HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1913-04-24, Page 7II1E %INGHAM TIMES, APRIL 21 1913
if 4
• Purifted
BY
{�y. MARY J.
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ft to Bell, who then told what w1t-
Jj said before he died. Yon must
'ye forgotten it. darling. Ile ' •-
I, ti T m cera
,red to a time wh:•n you would cense
'10 he 1118 widow. and he said he was
Willing—said so to hors unll you. Ile
,you remember it, Katy?"
i "I do now, but 1 had forgotten, 1•
.was so stueno(1 thin, so bewildered,
that it made 110. ine res -ion. I did
not thin!. ho tuert:it Morris?" and
lifting up her face. Katy looked at
her sister with a wielfulness which
1ol(1 how anxiously she waited for
e'llkhe answer.
"I know that he meant Morris,"
Tielen replied. "Both 13811 and her fa-
ther thin.% o, and theft- bade me telt
you to marry lir. Occlt, with whom
• u will hr. • •u I
„
you .o ha,l�.
• ".1 cannot. I1 is tau late, I told
trim no 1.nd Helm n 1 tolei .
111111 a
falsehood, too. which 1 wish 1 might
lake back." lr,u ..,. . he ildar:
1. •'1 said
T
,was sorry he torr loved m(', when 1
nailslit for t Il ! l: 1 )
r
R T c It 1.
that he had
shade n 0 very hnp!.y. Aly c•eneelence
'has stnilicn nie et tedly for that false-
hood, 1o'd not intentionally, for I
Indu ull
n t c ) 14l ti I seta.n
. 1
Here s
lei - wits tut idea which I7clen
11 relight at must, otos the next morn -
ug site w1•let to Linwood and
brought Morel:, home with her. He
had been there two or, three itimnes
since Itis return froWashington,
but not since Katy's refusal, and her
cheeks were scarlet, 08 she met hien
in the purser and tried to be natur-
al. He did not look unhappy. He
was not tacking his rejection very
bard, after till, she thought, noel the
little lardy felt a very little piqued
to find hila so cheerful, when she had
scarcely known a moment's quiet
since the day she carried slim the
custards and forgot to bring away
her umbrella. As it had rained that
day, so it did now, a decided, ener-
getic rain, which sot in after 11Torris
came, and precluded the possibility .
•of his coming lloiue that night. •
"Ile would catch his death of
cold," Aunt Betsy said, while Helen,
1.00, joined her entreaties until Mor-
ris c rented, and the carriage which
can, round for him at dark returned
t .
to •r..)nwood with the message that
the doctor would pass the night at
Deacon Da•low's.
During the evening he did not often
address Katy directly, but he knew
each time she proved, and watched
every expression of her face, feeling
a kind of pity for her, when, without
appearing to do so intentionally, the
family, one by one, stole from the
room—Uncle Ephraim and Aunt Han-
nah without any excuse; Aunt Betsy
to mix the cakes for breakfast; Mrs. I
Lennox to wind the clock„ and Helen; I
to (find a book for which Morris had
as. d, I
7( ty night not have thought
strange of their departure, were g it
not that neither one came back
again, and after. the Lapse of ten
minutes or more she felt con-
vinced that she had purposely been
left alone with Morris.
The weather and the family had
conspired against her, but after one
throb of fear she resolved to bra've
the difficulty, and meet whatever
.might happen as became a woman of
twenty-three, and a. widow. She
knew Morris was regarding her in-
tently as she fashioned into shape
the coarse wool sock intended for
some soldier, and she could almost
Hear her heart beat in the silence
which fell between them ere Morris
said to her, in a tone which reassur-
ed her:
"And so you told me a falsehood
the other day, and your conscience
has troubled you ever since?"
"Yes, Morris, yes; that is, I told
you I was sorry that yon ever loved
ane, which was not exactly true, for.
after I know you did, I was happier
than before."
"You knew it, then, before I told
you?"
"From Wilford --yes," Katy falter -
.ed.
"I understand now why you have
been so • shy of me," Morris said ;
"but, Katy, must this shyness con-
tinue always? Think, now, and say
if you did not tell more than this
falsehood the other nights -as you
count falsehoods?"
]. aty lookedwonderingly at him,
and he continued:
"You said you could not lie, nax
wife. Was that true? Cant you
take it back, and give me a different
answer?"
