parted with ten years ago
stands before you: Choose her."
The lieutenant thought of the Indian
ocean and wished he was riding on its
pillows. He scrutinized them all.
rowing the while very red. and at
asst concluded to risk a choice in a
ady of twenty-five.
1t was received with burst of
aughter
II am Alice" said the hostess, land
,ermit me to say that you are the
most unmitigated humbug have ever
,nown."
An officer entered the room whom,
he introduced as her husband, q lieu.
enant commander.