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

| days of chivalry. 1t takes one back
four centuries-a century before the
settlement of jamestown in Virginia
to that Easter Sunday when Ponce de
Leon discovered the peninsula on
which it stands. Built Of sea shell
material it has outlived fortresses of q
| later date constructed of stone. To
| the east of it lie the same waters on
which the Spaniard came, and about
| it is the same luxuriant tropical foliage
he found there.
When Lieutenant Huntington was at
Fort Marion there were no summer
visitors in Florida, the only ladies at
the post being the wives and daugh-
tiers of the officers OF the army. He
found there the family of the COM
mander, Colonel Wheelock, consisting
of Miss Wheelock and their two daugh-
tiers, Maud and Ethel The older girl,
Maud, who was nineteen, and Hunt
ington gave evidence of being mutual
~ pleased with each other from their
first meeting. The day after his ar
rival they began a series of wander
ings on the beach or over the paths
lined with tropical verdure about the
fort Whether watching the majestic
waves or listening to the mocking
birds singing in the moss draped trees
over their heads, the words were the
same. 81 love you," said the waves. |
II love you" said the birds. But
neither Howard Huntington nor Maud |
Wheelock said this with their voices |
only with their eyes.
There was little to occupy either, |
and these strollings were frequent and |
of long duration. When the two came |
in from one Of them Huntington
would go to his room, take up his gui-
tar and accompany himself singing
one of the ballads of the day, either
Isabel" Flow on, Thou Shining Riy-
er" or "Will Watch" He had a sweet
tenor voice which Maud could hear
in her fathers quarters and she knew
he was singing to her.
Then came the Seminole war. and
most of the garrison were ordered to
fight the Indians. The day of the low
ers' parting was to follow soon after
the day OF meeting. Youth lives only
In the present. They knew that the
days were growing less in which they
would be together and that the lieu
tenant was going into danger. He
might never return. Yet they were SO
absorbed in each passing hour that
hey had no time to think Of the COM
ng moment when he should leave her. !
quite likely to fall under an Indian
life or tomahawk
The army is no place for pessi- | I
nism. The garrison. instead of mourn
ng over the parting. arranged a ball.
o take place the night before the
roops were to march. Could the
ength and horrors OF war be realized J
n the beginning 1t is doubtful II that
arly enthusiasm could be excited.
The ardor OF these soldiers and their
antilles at Fort Marion would certain
= have been dampened had they
nown that the war they Were about
engage in would last seven years.
nd more especially that one OF the
ompanies which was to go from Fort j
iarion to fight the redskins would ey-
~ man be massacred
Howard Huntington was not think
Is or the Seminoles or the Everglades
the sealps OF his comrades that il
'ouid be taken. He was meditating
n something far closer to him. He
'ished for some delicate method OF i:
iak1ng u formal proposal to the giif
iovec- When the evening for the
ance came round, at the opening OF
he festivities he presented her with
enormous bouquet OF flowers.
mere were few. IL any, cultivated
ants about the fort then, and nearly
| Oh LAS collection had been gathered A