The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-05-09
A Protection
B,asADlE oLooTT

Colonel Eidridge."
"Well?'
II think I shall have tosieaye the
fort. There are too many young ON
GERS here who have nothing to do but
dirt. and they make a girls life intoi
erable."
"But you don't have to 6it With
them II you don't wish to do so.'
They are so persistent. There's Mr..
Wheeler. just out Of West Point with
nothing but his pny us second lieuten-
ant and nothing with which to occupy
himself but to cultivate his incipient
mustache. He has been bothering me
to become engaged to him. ! think
you. as commandant Of the post.
should issue an order against drifting"
"And IL the penalty Of the order is
transgressed?"
Twelve hours in the guardtouse."
VERY well. Consider the order is
sued. Go to. the guardtsouse.'
IL? I am not drifting. I assure you
I'm In earnest"
She looked ut the colonel. 4 hand
some bachelor Of forty. with. q pair Of
beautiful eyes IN a way that puzzled
him.
II have a mind to order you out Of
the garrison" he said. "You have be-
witched these young officers % as to
render them useless al soldiers. and I,
shall get no service out Of them Till
you are gone"
do sit down and let US talk Il over.
I think I ssu prove to you that I am
not 4 nlrt.~
well. 90 on"
seriously. Mr.. Wheeler must be-
headed OF Or
Hell blow out>his brains?"
"How could lie do that when
HE hasn't any?"
"Listen to me. 1 see 4 way to settle
the matter with him
"And the rest Of them1"
will you please cease to interrupt
me?"
Proceed"
when a-girl is once engaged she is
let alone. Now. wish to be en-.
gagged"
"Oh. you do! For how longY"
THAT depends. My first object. is to
get rid Of this clamOr. l can't marry
all these young men, and II ! engage
myself to one of them all the rest will
quarrel over the matter. Now. IL ! en-
gage myself to their commanding Off
Ger it will be-yery different. No one
Of them will nave been preferred to
the other"
what a brain you have in that pref
ty head Of yours! ,Are you sure they'll
not ,all mutiny?"
How ridiculous"
TIN ut your service. But warn
You you may find 1t harder to get rid
Of me than Wheeler"
'tOh, I'm not afraid of that
"You mean. l suppose, that being an
old fogy I'll do for a buffer and when
no longer needed will be retired"
you go too fast. It will be tipe
enough to talk about crossing u bridge
when we get to it"
will you our engage
ment?"
There you are again-trying to cross
a bridge VT haven't reached"
but I thought you said you wished
to be engaged to me for protection.
What protection will 1t be If we keep
the engagement a secret?"
"What does an engagement In
volve?:"
"Kissing privileges"
There is something that comes be-
fore that"
"What? Eth. oh. l SEGA proposal"
Certainly"
will you do me the honor to be my
wife?" q
mot on such q proposal as that"
What kind Of a proposal would you
kke::"
zone with some feeling In it,,
Having received a great many Of
them, perhaps you will tell me the
most attractive way to proceed"
the sutton. sitting beside the Iady
al You are sitting, takes her left hand
In his" <
The colonel diaa q instructed. using
his right hand.
mot that hand; the otherrr'
why so7'"
The right hand must be free.
The colonel used his left hand.
s''TheD he tells his story IN his Own
way" ss$5s
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