The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-02
A Bit of
SeaWeed
A Story Of the War
For Cuba.
By ETHEL HOLMES


her that first attracted peoples atten
ton, then won them. Some said she
was very deep, others that she was a
simple child of nature. She was GER
tainly reckless. She would flirt 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.
f And so it was that some blamed
her, others defended her. but all We're
ing to see MILDLY come upon the
edge of the vortex get drawn in, drol,
out, giving place perhaps TO fello"
MILDLY, perhaps to an officer. Whether
the girl realized the wrong size vas o.
ten doing, whether she was uncon
scious of it or whether she had no ap-
probation of the tenderness of men S
hearts, certain it is that she never seem.
proud of them. Indeed, she gave every
.evidence that she regretted them.
e4 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 tie year
sOf the breaking out of the Spanish
American war visited the Naval acad
.emy 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
Years"
& In the class to be graduated the fol-
a lowing spring were two young men,
ea 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
n would take the slightest advantage of
NJ the other, but neither could find out
y which was really the favored one Nor
were they ever sure but that one of
several other middies might not after
all carry off the prize.
Peckham finally won. Kate gave
him her heart and, to the surprise of
Il every one. gave him the whole of it,
VI There were number of disappoint.
M ments in consequence of this victory,
III the most serious of which was Leslie
"a Holt. Kate had given him great deal
of encouragement and for some time
"A after she came to decision hadn't
the heart to break with him. When ii
N finally came out that Peckham had
won, Holt went to see her to ask II
III the news were true. She confessed
and he told her that she had wrecked
his life
3 Young men have said this before tC
4 young women, to marry some other
and live happily. Some have remained
single, cherishing their idol in their
hearts, to meet that idol when pas,
middle age and find it demolished
Holt so long as he lived-he did not
live long-never recovered from his in
y fatuation The words he used at his
N last meeting with Kate Langdon made
the first change in her BY them heI
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 fol
war. And the middies, too, were being
hurried on in their academic course
to be graduated as soon as hostilitie:
commenced
The following spring Peckham ant
Holt were graduated and assigned t
a war vessel sailing for Cuba. Peck
ham and Kate were married before III
sailed The wedding was notable from
the number Of disappointed young mel
in attendance. But every man of then
swore by the bride and considered tn,
groom the luckiest man that had eve
wooed woman.
Kate. having Joined the navy matri
monially, felt at home at naval sta
tion. and her aunt. who adored her. In
vited her to remain with her indefinite
ly. So Kate stayed where she woult
be in touch with her husband far NOR,
than at home. That was an excitin,
summer. First came news Of the figh
in Manila bay, then the entrance o
the Spanish Admiral Cervera's fee
into Cuban waters, its attempt to es
cape and its destruction.
Peckham and Holt went through thi
last fight, and when it was over tn
latter officer was ordered to the com
mand of small supply boat and dl
rected to sail for the Brooklyn nav,
yard.
"Can do anything for you at homer
he asked of Peckham.
Nothing, unless you will take lei
ter for my wife. You will mail 1t a
soon as you get to Brooklyn"
with pleasure" replied Holt
Peckham wrote short note to hi
wife and gave it to Holt.
THE trap I'm to command is no
very seaworthy," said the latter. Il
i meet a big blow / may not ge
through. But I.promise you, Hector
that your wife shall have the letter"
peckham honed thst his fripn