The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-06-26

A Bit of
Seaweed
A Story Of the War
For Cuba.
By ETHEL HOLMES
By ETHEL HOLMES

Kate Langdon was character. Not
especially pretty, she had a way with
her that first attracted peoples atten-
ton, then won them. Some said she
was very deep, others that she was
simple child Of nature. She was GER
tainly reckless. She would firt with
several men at time without needing
the consequences and when cornered
would, If possible, dodge them all by
flight, leaving them to settle the mat
ter among themselves.
And 80 1t was that some blamed
her, others defended her, but all were
amused by her. 1t was very interest
ing to see a MILDLY come upon the
edge Of the vortex, get drawn In, drop
out, giving place perhaps to q fellow
MILDLY, perhaps to an officer. Whether
the girl realized the wrong she was Of
ten doing, whether she was uncon-
scious of it or whether she had no ap-
probation of the tenderness Of mems
hearts, certain it is that she never seem
ed either ashamed of her conQuests or
proud Of them. Indeed, she gave every
evidence that she regretted them.
A fine field for such girls Is either the
West Point or Annapolis academy,
where young men are. trained for the
army or navy. Kate Langdon the year
Of the breaking out Of the Spanish
American war visited the Naval acad-
envy as the guest Of her aunt, Mrs.
Lyall, the wife Of one Of the professors.
She hadn't been there a week before
she had half dozen middies by the
ears"
In the class to be graduated the fol-
lowing spring were two young men,
Hector Peckham and Leslie Holt. Both
met Kate Langdon, and both fell vio-
lently In love with her. In the govern
ment academies the standard Of hon
or Is very high. Neither Of the cadets
would take the slightest advantage of
the other, but neither could find out
which was really the favored one. Nor
were they ever sure but that one of
several other middies might not after
all carry OF the prize.
Peckham finally won. Kate gave
him her heart and, to the surprise Of
every one, gave him the whole of It.
There were a number of disappoint-
ments in consequence of this victory,
the most serious of which was Leslie
Holt. Kate had given him a great deal
of encouragement and for some time
after she came to decision hadn't
the heart to break with him. When 1t
finally came out that Peckham had
won, Holt went to see her to ask II
the news were true She confessed,
and he told her that she had wrecked
his life.
Young men have said this before to
young women, to marry some other
and live happily. Some have remained
single, cherishing their idol in their
hearts, to meet that idol when past
middle age and find it demolished.
Holt so long as he nved-he did not
live long-never recovered from bis In
fatuation. The words he used at his
last meeting with Kate Langdon made
the first change in her. By them her
light, gladstone nature received its first
SOLDERING.
Meanwhile the Cuban war was COM
ing on, and ships and munitions were
being hurriedly put in condition for
war. And the middies, too, were being
hurried on In their academic course,
to be graduated as soon as hostilities
commenced.
The following spring Peckham and
Holt were graduated and assigned to
q war vessel sailing for Cuba. Peck
ham and Kate were married before he
sailed. The wedding was notable from
the number of disappointed young men
In attendance. But every man Of them
swore by the bride and considered the
groom the luckiest man that had ever
wooed woman.
Kate, having Joined the navy matri-
monially, felt at home at naval sta
ton, and her aunt, who adored her, In
vited her to remain with her indefinite
~. So Kate stayed where she would
be In touch with her husband far more
than at home That was an exciting
summer. First came news Of the fight
In Manila bay, then the entrance Of
the Spanish Admiral Cervera's feet
into Cuban waters, its attempt to es-
cape and its destruction.
Peckham and Holt went through this
last fight, and when 1t was over the
latter officer was ordered to the COM
mand of a small supply boat and d.
rected to sail for the Brooklyn navy
yard.
"Can do anything for you at homer"
he asked of Peckham.
Nothing, unless you will take a let
ter for my wife. You will mail 1t as
soon as you get to Brooklyn"
; with pleasure" replied Holt.
Peckham wrote short note to his
wife and gave it to Holt.
'4The trap I'm to command is not
very seaworthy," said the latter. "If
meet big blow 1 may not get
through. But promise you, Hector,
that your wife shall have the letter..
Peckham hoped that his friend
would get through safely, and they
parted.
One morning young Mrs. Peckham
was sitting in her room at Annapolis
reading accounts of the naval fight off
Cuba-she had read them many times
befOre-when a draft blew open the
door and there came into the room q
strong smell Of the sea. Standing be.
fore the opening was Leslie Holt, pale
and exhausted
"Why, Mr.. Holtp exclaimed Mrs
Peckham.
Without word he handed her a let
ter. Thinking 1t to be from her hus
band or that 1t might bring her bad
news from him, her attention was mo
mentarily turned from It's bearer tC
the letter. 1t bore evidence Of having
been wet. A dampness chung to 1t
and the letters Of the address had
run together. She tore 1t open and
read it. 1t was simply an announce
ment that the writer was we'll, had
suffered nothing in the recent engage
ment and hoped before many weeks t
return to her. Having satisfied her
self that 1t BODIED no harm to the mar
she loved, she turned to its bearer. he
was not there
Thinking that what had passed be
tween them before her marriage ha6
led him to go away without even hay
ing been thanked, she tossed the letter
on table and ran out into the hall t.
stop him. Not finding him In the hail
she went out on to the porch. He was
not there, nor was he anywhere to b.
seen, though there was nothing fol
some distance to ohstruct her vision.
STRANGE she said to herself ant
returned to her room, a fear cominG