stalwart men are rapidly filling up every point of vantage. Now
adjutant's call sounds forth clear and strong and the long straight
grey and white columns come swinging jauntily across the parade
ground and rapidly fall into line. Bright sparkling eyes are
drinking in every movement, and blue eyed damsel whose flutter
ing rose and gray ribbands. proclaim her a Vassar maiden runs
her practiced eye long the line to where the soldierly young
adjutant stands. 'Tis our old friend Lawler, looking perhaps a little
heavier and more soldierly than when we saw him last. Since
that August day on the Hudson he and Bess Alexander have
become very good friends, so good in fact that Lawler doesn't see
how he can well do without her, and he has determined to tell her
so. With her aunt and cousin she has come up to see him gradu
ated, and it is her eye which seeks him out so readily along the
motionless lines. She sees and bears.his quick, sharp commands
and she experiences a peculiar sensation of pride which she can
not account for as he conies striding across the ground. Another
short, sharp order magnificiently executed, a flash of sunlight on
steel and a " Sir, the parade is formed," comes to her and then she
loses all interest in the rest of the ceremony as the adjutant re
tires to his post behind the major. Presently parade is over and
Adjutant Jimmy frees himself from his duties rather hurriedly,
determined to put his fate to the test as soon as possible. There
is only one place at West Point that is suitable for a proposal and
that is Lovers' Lane. Many a cadet has poured out his heart to
his lady love under its leafy branches, and doubtless not a few
have gone from under its shade feeling that life was not worth
the living.
Thither Cadet Lawler had conducted Miss Alexander with the
avowed purpose of telling her his love, but somehow or other the
words would not come.
" Don't you feel rather sad at leaving your classmates," said
Miss Bessie, by way of a starter.
" Yes," he replied, " one does become attached to one's class
mates, and it will be hard to leave them, but then you know,"
and he hesitated a little. Bessie looked gravely unconscious of
what was coming. Women always are of course. Oh, yes.
" Then you know there are other ties which will be harder to
break than those of class friendship."
" Oh, yes," she replied, "it will be hard to leave home, no
doubt, and go a thousand miles away."
•
The Free Lance
[DECEMBER,