The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-09-20

him, ard dressed his wounds, and held the
cooling drink to his parched lips, and never
gave sign Of her own agony. Sometimes
the two old servants would come softly up
the stairs and sit beside the door in the outer
passage. The lady let them stay there, but
she never gave them leave to take her place
or to aid her in any way, but kepther watch
beside her son, fearless and sleepless from
| first to last. H
One midnight the old man servant heard
the young officer utter low cry, and hasten
ing to the door. saw him half rising on his
pillow, with wild eyes and a Grim son flush
upon his hollow check. His mother was
bending over him.
MY son, what ails you p she asked.
81 cannot sleep--I cannot rest, he an.
swered !" that mans face haunts me-
What mans face p asked the lady.
The one who shot me: who shot me
three times in that one day, and who rode
off unharmed at last" answered the son.
"Yet aimed at his heart, over. and over
again. I, who never miss man. He must
have borne charmed life."
Yon were unconscious. You are not
sure that he escaped" said the lady "per.
haps you wounded him. Perhaps you kill
ed him."
No, no." said her son "no saw him
afterwatd, when they were carrying me
from the field on litter. He was cheering
on his men, and laughing"
Sand his face haunts you p asked the
lady.
Aye, mother; waking or sleeping, !
cannot forget it."
Why's"
"How can tell. mother? Partly because
I hate him, partly because it was so strange
face" III frf ,.a
Will you describe It to me ?"
The old woman uttered the words in a
voice which made the listening servant shud-
dcr-it was so cold and hollow.
It was fair face, with pale golden hair,
answered the officer "but the eyes were
black and shaded by the darkest laskes and
the longest that I ever saw upon the lids Of
a man. The nose was straight and the
mouth Arm, and upon his right cheek was a
red stain shaped something like a heart
But for that stain he would have been hand
some. and yet a fiend's face could not haunt
me more ftarfully." a iaaf '.b
:" A fair face with golden hair" muttcred
the lady with black eyes and long dark
lashes, aud a red stain upon the right check.
That was the man who shot my son. I'll
remember It, Guy-I'll remember il If
were man would ride out into the field,
search for him until found him, and shoot
him dead. But am weak woman, my
son, and must wait but I'll remember
him, Guy--r'll remember him "
And again the old servant at the door
trem5!ed at the solnd of her awful voice -
By dawn Guy Maldon lay dead, and his
mother was wailing over his still form aad
giving vent to all those sobs and means
which she had pent up within hor bresst
during the last weary days Of her sons life.
All her pride seemed gone, all her stern self
control over, and for while she was very
woman. But the yielding mood passed by;
and when she had seen the turf piled over
her darling's heart, she went home as cold
and naughty q lady as she had been in days
gone by Only her form was bent as though
with many years, and her hair was white
and her hands long thin and bony, and she
had way oc talking to herself that seemed
the token of wandering mind and the
old servant, when he listened, heard her say
"a fair face, with pale golden hair, black,
long fringed eyes, and a red stain upon the
right cheek. ! must not forget must moi
forget. But despite all this, change for
the better had taken place in the lady's mien.
She had been hitherto naughty and cruel to
the poor, and now she bec,me their bene.
factress. All wandering strangers had vel
come to her roof and, above all, she hailed
the presence of a soldier, whether friend
or an enemy to the cause she advocated
She even bent her pride so Gar as to talk
with them herself and would watch for their
coming for hours together. Yet always,
when they were gone, she would seem to
chafe and fume as though she had been dis
appointed in some expectation.
At last, ono bright Spring day, six months
from that on which Guy Maldon had breath
ed his last, she sat on the piazza watching
the road IS usual, when she saw approach
ing the figure Of . horseman. He was
wrapped in . heavy cloak, and his face was
shaded by a broad-leaved hat bu. the old
woman peered anxiously down the path as
approached. and muttered softly 10 herself,
as he doffed his hat -"Surely | cannot be
mistaken surely this is he, at last"
! In that brief instant she had seen that the
stranger had black eyes, hair Of pale gold
and crimson, heart-shaped stain upon his
round check. He asked for f'od and shelter
as travellers often did in those days, and
spoke of long journey and Of great "a
tigue.
The lady arose and stretched her wrinklet
hand towards him. You are welcome y
she said. The more so that have pene
trated your disguise. You are, unless an
greatly mistaken, an American officer
| The stranger started and thrust his han(