Katy's cheeks were scarlet, and her
(lands had ceased to flutter about
the knitting which lay upon her lap.
"I meant what I said," she whisp-
ered; "for, knowing how Wilford felt,
it would not be right for me to be
Iiro happy"
"nein it's nothing personal?. If,
tit? ,Were no harrowing memories: Q '
Wilford, you could be happy with Me.
Is that it, Katy?" i►torris asked,
1 coining slog& to her now, and •intprisr
ening her hands, which she d(tla;tot
!try to take away, but let them 'lie
jilt his as he continued: "Wilford Weis
twilling at the last. Have you for-
tgotten that?"
"/ had, until Helen reminded 1!ne,"
!Katy 'replied. "But.;,7ilorrit'(,., "'she
talking of this brings Wilford's death
back so vividly, making' .le 'ttlierivi k
yesterday since I held his dying
head.'
**Wee beginning to retent;. Mt*114
ris, knew, rod bending netkrrf ter kers
ha Said:
"It was not yesterday. It will be
tWe years in rebruary; stmt this. you
I ntxti', is November. I led ,
1<C'aty. I want you so much 1 have
:vented you all your life. Before it
Waft Wrong to do so, I used -oat* day
to pray that God would give you to
Mt, +*111 ROMs: T feel Just ea trim that
to halt opened the Way for yta tvb.
come to tale as 1 ant sore that Wil-
ford Is in heaven. IIe is happy thele,
and shall a morbid fancy keep ycu
from being happy here? 'fell me,
then. Katy, will you ho my wife?"
Ile was kissing her cold Lands,
and es he did so ile felt her tears
dropping on his Bair.
"If I say yes, Morris, you will not
think that I never loved Wilford, for
1 dill, oh, yes! I did. Not exactly as
I might have loved you, had you
asked me lirSt, but I loved hila, and
7 was happy with him, for if there
were little clouds, itis dying swept
them all away."
I.
t was verylate that
whe
when
Katy wont up to bed, and
Helen,
who was not asleep, ,know by the
face on which the lamplight fell that
Morris had not 'r sued vain. e r t fun. Aun
t
Betsy knew it, too, next morning, by
i.he saute look on Katy's face when
she came down stairs, s, but this did
not prevent her saying abruptly, as
Katy stood by the sink:
"Bo you two engaged?"
"Wo are," was Katy's frank reply.
which brought back allAunt
Betsy's
visions of roastedo s
f wl and frosted
cake, and maybe a dance in the
kitchen, to say nothing of the feath-
er bed which she had not dared to
offer Katy Cameron, but which she
thought. would come in play for
"Miss Dr. Grant."
CHAPTEII, XLIX.
!Many of the captives were corning
home, and all along the Northern
lines loving hearts were waiting, and
friendly hands outstretched to wel-
*nue theist back, to "God's land," as
the poor, suffering creatures termed
the soil over which waved the stars
and stripes, for which they had
fought so bravely. Wistfully thous-
ands of eyes ran over the long col-
unnls of manes of ° those returned,
each eye seeking for its own, and
growing a1111 with tens us „
to find it., or lighting el •
told joy when it• w118 1,11.1. ,
'•Lj..'ut, Robert 1..0c.,:. en.
••'1'holiuts 'f;ubbs," 1.1•., 1. . . d a':•, ,14
the list 01 ll10ie ,il S; tl • , 1.,
nupntis, but "t
was )int there, al,d 0 11 11 ,t >i t .P!.;
feeling of dietttpoitt-tuent. -ha
the page: to her uwllle:=)1)-tau ,
hasteneamity, to ueep and 10 a.
that tt'lutt she so gl catty feat ed
alight- not 401110 upon her.
It was atter Katy's betroths', and
Helen was in New York, hoping; to
hear news from Mark, and eet ha s
to see 111111 ere long, for as nearly as
she could truce him from reports of
others, he was last at. Andersontilie.
Buth • '
there was no uteutiou made of
him, no sign by which she could tell
whether he stili lived, or had long
since been relieved from suffering.
Early next day she heard that Mat-
tie Tubbs had received a telegram
from Tom, who would soon be at
house, while later in the day Bell
Cameron cane round to say that
Bob was living, but, .had lost itis
right arm, and wa'otherwise badly
crippled. It never occurred to Helen
to ask if this would make a differ-
ence. She only kissed Bell fondly,
rejoicing at her good fortune, and
then sent her back to the home where
there were hot discussions regarding
the propriety of receiving into the
family a maimed and crippled mem-
ber.
