Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1914-10-23
ADOzEN YEARS.
AFTER
A Story Of West Point
lFlirtatlOns
By EUNIcH BLAKE


Captain Alexander Ainsworth. after
& dozen years' absence from the Unit
Cd States Military academy at West
Point. was ordered there as instructor
in artillery. He was twenty when be
was graduated. Now he was approach
ing middle life. The day after his ar
rival, not vel, 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 unused:
What a day that was when l came
up here with Jenniei How my heart
warmed toward her! ! 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 conldlngly. how lovingly they
looked into mine"
Descending, he crossed the plain and
soon found himself on Filtration walk.
Again he unused: ut was right here In
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. / told
her that, though we had met but a
week before, I had come to love her
with an unQuenchable flame. I re-
member that at the time the word un-
Quenchable seemed TO noe very well
chosen. ! was then a yearling with
nearly three years OF study before me.
What mattered itl We were in the
summer encampment with little to do
but make love to the girls who had
sprung mp all over the Point like dali
sizes in the sweet springtime. In Sep
TENDER they vanished, and we were
again grinding away at u 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 1t. looked out upon that view
up the Hudson river, as beautiful II
not moro beautiful than any in Amer
ica.
'It was right here that / stood with
Alice Ward on that moonlight night OF
the day l graduated Ny cadet days
were over, and 1 was an ohlcer in the
army. But the boy had not yet all got
out Of me. l 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 It was mellOwed by
moonlight. I should have known bet
ter this time. / was Of age. l did
know better. but l 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 / did not
knOwit at the time, Il wa the truth"
He turned away from the scene be-
fore him. taking the path that led
around by the officers quarters. On
the way he met a lady with a boy Ave
OF six years old. the child running
about chattering to his mother. The
lady was the wife OF one stationed at
the Point and. recognizing an O6icer
BY his uniform, bowed to him. He
dOffed his hat and said:
II presume. madam. you are ono Of
our army family here3"
81 am"
~ have just arrived after an absence
OF twelve years"
"YOu are Captain AinswortbP'
81 am"
II have heard OF your coming. We
keep posted on the changes as they
occur. You relieve Lieutenant Wa
tiers. I believer
II do"
docs the Point look TIE same TO you
as when you left itT'
"West Point can never change.
though its buildings may. I have been
visiting old haunts."
"IndeedP
ayes. / first visited Fort Put Ire
membered being up there Onee with a
very lovely girl"
"She was
"Her name wa Jennie Upon my
word. my memory Is getting shakyF"
was Il MarstOnY'
"MaratOn! Certainly How names
do fan Us when we try to recall them!
Did you know herr
"She has always been an intimate
friend OF mine"
Ia she married." asked Ainsworth,
assuming an anxious look.
"Oh, yes; she's married. but 1t 70
quired some time for her to get over
that visit to Fort PutF'
"You don't mean It! That was the
episode OF my life. Butt was moth,
ing but a plebe"
"Jennie was very young too. She ID
happily married now"
"she must be an intimate friend Of
yours"
my husband q me Of loving