Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-26

,
ed States Military academy at Wes
Point. was ordered there as instructc
I'm artillery. He was twenty when
was graduated. Now he was approach
ing middle life. The day after bis al
| rival, not yet having entered upon hi
duties, he strolled about, recalling her
and there scenes and incidents of hi
cadet life.
Mounting to old Fort Put, he unused
"What a day that was when l cam
up here with Jennie! How my hear
warmed toward her! I can smell thil
minute the delicate perfume there wa
about her. / can feel the silken soft
ness of her sleeve, the sweet touch OF
her fingers when mine came in contac
with them Those beautiful blue eyes
How confidingly, how lovingly they
looked into mine"
Descending, he crossed the 'plafn and
soon found himself on Filtration walk
Again he unused: 1T was right here fn
this little recess when with Belle ]
stopped to tell her that I loved her.
She knew what was coming and look
ed out on the river and the hills be
yond, waiting for me to speak. 1 told
her that, though we had, met but a
week before, I had come to love her
with an unquenchable fame. I re-
member that at the time the word I'M
quenchable seemed to me very well
chosen. 1 was then a yearling with
nearly three years of study before me.
What mattered it? We were in the
summer encampment with little to do
but make love to the girls who had
sprung up all over the Point Ike dali
sizes in the sweet springtime. In Sep
TENDER they vanished, and we were
again grinding away at our books"
He returned to the plain and strolled
past the monument to the West Point
graduates who had fallen in the war
and. standing on the declivity directly
north of it, looked out upon that view
up the Hudson river, as beautiful IL
not more beautiful than any in Amer
lea.
at was right here that stood with
Alice Ward on that moonlight night of
the day 1 graduated. My cadet days
were over, and 1 was an officer in the
army. But the boy had not yet all got
)ut of me. 1 had been sitting on the
porch of the hotel with Alice. There
we're a dozen other couples there, and
% escape the clatter of tongues pro-
,osed a walk in the moonlight We |
anne here and stood looking out on |
his very view, though then instead OF
lashing in the sun it was mellowed by |
moonlight. should have known bet !
4,
now better, but 1 failed to act on that
1 drew her to me and
Used her,
The blood of shame mounted to his
heck when he remembered that he
ad told her she was the only girl he
ad ever loved.
But" he added, Though I did not
now it at the time, it was the truth"
He turned away from the scene be-
pre- him, taking the path that led
round by the officers quarters. On
lie way he met lady with a boy five
: six years old, the child running
bout chattering to his mother. The
dy was the wife of one stationed at
lie Point and, recognizing an officer
2 his uniform, bowed to him. He
offed his hat and said:
II presume, madam, you are one of
II army family here?"
"I am"
twelve years"
you are Captain Ainsworth?~
81 am
II have heard of your coming. We
ep posted on the changes as they
cur. You relieve Lieutenant Wa
rs, believer
4 do"
Does the Point look the same to you
when you left itT'
West Point can never change.
ough its buildings may. I have been
sitting old haunts."
[
Yes. 1 first visited Fort Put. re-
being up there once with a .
~ lovely girl"
She was'- '
Her name was Jennie Upon NV
I'D. my memory is getting shakyw
Was it Marston?"
Marston! Certainly How names
ran us when we try to recall them!
] you know her?'t
ShS mas Always Deen an intimate
End of mine" n
Is she married?" asked Ainsworth. II
uming an anxious look. p
oh, yes; she's married. but IT re- u
red some time for her to get over Il
{ visit to Fort Putr y
You don't mean it! That was the
sode of my life. Butt was moth al
but a plebe." ~
Jennie was very young too. She is -
PLY married now" ~
She must be an intimate friend of a. A.
RS" ue
dy husband accuses me of loving ~
more than him." =,
You are"- a.
was Jennie Marstou. am now W.
!. Farnum." W
here was a twinkle in her eye. A
look came over Ainswortn. -
he smiled feebly.