"It was preposterous to suppose
Bob would expect it," Juno said,
whilb the mother admitted that it
was a most unfortunate affair, as
indeed the whole war had proved.
For her part she sometimes wished
the North ,had let the South go qui-
etly, as they wanted: to, and so saved
thousands of lives, and prevented the
WH0OPING COUGH
LEFT A NASTY,
DRY COUGH.
Doctors Could Do No Good.
Mrs. A. Mainwright, St. Mary's, Ont., ,
writes:—"I feel it nay duty to write and
tell you the good your Dr. Wood's Nor-
way Pine Syrup did for my little boy.
He had whooping cough, which left him
with a nasty, dry hard cough. I took
him to several doctors, but they did him
no good, and I could see my little lad
failing day by day, I was advised to take
him to anotherdoctor, which I did, and
1 e told me he was going into a decline.
was telling a neighbour about it and.
she told me to get a bottle of Dr. Wood's
Norway Pine Syrup, and give .it to him
regulate She. then. of to' tell me how
o itdid here children, so I got a
muchgood hm, ,
bottle, and gave it to ray little boy, and
was se pleased with .the result that I
bought another one, and by the time ha
bedfinished it he had no cough. He is
now fat and strong, and I .Would not be
'without a bottle 11n the house on any
account."
Whoopingcough generally begins as a
common Cod,accompanied with cough -
i#1 and a slight discharge front the nose.
tis es a rale, more of a cbild'e trouble
boli also affect adults.
•
Dr. Wood's NorwaySyrup Pine 1e a
in time and is
1upreventative it taken
ro
alio n positive titre for any of the after
effects. l;
"Dr. Wood's!' is put up in ,a yellow
wrapper, three pine trees the trade mark;.
pr(oe 25 and Neon*
s'kenut'*ettiredonly t►�. As T. Milburn
aor.ofitti, Tecate, Ont.
1 t•olintry from being flooded with trip-
` ples and negroes, and calls for more
I11e11 and. looney. On the whole, she
doubted the propriety of prolonging
} 1 h war; and •she certainly doubted
the propriety of giving her (laughter
to a cripple. There was Arthur Grey
who had lately been so attentive; ho
was a wealthier man than Lieuten-
nt'Bob,a T3
ofandf Bell had cd
i 1 a any discre-
tion
is •
c
Y
1 1 C-•
i 1l
t un s r would take hint in preference
todi:a
a disfigured soldier.
Such W .14 the purport of Mrs, Cam-
e,
Cam-
eron's ut
n rksto which 1
1 h .r husband
h( h 1
ba
d
listened, his eyes blazing with pas-
sion, which, the moment she finished,
burst forth In a storm of oaths and
il,'ectives against what, with his pet
adjective, he culled her "Copperhead
principles," denouncing her'as a trait-
or. reproaching her for the cruelty
which would •separate her daughter
from Robert Reynolds, because he
bird 1ost an aril in the service of his
c0ni)try; and then turning fiercely to
Bell with the words:
"But it isn't for you to say wheth-
er iie shall or shall not have hell.
She is of age. Let her speak for her-.
self,"
And she did speak, the noble heroic
girl, who had listened with bitter
scorn, to what her mother and sis-
ter said, and who now, with quiver-
ing nostrils, and voice hoarse with
enlotiou answered
slowly and im-
pressively:
"I would marry Lieutenant Reyn-
olds if he 11ac1 only his ears left to
hear le
L tell hint how w maIch I love
and honor him! Arthur Grey! Don't
talko
tom of him! the craven en cow-
ard, who swore he was fifty to avoid
t11 draft."
0 a t.
After this no more was said to
Bell, who, the moment she heard Bob
was at home, went to his father's
hour d
o and asked to see him
ITe was sleeping g when she entl
ol
his room; and pushing back the hea-
vy curtain, so that the light would
fall more directly upon him, Mrs.
Reynolds went out and left her there
alone.
With a beating heart she stood
looking at his hollow eyes, his sunk-
en cheek, his short, dry hair, and
thick gray skin, but did not think of '
his arm, until she glanced at the
wall, where hung a large-sized photo-
graph, taken in full uniform, the
last time Ito was at home, and in
which his well-developed figure show-
ed to good advantage. Could it be
that the wreck before her had ever
been as full of life and vigor as the
picture would indicate, and was that
arm which held the sword severed
from the body, and left atoken of
the murderous war?"
