The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-11-05
ADOzEN YEARS
AFTER
A Story Of West Point
FlirtatiOns
BY EUNICE BLAKE

Point. was ordered there as instructo
In artillery. He was twenty when h
was graduated Now he was approar
Ing middle life. The day after his ~
rival. not yet having entered upon hi
! duties, he strolled about, recalling her
and there scenes and Incidents of Iii
cadet life.
Mounting TO old Fort Put. be muse d
what a day that was when caln'
up here with Jennie! How my hear
warmed toward her! can smell THU
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, be crossed the plain ant
soon found himself on Filtration walk
Again he unused. ut was right here IL
this little recess when with Belle
stopped to tell her that ! loved her
She knew what was coming and look
ed out on the river and the bills be
yond, waiting for me to speak. | told
her that, though we had met but q
week before, had come to love her
with an unquenchabe fame. re.
member that at the time the word un.
quenchable seemed to me very well
chosen. ! was then 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 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 If
not more beautiful than any In Amer
lea.
1T was right here that stood with
Alice Ward on that moonlight night of
the day | graduated. My cadet days
were over. and 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 dozen other couples there, and
to escape the clatter of tongues l pro-
posed 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 should have known bet
ter this time. | was Of age. 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
know it at the time. it 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 he met lady with boy five
or 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 officer
by his uniform. bowed to him. He
dotted his hat and said:
II presume, madam, you are one OF
our army family here?"
II am"
~ have just arrived after an absence
Of twelve years"
"Yon are Captain AinsworthT"
II am
II have heard OF your coming. We
keep posted on the changes as they
occur You relieve Lieutenant Wa
tiers. believer
II do"
Does the Point look the same to you
as when you left itT'
"West Point can never change,
though its buildings pay. have been
visiting old hannts."
"Indeedr'
"Yes. first visited Fort Put re-
being up there once with
very lovely girl"
"She was
Her name was Jennie Upon my
word. my memory Is getting sbakyw
WAS II Marston?"
''Marston, Certainly! How name.
10 fail us when we try to recall them
Did you know herr
"She has always been an intimate
friend OF mine"
is she married?" asked Ainsworth
assuming an anxious look.
"Oh. yes; she's married. but II re
luired some time for her to get oyel
that visit 10 Fort Putr'
you don't mean 1t. That was the
episode Of my life. Butt was moth
ng but a pIebe'
Jennie was very young too. She Il
happily married now"
''Sbe must be an intimate friend o
yours"
MY husband accuses me Of boyin,
her more than him"
"Yon are
Il was Jennie Marston. am nov
Mrs. Farnnm t.