The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-07-10
ADozEN YEARS:
AFTER
A Story Of West Point
JFlirtations
By EUNICE LAX

AA@AAAA (
Captain Alexander Ainsworth, afte,
a dozen years. absence from the Unit.
ed States Military academy at West
Point, was ordered there as instructor
in artillery. He was twenty when he
was graduated. Now he was approach.
ing middle life. The day after his ar.
rival. not vet having entered upon his
duties. he strolled about, recalling here
and there scenes and incidents of his
cadet life.
Mounting to old Fort Put, he mused:
"What a day that was when l came
up here with Jennie! How my heart
warmed toward her! l can smell this
minute the delicate perfume there was
about her. I can feel the silken soft
ness of her sleeve. the sweet touch of
her fingers when mine came in contact
with them. Those beautiful blue eyes:
How confidingly. how lovingly they
looked into mine!"
Descending, he crossed the plain and
soon found himself on Filtration walk.
Again he mused: 1T was right here in
this little recess when with Belle l
stopped to tell her that loved her.
She knew what was coming and look
ed out on the river and the hills be-
yond. waiting for me to speak. told
her that. though we had met but a
week before. l had come to love her
with an unquenchable fame. l re-
member that at the time the word un-
%Quenchable seemed to me very we'll
chosen. l "a 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 like 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 strollel
past the monument to the West Poiist
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 If
not more beautiful than any in Amer
lea.
!. ut was right here that l stood with
Alice Ward on that moonlight night of
the day l graduated. Ny cadet days
were over. and I was an officer in the
army. But the boy had not yet all got
out of me. had been sitting On the
porch of the hotel with Alice. There
were a dozen other couples there. and
to escape the clatter of tongues l pro-
posed a walk in the moonlight. We
came here and stood looking out on
this very view, though then instead of
flashing in the sun 1t was mellowed by
moonlight. I should have known bet
ter this time. I was Of age. l did
know better. but I failed to act on that
knowledge. drew her to me and
kissed her."
The blood of shame mounted to his
cheek when he remembered that he
had told her she was the only girl he
had ever loved.
But" he added. though l did not
know It at the time. 1t was the truth"
He turned away from the scene be-
fore him. taking the path that led
around by the officers quarters. On
the way be met q lady with a boy I've
or SIX years old, the child running
about chattering to his mother. The
lady was the wife Of one stationed at
the Point and. recognising an oncer
by his uniform, bowed to him. BE
doffed his hat and said:
II presume. madam. you are one Of
our army family here7"
II am"
II have Just arrived after an absence
Of twelve years."
"You are Captain Ainsworthr'
II am"
II have heard Of your coming. We
keep posted on the changes az they
occur. You relieve Lieutenant Wa.
tiers, l believeT p
II do"
OV0 1oC VIII IVA tuC o00OO W wv
a. when you left it2'
kest Point car never change,
though it's buildings may. I have been
visiting old haunts."
"Indeed!
"Yes. frst visited Fort Put. l re.
membered being up there once with q
very lovely girl"
"She was
"Her name was Jennie Upon my
word. my memory IL getting shaky"
"Was 1t Marston?'
"Marston! Certainly! How names
do fail Us when we try to recall them
Did you know herr"
"She has always been an intimatt
friend Of mine."
lis she married." asked Afnsworth
assuming an anxious look.
'Oh, yes: she's married. but It re
quired some time for her to get ovel
that visit to Fort Putt!
"You don't mean It! That was the
episode OF my life. Butt vas moth
ing but a plebe."
Jennie was very young too. She Il
happily married now"
ssShe mrSt he an intimate friend al