The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-10-30

the fate of the soldier whom she ha(
sent into the field. For long tim,
he seemed to be Fortunes soldier also
he had been noticed for his yalori ant
promoted from the ranks; but be hat
passed through all perils unharmed
Often Miss Barclay recalled their frs
interview-saw again. as for the frs
time, the tall, athletic fgure-the reso
lutte, masterful face-the clear hones
eyes; perhaps she liked Emily all the
better that those same honest gray
eyes shone from under her thoughtful
forehead.
All this time, while danger seemed
not to touch Richard Keene, she had .
presentiment that his hour of doom
was coming. She never spoke of thi,
10 Emily, and the child, lulled to 9
sense of security by his past immunity
from harm, was growing to think o.
MIN cheerfully.
His letters came often, written il
good spirits, addressed always to hi,
sister, bnt never without some cordial
reverent, almost tender mention of hel
who sent him forth to fight the grea,
fight in, her stead. Still the subtitle
sense which foretells coming danger
haunted Miss Barclay like phantom
She could not lull it,.
A day came at last when she opened
the paper, feeling what its contents
were before she saw them. She read
there that Richard Keene was dead.
The Fedrrals had been .repulsed, leav-
ing their dead, of whom he was one,
for the enemy to bury. M
She read the tidings calmly. She
knew he died as he would have wished.
for she recalled his parting words.
Her soldier was gone-her stake in the
war. Her hope Of success seemed to
have died with him. She did not fee
like weeping. She scarcely knew that
she felt at all /; only the cold, doll ache
that made her clasp her hands tight to
her heart reminded her. She said to
herself, still calmly:
81 must GO to Emily and tell that /
sent her brother to his DEATH"
She put on her things, and wondered
vaguely that she did not weep when
she saw her own still, composed face
in the glass.
Emily came to her, in the same
room, the front parlor at school, where
they had met first came in joyful with
welcome, but started back, appalled, by
the white, still face she met. Miss
Barclay went up to her and said, drear.
lily:
"Emily, / am all you have now. He
is gonc!" If
The girl to whom the i'll news came
with such fell suddenness bust into a
passion of grief then, trying to com.
fort her, her friend wept also, and the
tears were strange sOlace. She took
Emily home with her-her sister from
heneefor,h. She might 90 back to her
schnol another year. perhaps-at pres
ent they had need of egch other.
How dreary the months were which
followed! Emily was the first to learn
resignation for the loss of her dead,
who died so glorionsly. Kate was
haunted forever, as he had feared she
would be, by the idea that she had sent
him to his death aud not even the
memory of his own assurances, those
generous last words of his could give
her comfort. ai.e sf
The summer came-the summer oI
'62-bringing bird song and blossom.
The lonely salt scented sea breeze rip
pied the waves, and shook the pine
trees into melody. From afar Miss
Barclay seemed to catch scent and
sound. 1t reused her to wish to tread
the seaside rocks, snd press her care
less footsteps in the white sands of the
beach. They went TO a pleasant, quiet
nook, which as yet, not enough people
had found to spoil. And there the
roses began to come slowly back to
Miss Barclays cheek, aud the lights in
her eyes. She might grow cheerful
again in time she thought, if only her
fancy would cease to picture one awful
scene-a battlefield, where the setting
sun searched with red beams for the
slain, and found one face, face she
knew, with clear, honest eyes, and
month that would smile no more. Did
they wound him-mutilate him after
he was dead? She had heard such
things-she wished she could forget
them.
Walking along one day, she heard
on the path behind her voices-Emily's
and another's. She turned suddenly.
Were her senses dazed ? Did she
dream? Do the dead walk I? She saw
a face over which southern turf must
have grown long ago, unless it bleached