! "Poor Bob! how much he must
have suffered," she whispered, and
kneeling down beside him she hid her
face in her hands, weeping bitter
tears for her armless hero.
The motion awakened Robert, mho
gazed for a Moment in surprise at
the kneeling, sobbing maiden; then
when sure it was she, raised himself
in bed, and ere Bell could look up,
two arms, one quite as strong as the
other, were wound around her neck,
and her head was pillowed upon the
breast, which heaved with strong
emotions as the soldier said:
"My, darling Bell, you don't know
how much good this meeting does
me!"
He kissed her many times, and
Bell did not prevent it, but gave him
kiss after kiss, then, still doubting
the evidence of her eyes, site unclasped
his clinging arms, and holding both
his poor hands in hers, gave vent to
'a second gush of tears as she said:
"I am so glad—oh, so glad!"
Then, as it occurred to her that he
might perhaps misjudge her, and put
a wrong construction upon her joy,
she added:
"I dict not care for myself, Robert.
Don't think I cared for myself, or
was ever sorry a bit on my own ac-
count."
Bob looked a little bewildered as he
replied: "Never were sorry and never
carved! --I can scarcely credit that, for
surely your tears and present emo-
tions belie your words."
Bell knew he had not understood
her, and she said:
"Your arn1, Robert, your arm. We
heard that it was cut oft, and that
you were otherwise mutilated."
"Ch, that's it, then!" and some-
thing like his old mischievous smile
glimmered about Bob's mouth as he
added: "They spared my arms, Dell,"
and he tried to look very solemn,
"suppose I tell you that they hack-
ed off j)oth my legs, and if you mar-
ry me, you must walk all your life,
by the side of wooden pins and
erutchesl" '
Bell knew by the eurl of his lip that
he was teasing hor, and she ahswer-
' ed laughingly:
"Wooden pins and crutches will be
all the fashion when the war is over
—badges of honor of which any wo-
man alight be proud."
a'iWell, Bell," he replied, "I am
' afraid there is nonsuch honor in store
• for my wife, for if 1 e(er get back
my strength and the flesh upon my
bones, she must take Inc with legs
and arms included. Not even a
scratch or wound of any kind with
'which to awaken sympathy."
1:Ie appeared very bright and cheer -
Jul; but when after et moment hell
asked for Mitek ]lay, there came a
shadow over his face, and with may -
'eying lips he told a tale which
blanched Veil's cheek, and made her
shiver with pain and dread 88 she
;thought of ITelen--for Mark was dead
—shot. down as he attempted to es-
cape from the train which took them
from one prison to another, Ile was
always devising means of escape, sue.
ceeding several tittles, but was int-
tnediately captured and brought back
or sent to some closer quarter, Ro-
bert said; but his courage never de-
serted hint, or Itis spirits either. He
was the life of theme all, 'and by his
presence kept many a poor fellow
from dying of homesickness and de-
spair. Dut he was dead: there could
be no lmtistitke, for Robert saw him
when he jumped, heard the ball which '
went whizzing after 11111, saw'' hint tis
he fell on the open field, sane a Iran
from a rude dwelling near by go-
hurriedly towards hint, firing his oxen
revolver, as it to nnako thtl death
deed doubly sure. Then as the train
slacked its speed, with a Slew, per-
haps, to take the body on board, hi :.
heard the an 1 who had raced
u a reached
Mark, and woe 1,nn•1l.' • I..,
), %/Tyr )411.1.14.,vw•,1
out: •"(10 011,I'll WWI to him, the
bullet went right through here," and
- he turned the dead Imu4's face to-
wards 11 1 t 'C• '
the d II 'O 1 'pt1
s s t n ell c 1 1 set
t e the
blood pouring from the temple which
the linger of the ruffian Yot1ehed.
"Oh, 1Ielen! poor Ilelen! how can I
tell her, when she 10•.c'd him so
mutt!" shall sobbed.
"You w1J1 do it better
L
an any
one 1. Bobsaid.
