It was all too much for Mary, and she nearly swooned again upon remembering her first kiss, her first tase of love. And now her Randolph was leaving to fight in a war in some unknown land, and she had to stay here pining away for him! She had promised to write. He had promised to write. But neither knew how the mail could reach him in far off Cuba.

Naturally, her parents wouldn't be happy that she had virtually promised herself to Randolph at her very first cotillion, even though he came from a very respectable family. They may not even let her encourage him by writing, or they might only allow her to write respectably friendly letters and not reveal the true passions that were burning in her heart.

What would she do? How could she survive, especially not knowning when her love would return or what dangers of war or disease he might face? It was simply too much to bear, yet bear it she must.