The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-02-04
TWICE
WON
By RUTH GRAHAM

Miss Lucia Graham, when seventeen
years of age, visited Annapolis. where
she was taken down with severe at
tack of the midshipman fever. All
midshipmen were in her eyes glittering
gems but Sam Flint, first ciassman.
was crown jewel. A violent Irritation
ensued. and Lucia went home engaged.
She said nothing to her parents about
the affair, combining her confidence to
two or three bosom friends. Since Mr..
Flint had Il year more before hlm at
the academy and Miss Graham two
years more at school. with the prospect
Of four at college, it did not seem that
there WAS any hurry about taking steps
| for the bridal.
Ten wears passed Miss Graham had
turned down Il number of suitors-not
| because she was true to Mr.. Flint. for
they had simply dropped apart without
ever seeing or hearing from each other
| after their parting ut Annapolis. The
lady, now twenty-seven years old was
verging on old maidhood and begin
ming to fear that husband. home and
children were not to be hers.
One day she received letter bearing
il foreign postmark written in an I'M
familiar masculine hand. Opening it,
she began to read. and noticing that
she had received a love letter naturally
cast her eyes down for the signature.
"Flint?' she muttered. who's Flint"
Then, reading further, she was enlight-
ened. Mr.. Flint wrote reminding her
that she had been his tiancee since their
engagement made ten years aSone.
which had never been broken. He was
now a commander in the navy and
considered his salary sufficient. etc.
Then she remembered her juvenile fir,
tation at Annapolis.
Miss Graham jumped at this chance
to escape being an old maid and re-
piled favorably. Then came a letter
from Commander Flint stating that he
could not get leave to go to her and
would she come to him? After much
correspondence it was arranged that
Miss Graham should sail for London
and thence for Port Said, at which
point Flfnt's ship would be at GER
tain date. After marriage the bride
could join her husband at the different
ports on the Mediterranean at which
his ship was expected to touch.
On Miss Graham's voyage from Lon
don gentleman wearing the undress
uniform of an officer in the British
army solicited an introduction to Miss
Graham and at once showed signs of
being dcSl crltely smitten with her.
= The lady al cared to recipfocate. but
lost no time IN informing him that she
was on her way to Port Said to be
= married to an officer in the United
States navy The Englishman. Colonel
Montgomery. took the announcement
very hard. declaring that for him the
e world had collapsed Miss Graham tool
! pity on him and thrust new thorn
in his side by telling him that had she
. not pledged her word to another she
would favorably consider his proposal.
Several British officers came aboard
at Gibraltar, none of whom knew Mont
gomery. This seemed to render Miss
Graham doubtful of him.
However. he soon succeeded in re-
gaining her confidence, and she show.
ed signs of willingness to break with
her fance and marry the Englishman
When the ship approached Port Said
Colonel Montgomery pleaded passion.
fol nroh
that she had not seen her lover for ten
years. She would meet him once, con.
fess that she had been won by anoth
er and, if he held her to the engage
ment, would tell him that he must mar
ry her without her heart. OF course
he would relinquish her.
This satisfied the colonel, and it was
agreed between them that they should
meet and be married at Cairo-that Is
provided the lady could be freed from
her previous engagement without
blame. Commander Flint had agreed
to meet his fiancee at Cairo, and this
rendered the swapping of lovers con
venient-that is, provided they could
be kept apart. AS soon as the mar
rage ceremony between the colone
and Miss Graham had been performed
they were to proceed together to join
his command in India.
Their temporary parting was quite
distressing. Montgomery, who appear
ed elated with his success, did moi
seem to mind it, but the lady gave evi
dence of dreading the ordeal of break
ing with her American fiance. She
chung to her new lover, saying:
what If l am spurned for dishonor
able conduct?"
Come to me, sweetheart. will con
vince you that there is nothing dishon
orab!e in maid following the dictate.
Of her heart"
Thus assured, Miss Graham tore her
self away.
On reaching her hotel she left a note
in the Office for Commander Flint
briefly confessing that she had beer
won on the voyage from London an6
that they had better not meet. She
also left note for the colonel that she
had repented her dishonorable bargain
and would never see him again