"Yon t t c e b id. 1 ou wit
1 be
! very tender with her; and, Bell, tell
her, as some consolation, t that
11e did
not break )r'ak n ith the treatment, as
most of
wretches dui; he kept up
wnntie• fully --said ho . was perfectly
wail---e.•rel, indeed, he looked so. Tom
Tubbs, alio was his shadow, clinging
to hint with wonderful fidelity, will
cor'robor'ate what I have said. IIe
was with us; 110 saw hint, and only
animal force prevented him from
leaping !'vont the car and going to
hint where lie fell. I shall never for-
get his shriek of agony at the sight
of that blood-stained face, turned an
instant towards us."
"llon't, don't!" Dell cried again ;
"I can't endure it!" and as Mrs,
Reynolds came in she left her lover
(11)11 started for Mrs. Banker's, meet-
ing on the steps Tom Tubbs himself,
who had come on an errand similar
to her Own.
•'Sit here in the hall a moment,"
sale said to hint, as the servant ad-
mit ted them both. "I Must see Mrs.
Lay first."
Ilelen was reading to her mother-
in-law;
other-in .naw; but she laid down her book
and came to welcome 13e11, detecting
1 once the i '''t t.'
tl liCa' L} l 1 1 it It11 111 her manner,
am
1, ,
and asking if she had bad news from
Itolart.
"No, Robert is at home: I have
jest come front there, and he told ale
--oh! 1-le1Pn• can you bear it?—Mark
's d' tai
1 dead—shot twice- ce its jumped
) t
t h0 111 cd
1
T
to
f•+)m the train taking g trim to another
p ison. Molest saw it and knew
that Ile 41,118 deiul."
Bell could get no further. for Hel-
en, who had never fainted in her life,
did so now, lying senseless so long
that lily physician began to think it
,tan !d be a mercy if she never came
heel( to life, for her reuson, he fan-
cied, had fled. But Helen did come
Welt to lite, with reason unimpaired,
and insisted upon hearing eveey de-
tail of the dreadful story, both front
Bell and Tom. The latter confirmed
all Lieutenant Reynolds had said,
besides adding many items of his
own. Mark was dead, there could be
no doubt of it; but with the tenacity
of a strong hopeful nature, the'
mother clung to the illusion that pos-
sibly the ball stunned, instead 'of
killing—that he would yet comeback;
and Many a time as the days went
by, that Mother' started at the step
upon the walk; or ring of the bell
which site fancied might be his, hear-
ing hint sometimes calling in the
night storm for her to let him in,
and hurrying down to the door only
to be disappointed, and go back to
her lonely room to weep the dark
night through.
With Iielen t.het•e were no such illu-
sions. After talking calmly 4111(1 ra-
I101181ly with both Robert and Tom,
she knew her husband was dead, and
uevtr watched and waited for him as
his mother did. She had heard from
\taste's companions in suffering alt
they had to tell, of his captivity and
his love for her which manifested it-
Reif
tself 111 so many different ways. Pas-
sionately- she had wept over the tress
of faded hair which 'Torn Tubbs
brought to her, saying: "IIe cut it
frotn his head just before we left the
prison. and told ale if he never got
home and I (lid, to give the lock to
you, and say that all was well be-
tween hint and God—that your pray-
ers had saved 111111. ITe wanted you
to know that, because, he said, it
would comfort you most of all."
And it did comfort her when she
looked up at the clear wintry heav-
Pus and thought that her lost one
was there. It was her first real
trial, and it crushed her with its
magnitude, so that she could not
submit at once, and Horny a cry of
desolate agony broke the silence of
her room,, where the whole night
through she sat musing of the past,
and raining kisses upon the little
toe: of hair which from the Southern
prison had conte to her, sole relic of
the husband so dearly loved and tru-
ly Mourned. How faded it was from
the rich brown she remembered so
well, and Helen gazing at it could
realize in part the suffering and ,cant
which had worn so many precious
lIves artily. It was strange she ;lev-
er dreamed ofhl . She often
that she rmlight, so as to drive from
hee mind, if possible, the picture of
the prostrate form upon the low,
damp field, and the blood-stained
face turned in its mortal agony to-
wards the sou thern sky and the piti-
less foe above it. So she always saw
him, shuddering as she wondered if
the foe had buried flint decently or
bit his bones to bleach upon the open
1)111111.
C1IAPTER L.
