The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-08-01

He Presented Her With an Enormous
Bouquet.
their axes at the head, the wagons in
the center, and at the word Forward
the band struck up an inspiriting air,
and the march was begun.
When the war between the states
came on Major Howard Huntington
cast his lot with the C~onfederates and
became a general in one Of their
armies. From the time he had left
Fort Monroe for the Seminole war till
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 '61-5.
Maud Wheelock remained a 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. If so he
would be pleased, with her permission.
to call upon her.
He received a reply that Miss Whee-
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-
customed. Then they sat down and
paid each other compliments, each tell
ing the other that time had made
scarcely any change, considering the
falsehood atoned for by the pleasure
given.
"Are you married, general?" asked
Miss Wheelock.
Married! No! gave my heart to
you thirty years ago"
"Then why did you not tell me soT"
81 wrote it."
81 received no written avowal."
you remember the ball that took
place before the departure Of the troops
for the Seminole war? On that even
ing l handed you a bouquet in the GEN.
ter of which was a note"
Miss Wheelock sat looking at the
general with a singular expression on
her face. Then without speaking she
arose and went upstairs, her guest
waiting for her return. In a few mo-
ments she returned with a mass of
withered flowers. or. rather. stems.
This is the remains of the bouquet
you gave me on hat occasion. l will
show you that it contains no.
She stopped speaking, for she drew
forth a little folded piece of paper yell
low with age. Opening it. she read a
proposal couched in boyish, fiorid Ian
guage. the proposer asking her to re-
ply before he marched away.
THAT is the first time l have eyer
seen it," she said with inexpressible
sadness and a world of regret in her
eyes.
Had you found it would your reply
have haan avoro hlaS .,
Certainly! / had every reason to
expect your declaration"
Then consider it repeated"
What a difference IN the directness
Of this proposal and the one made so
many years before. The one was care
fully concealed under a mass of flow.
ers as If the proposer feared to make
1t and did SO with the expectation that
it would not be found. The other was
brutal In its bluntness. The first smack.
ed of the earlier part, the last of the
/ latter part Of the nineteenth century.