The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-09-22
A TWICE
TOLD TALE
8, SADIE oLooTr

BY SADIE OLOOT
Lieutenant Colonel Beverage, com
mandant Of cadets at the West Point
i Military academy, had been busy all
| day with his duties pertaining to the
graduation Of the first class, Of the
corps Of cadets and in the evening
strolled up to the West Point hotel.
Colonel Beverage had met SO many
strangers that he could not remember
them all, though being a prominent
person at West Point he was himself
remembered. A maiden lady who was
nearing the close Of her fourth decade
nodded to him. Not being able to
place her; he Joined her, with a view
to learning who she was. without be-
traying his ignorance. They were soon
seated on a corner Of the porch, and
the colonel opened the conversation. a
There Is a far denser crowd than
that to. be- found here IN June when
I was a cadet. The youngsters don't
have the opportunity to spoon here
that we had. In. those days It was
possible to get'a girl o1shere BY her
self and make nc end Of love to her"
II presume, colonel" said the lady.
that you did your share Of that sort
OF thing ~. @>e'5f st3F4 ~4lia*s ~
9 all did. our duty, I assure you, In
keeping up the credit of the academy
as entertainers"
did you ever make a proposition on
this porch?" s1tst 1870 e
THAT is appointed question, but since
you ask about what occurred twenty
years ago I presume there is nothing
indicate in acknowledging that I
did," 't:F eEsarts: ~
WAS the girl attractive. or was 1t
the surroundings rather than her per
sonality that moved you?"
"She was delicious!"
'That's a new word to apply to q
woman"
ut expresses, exactly what she was
to me-" j '+e'5
EDO you remember ON what part of
the portico this interesting scene took
place7" q v4
"Remember! I shall never forget.
It was in this very corner"
"Were you accepted?". .
son the contrary my proposal was
received with a merry laugh. You
cadets she said, are in%corrigible.
Yours is the fourth proposal I have re-
ceived since I have been here. West
Point is the only place in the world, I
believe where a proposal means moth
ing ''+
"Mine meant a good deal, but its re-
ception took me fiat aback. Instead
Of trying to convince her thatIswas in
earnest I forced a smile and said:
You top mi by one. You have receiv-
ed four proposals. I have made but
three
again came that laugh, though now
1t seemed to me that there was mock
cry in 1t. I was quite sure the girl be-
lieved that there was something Sc
rious' in what I had said to her and
! was enjoying the stab she was giving
me. Naturally I endeavored to conceal
the fact that I was in earnest by
swearing in a heroic manner that I
loved her and her only and would new
er love any other woman. And. that
was the truth, though I intended she
should consider it mere %gallantry. I
have never married and will never
marry"
The lady was silent for a time, SEEM
ingly impressed by this onesided ro-
: nance. Presently she said:
"May not the girl have received your
proposition as she did because Of the
reputation cadets have for making love
to pass the time?"
perhaps she did not take me seri-
ously. But I had done all I could do
in the matter. I had offered her my
love and my hand. She had laughed
at me. What else could I do but laugh
back?"
"She was very young, I presume"
Eighteen"
"And you?"
twenty-five. 1t was the year I was
graduated"
After a brief silence the lady con-
ttnued: 1T seems to me colonel, that,
considering the reputation cadets have
or at least had when you were.a cadet,
you should not have considered your
rejection necessarily as a true expires.
sion Of this young girls feelings. You.
should have tried again."
II was ordered to the western coast;
she remained in the east"
II see. How many such cases there
are in the world! Two hearts meet
and mingle. Before there can be q
proper understanding between them,
they are spirited apart, perhaps to the
opposite ends Of the earth. And even
when there is such an understanding It
requires no great shock to break it,
"You are assuming that the girl, had
she believed in my sincerity, would
have reciprocated."