'!'hose first warns days of March,
1R65, when spring and summer seem-
ed to kiss each other and join hands
for a brief space of time, how balmy,
how still, how pleasant they were
and how bright the ftu'nt-house look-
ed, where preparations for Katy's
second bridal were going rapidly for-
ward. Aunt Betsy was in her ele-
ment, forrnow itad conte the reality
of the vision she had seen 'so long,
of house turned upside down in one
gound onslaught of suds and sand,
then, righted again by magic power,
and smelling very sweet and clean
from its recent ablutions—of turkeys
dying in the barn, of chickens in the
shell, of loaves of frosted cake, with
cards and cards of snowy biscuit pil-
ed upon the Pantry shelf—of jellies,
tarts, and chicken salad—of home-
made wine, and home -brewed beer,
With tea and coffee portioned out
and ready for the evening.
its the alining room the table Wits
set with the new ('Mina Ware and
Silver, at joint Christlmts gift flora
Helen and Katy to their good Aunt
Tlennah, as real mistress atf the
house.
•'Not plated ware, but the gen-oo-
ine 11rticie," Aunt Betsy bad ex. Lin-
ed at least twenty times to those
Who Mine see v •
to h silver, n s}i
(t t, 0 and e
handled it proudly now as she took
it from the flannel bags in which Mrs.
Aswan Bannister said it must be
kept, and placed it on a side table,
Ths coffee -Urn was a '
, t Katy's, a at s0 was
Y t
the tett-kettle and the ulassll0 pitch-
er, but the rest was '•oars,' Aunt
Betsy complacently reflected its she
cont.onit-llLted the glittering array,
and then hurried off to see what was
bunting
on the stove, 0 stumbling ,'
o over
Morrie [ tis as
she went,d
an telling him
"he had conk' toe t 0011--11 was not
tittle' for t r l i ( i • ,
111 t) tt there under h ! c i 1 uc1 1 )
t fe( t
Until he nus wanted,"
Without replying dl'eetly to Aunt
Betsy, ,!orris knocici'cl with a ,vast
amount of assurance at a side -door,
which opened directly, toil Katy's
glowing face loosed out, and Katy's
yaks? was heard, sayh)g joyfully:
"Oh, Morris, it's you. I'm so glad
you've come, for 1 scanted ---'
Itut what she wattled was lost to
Aunt Betsy by the ('losing of th^
dont•, and Morris and Katy Were
alone in the little sewing room where
Latterly they httd passed so luany
quiet. Inters together, ants where lay
the bridal dress with its chaste and
simple decorations. Katy had clung
tenaciously to her mourning robe,
asking if she might wear black, as
ladies sometimes did. But Morris
had promptly unsweved no. Itis
bride. if came she • r c '
to him. 1` willingly,
l
must not collie clad in widow's
weeds, for when she became his wife
would cease to be a widow,
And so black was laid aside, and
Baty, in soft tilted colors, with her
bright hair curling on her neck, look-
ed ' girlish It . h anti beautiful as if in
Greenwood there ,were oo pretentious
monument, withWilford's name uponit, stns any little grave in Silverton
,where Baby Cameron slept. She
had Leen both wife and mother, but
she was quite as c
ar to Morris aS
if she had never borne other name
than *Katty Lennox, and as he held
her for a moment to his heart he
thanked (lad who had at last given
'ilii the idol of his boyhood and the
love of his later Fears. Across their
pathway no shadow was lying, ex-
cept when they remembered Ilelen, on
w•hout the mantle of widowhood had
fallen just us haty ,was throwing it
off.
Poor Ilelen! the tears always crept
to Katy's eyes whell she thought of
her, and now, us 81e San' her steal
acrose the road and strike into the
winding path which led to the pas-
ture where the pines and hemlock
grew, she nestled closer to Morris,
and whispered:
"Sotuetim41's .1 think it wrong to be
so huppy \\Sem'Helen is so Sud. I
pity her so much to -day."
And Helen 117(18 to be pitied, for her
heat.
was aching to its very core. She
had tiled to keep up through the pre-
Pltratiu)Is for Katy's bridal, trie,l to
seem interested ' and even cheerful,
while all the time a hidden agony
teas tugging at her heart, and life
seemed a heavier burden than she
could bear.
All her portion of the work was
finished 11011', and in the balmy
brightness 01 that ,warm April after-
noon she went into the fields where
she could be alone beneath the soft
suuune)-liter and pour out her
pent -11p anguish into the ear if hint
who had so often soothed and com-
forted her when •other aids had failed.
