Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-23

Miss Wheelock took the gift from the
hands of the young officer with down.
cast eyes, for IT as well as preceding
attentions seemed to surely indicate
that before the night had passed she
would be his betrothed.
The dancing was Kept Up to a late
hour, and there seemed to be no cloud
on the festivities, though the older of.
GERS wives doubtless felt the serious
ness of the occasion. Maud every mo-
ment expected that her lover would
| draw her away from the throng and
tell her what she was longing to hear:
| but, though he danced with her often.
he made no such move. When the
evening had passed and they parted
| without his having spoken great was
| her disappointment Instead Of leav-
ing him with a kiss of betrothal it was
with the ordinary inclination to which
they had been accustomed
The next morning Huntington was
busy preparing for the move. which
was to take place shortly before noon.
Maud appeared several times ca the
parade, saying goodby to different per-
sons who were to leave. Huntington
watched her wistfully, evidently er-
Dect1Dg neE 10 CdlL 1lin u nEF. but
she did not On the contrary, she took
no especial notice Of him At last the
column was formed, the pioneers with
their axes at the head, the wagons in
the center, and at the word forward
the band struck up an inspiriting afr,
and the march was begun.
When the war between the states
came on Major Howard Huntington
cast his lot with the Confederates and
became a general in one Of their
armies. From the time he had left
Fort Monroe for the Seminole war til
three years had passed he did not re-
turn there. When he did return Colo
mel wheelock had been relieved from
the command by another officer and
had gone north with his family. The
colonel died before the war of '61I
Maud Wheelock remained maid. She
had numerous offers, but she declined
them all. With her mother and sister
after Colonel Wheelock's death she re-
sided in Washington.
When the surrender came at Apo
mattox General Huntington retired to
an estate he had inherited in Virginia
and when the reconstruction period
was over was elected to congress. He
had not been in Washington long be-
fore he heard that his old sweetheart
was there. He wrote her a note asking
If she remembered a certain Lieuten-
ant Huntington whom she had met
thirty years agone when her father
commanded at Fort Marion. II so he
would be pleased, with her permission
to call upon her.
He received a reply that Miss Vince
lock remembered Lieutenant Hunting.
ton very well and had since often seen
his name mentioned as General Hunt
ington of the Confederate army. She
would be much pleased to renew their
acquaintance that had been broken so
long before. Huntington made the
call and greeted his former sweetheart
with one Of those ceremonious bows to
which he had from his youth been ac-
Then they sat down and
paid each other compliments, each tell
ng the other that time had made
any change, considering the
'alsehood atoned for by the pleasure
given.
"Are you married, general?" asked
Hiss Wheelock. :
Married. MOI gave my heart to
'ou thirty years ago and you have held
ever since"
''Then why did you not tell me 500"
'I wrote it"
II received no written avowaL"
"You remember the ball that took
lace before the departure of the troops
Or the Seminole war? On that even
,g handed you a bouquet in the cen
er of which was a note"
Miss Wheelock sat looking at the
eneral with a singular expression on
er face. Then without speaking she
rose and went upstairs. her guest
'aiting for her return. In a few mo-
tents she returned with a mass OK
Uttered flowers, or. rather. stems.
This Is the remains of the bouquet
ou gave me on that occasion. / will
low you that it contains no.
She stopped speaking, for she drew
nth little folded piece OF paper yell
W with age. Opening it, she read
'oposal couched in boyish. ford Ian
lage, the proposer asking her TO re
y before he marched away.
THAT is the first time / have ever
en- it." she said with inexpressible
dness and a world of regret in her
es.
Had you found it would your reply
We been favorable?"
Certainly. 1 had every reason to
pect your declaration"
Then consider 1t repeated" .
What difference in the directness
this proposal and the one made so
any years before! The one wa4 care
liy concealed under n mass OF flow
as II the proposer feared 10 make
and did so with the expectation that
would not be found The other was
1tal I'm its bluntness. The first smack
OF the earlier part, the last OF the
ter part OF the nineteenth century.
|une % in American