Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-10-19
A Bit of
Seaweed
A Story Of the War
For Cuba.
By ETHEL HOLMES


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 a
simple child Of nature. She was GER
tainly reckless She would fiirt with
several men at time without needing
the consequences and when cornered
would, II possible, dodge them all by
flight leaving them to settle the mat
ter among themselves.
And so II 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 a fellow
MILDLY, perhaps to an officer. Whether
the girl realized the wrong she was Of
ten doing, whether she was uncon-
scious Of 1t or whether she had no ap-
probation of the tenderness of mems
hearts, certain 1t 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 VIC
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 1t.
There were a number of dlsappoint-
ments in consequence Of this victory,
the most serious of which was Leslie
Holt. Kate had given him 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 lived-he did not
live long-never recovered from his 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 hurrledly 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
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
ly. 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 Cerveras 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
msnd Of small supply boat and d.
rected to sail for the Brooklyn navy
yard.
"Can do anything for you ot homer"
he asked Of Peckham.
Nothing, unless you will take let
ter for my wife. You will mail It as
soon as you get to Brooklyn"
with pleasure" replied Holt
Peckham wrote a short note to his
wife and gave 1t to Holt
The trap I'm to command is not
very seawprthy," said the latter. "If
I meet big blow | may not get
through. But l 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 of
Cuba--she had read them many times
before when n draft blew omen tina