Last night, for the first time since
.he had heard the dreadful news, she
hari dreamed of uk
,and when elle
awoke she still felt the pressure of
his lips upon her brow, the touch of
his arms upon her waist, and the
thrilling clasp of his warm hand as
it pressed and held her own. But
that was a dream, a cruel delusion,
and its memory made the more Clark
an . dreary as she went slowly up
the beaten path, pausing once be-
neath a chestnut tree and leaning her
throbbing head' against the shaggy
hawk as she heard in the distance the
shrill whistle of ihs downward train
front Albany, a11(1 thought as she al-
ways did when she heard that
whistle: "Uh, if that heralded Mark's
return, how happy I should be." But
many sounds like that had' echoed
across the Silverton hills, bringing
no hope to her, and now as it again
died away in the Cedar Swamp, she
pursued her way up the path till she
reached a long white ledge of rocks—
"The lovers' Rock," some called it,
for village boys and maidens knew
the place, repairing to it often, and
whispering their vows beneath the
overhanging pines, which whispered
back again, and told the winds the
story which though so old is always
new to her who listens and to him
who tells,
Just underneath the pine there
was a large flat stone, and there
Helen sat down, gazing sadly upon
the volley below, and the clear wa-
ters of Fairy Pond gleaming in the
April sunshine which lay so warmly
on the grassy hills and flashed se
brightly front the cupola at Linwood
where the national flag was flying.
For a time Helen • watched the ban-
ner as it shook its folds to" the
breeze, then as she remembered with
what, a fearful price that flag had
been saved from (dishonor, she hid her
face in her hands and sobbed bitter-
ly.
"God help m0 not to think I paid
too dearly for my country's rights.
Oh, Mark, my husband, I may be
wrong, but you were dearer to mo
than many, many countries, and it
is hard to give you up—hard to know
that the notes of peace which float
up f•onl the south Will not waken
you in that grave which I can never
see. 011, !.lark, ray darling,,lny dar-
ling, I love ,you so much, 1 miss you
so umucb, I want you so much. God
help me to bear. God help to say:
'Thy will be done.' "
She was rocking to and fro in her
grief, with her hands pressed over
her face, and for a long time she Sat
tints, while the. sun crept 08 farther
towards the west. and tlie freshened
breeze shook the tasseled pine above
her lead and kissed the bands of
rich brown hair, :from ,Which her hat
had fallen. She did not heed the
lapse of time, no' hear the footstep
coming up the pathway to the ledge
Where she Was sitting, tho o
t g, t o footstep
which paused at intervals, as if the
comet' Were weary, or in quest of
some one, but which mitt last came on
with rapid bounds as an opening
among the trees showed Where Helen
sat. It was a tall young man 'who
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came, a young man sun -burned and
scarred, with uniform soiled and
worn, but with the fire in his brown
eyes unquenched, the love in his true
heart unchanged, save 'as it was deep-
er, more intense for the years of
separation, and the long, cruel sus-
pense, which was all over now. The
grave had given up its dead, the cap-
tive was released, and through in-
credible suffering and danger had
reached his Northern home, had
sought and found his girl -wife of a
few ileum, for it was Hark Ray
speeding up the path, and holding
hack his breath as he came close to
the bowed foram upon the rock, feel-
ing a strange throb of awe 'When he
sate the mourning dress, and knew it
was worst for hint. -. A moment more,
and she lay in his units; white and
insensible, for with the sudden wind-
ing of his arms around her neck, the
pressure of his lips upon her cheek,
the calling of her Haute, and the
knowing it was really her husband,
she had uttered a wild, impassioned
cry, half of terror, half of joy, and
fainted entirely away, just as she
did schen told that he was dead 1
There was no water near, but with
loving words and soft. caresses Mark
brought her back to life, raining both
tears and kisses upon the dear face
which had grown so white and thin
since the Christmas eve when the
wintry starlight had looted down
upon their parting. For several mo-
ments neither could speak for the
great. choking joy which wholly pre-
cluded the utterance of a word.
Helen was the first to rally. With
her head lying in Mark's lap and pil-
lowed on !lark's arm, she whispered:
"Let us thank Cod together. You,
too, have learned to pray."
