The Monticellonian., 1918-02-22
M "a "a m "a n H n "a "a h "a hW .THE SOLDIER GIRL.
 By MELVIN STEVENS. - y'p .s ns ss n "a M "a M h hh w
sy MELVIN STEVENS.

one of those fortunate young inen Wno con,a afford to take a rest whenever he wanted one; and having made hisE decision, he packed all necessary cloth- inc in a steamer trunk and took the train for Old Point Comfort, HeI eouldn't tell why he decided on that place in preference to several others he might have selected; but he blessed his lncl,v star for guiding him in his selection.
 For. after having washed and un-i hacked. he made his way leisurely into the broad sun parlor and discoveredl Fdythe Norton. She was reading al book. and the first thing he noticedl was that her long black eyelashes layl earelessly upon the pink of her cheeks. She gave not the slightest indications of noting his presence. Instead she looked over and through him, and turned again to her book.
 Dick felt suddenly that Old Point Comfort wasn't all that it was crackedi m to be. He started to back out of the palm room, but as he did so al vonng man in uniform brushed past him and approached the girl of the black eyes. She sensed his coming and looked up with a smile of greet ing. and there was something in the way she smiled which made Dick Huber wish for the first time in hiSi life that he had gone to West Point Instead of to Harvard.
 He wandered aimlessly about the hotel for a time, his thoughts on the girl he had seen. Still pondering, he found himself back at the desk of the hotel. A clean-cut young fellow was In charge, and for want of somethingt to do, Dick engaged him in conversa-I ton. He found, after time, that the clerk. was a Harvard man also; that he had been forced to leave collegei for a year because of lack of funds,l and that he knew everybody in thet hotel. So Dick questioned him guard edly about the girl he had seen, and found that her name was Edythe Nor ton: that she intended to stay at the Point until the first of March, and that every good-looking soldier at the Coast Artillery Training school was crazy about her.
 "Other fellows come from up North. to see her" the clerk announced. "But no one without a uniform has a chance"
 Dick wandered into the dining room after time, wishing more than ever that he had gone to West Point.
 But the next morning, through one of those rare pieces of luck which come to us all now and then, he found mutual acquaintance who introduced him. That was the beginning of the happfest month of his life. February wore away and the time came for him to go back North. he made a desperate resolution to ask Blythe to marry him.
 "Edythe," he began, 1T want to say something to you"
 She nodded, without raising her eyes, and waited; but Dick became suddenly fearful. He had never pro- posed to a girl before, and he did not know that she already knew what he was going to say, and was trying to make it easy for him. So instead of blundering along he simply cleared his throat again and relapsed into silence 1; and the girl, simply because she was a girl, looked across the room after a time, and discovered figure approach ing them.
 Here comes Tom Atkinson in his new uniform" she announced. "Im just crazy about soldier suits, Dick"
 And because he didn't know any thing at all about women, Dick Huber decided that his case was hopeless and 1 left for the North without saying a word about the love that was tugging his heart out.
 He tried hard to forget Edythe after that; and because business was not strong enough to ease the ache which possessed him, he announced himself candidate for the Second Officers Reserve Training camp early in Au- gust, and September found him at Fort Myer training for a commission. A few weeks later he was transferred to the Coast artillery and was ordered to report at the training school at Fortress Monroe, which is only across the street from the big hotel at Old Point Comfort.
 Dick smiled rather grimly one after noon late in November as he made his way into the palm room of the hotel looking for another cadet who had promised to meet him there. It re minded him vividly of Blythe, and in. voluntarily he glanced over to the corner where he had first seen her And then his heart stopped beating for there she was, sitting in the wicker rocking chair.
 For long two minutes Dick stood looking across the room at her, an6 then she raised her eyes. She gaspeG a bit as she recognized him, but wher ne strode over to her, she rose an( held out both her hands.
 "DickH" she said. "What in tn, world are you doing here?"
 I'm at the training school at tn, fort" he told her, smilingly.
 And your uniform! It's just splen did"
 There was something in the way sh, said 1t which made Dick suddenl, brave. T think that the blue room i deserted" he said, softly, land if you1 come with me there I want to ask vol something"
 It may have been the uniform, or i may have been Dick himself: but a