Reverently Mark hent his head to
hers, and the pine boughs overhead
head, instead of mourning notes, a
player Of praise, as the reunited wife
anti husband fervently thanked God,
who had brought them together
again.
Not until nearly a half hour was
gone, nn(1 Helen had begun to realize
t.hat the arm which hell her so
tightly was genuine flesh and blood,
and not mere delusion, (lid she look
up into the face, glowing with so
much of happiness and love. Upon
the forehead, and just beneath the
hair, there was a savage sear, and
the flesh about it was red and angry
still, showing how sore and painful
it must have been, and making 1Tel(•n
shudder as she touched it with her
lips, and said:
"Poor, darling Mark! that's where
the cruel ball entered; but where i
the other scar --the one remade by the
man who went to you in. the fields,
r have tried so hard not to hate him
for firing at a fallen foe."
"Rather pray for him, darling.
Bless him as the saviour of your
husband's life, the noble fellow but
for whoa I should not have been
here now, for he was a Unionist, as
true to the old flag as Abraham him-
self," Mark Ray replied; and then,
as Helen looked wonderingly at him,
he laid her head in an easier posi-
tion upon his shoulder, and told her
a story so strange in its details.
than but for the frequent occurrence
of similar incidents, it would be pro-
nounced wholly unreal and raise."
Of what he suffered in the South-
ern prisons he did not speak, either
then or ever after, but began with
the day when, with a courage Porn
of desperation, he jumped from the
moving tsain and was shot down by
the guard. Partially stunned, he still
retained sense enough to know whee
a tall form bent Weer him, and la
hear the rough but kindly voice
which said:
"Play 'possum, Yank. Make h'Iieve
you're dead, and throw ''em off the
Seen t."
This Wits the lett he knot'flr many
V
Weeks, and when again he evoke to
eonsciolsness he found himself on the
upper floor of a dilapidated hut,
which atood in the centre of at ,little
w•nod, his bed a pile of straw, over
which was spread a clean patch -work
quilt, while seated at his side, told
1
I tyro e - ing hint intently, was the same I
own elio had bent over hint in the
field, and shouted to the rebels that
he lovas dead.
"I shall never forget my sensations
then," Mark' said, for with the ex-
ception of this present hour, when 11
hold you in my arms, /aunts know the
danger is over, 1 never .experienced a
moment. of greater happiness and
restthan when, up in that squalid
'1•:1l'ret, 1 came bac( to life again, the
pain in my head all gone, and no-
thing. left surae a delicious feeling of
In11(11)1.r, which prompted lee to lie
quietly for several minutes, examin-
ing my surroundings, and speculating
upon the chance which brought me
there. That, 1 was a prisoner I did
not doubt, until the old man at my
side said to me cheerily:
"Well, old chap, you've come
through it like a major, though I
was mighty dubus a spell about that
pesky basil. But old Aunt Bab and
nie fished it out, and since then
you've begun to mend."
" 'Where am I? Who are you?' I
asked, and he replied: 'Who be I7
Why, I'm Jack Jennins, the rarinest,
redhote(lest secesh there is in these
yes parts, so the ltebs thinks; but
'twist you and me, boy, l'u1 the tall-
est kind of a Union—got a piece of
the old flag sewed inside of my
boots, and every night before sleep-)
in' 1 prays the Lord to gin Abe the
victory, and raise Cain generally in
t'other camp, and forgive Jack Jen-
nins for teilin' so many lies, and
luakin' h'lieve he's one thing when
you know and he knows he's t'other,
11 I've spared one Union chap, I'll
het I have, a hundred, ale and old
Itab, a black woman who lives here
and tends to the cases 1 fotch her,
till we contrive to git 'eel inter Ten-
nessee, whtu• they hev to shift for 4
themselves,'
"For three weeks longer I staid up
is that loft, and in that time three
store escaped prisoners were brought
there, and one Union refugee from
North Carolina. We left in company
one wild, rainy night, tthen the
storm and darkness must have been
sent for special protection, and Jack
Jennings cried like a little child
when he bade 1110 good-bye, pro-
mising, if he survived the ,vur, to
find his way to the North and visit
mise in New York.
" We found these Unionists every- '
where, and especially among the
mountains of Tennessee, where, but
for their timely aid, we had surely
been recaptured. With blistered feet
and bruised limbs we reached the
lines- at last, When fever attacked me
for the second time and brought me
(To be continued.)
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