St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-11-17
CLOUD MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER

She drew back from his too too nea, wi Vi.
cinity, not speaking, however:
-, "'See YER now, my GIRL" said he, II
Vas goin' to az this yer n,alter Of ours ,,,S
to: t day, ef it haidn't been L, for this fight
ecomia'' on: ii I'm goin'| to hev d hand
in that now, bit when Il come bhek1
sban't stand rs more triAin'!,,i'>l 'oI
! s"<Puss only sh,rank a. little iii he
to1ehed hef round white chin familiar
y With his hand; adding some meant
to:be concihatory words. : ,ds:i, -,
i. She rose trembling 'thcn,s calling
"Father !" in an agony. 2j.7-1 ,4r.>,
ii Burbank a1 did not hear, He was, al
ready hoddflNing flN inn, The the doorway; and
with brutal 8 ohpckie the ruehan 91' Bent
toward her again. .r...,is ,,.: f,.>,.,,..
e; Quick as a flash Pass struck him
with her little hand one; two, three,
sharp singing blows across the eyes !;
and as he recoiled ihsoluntarily, blind
ed BY the smart, she lcared through the
door, like some scared animal, and
bounded up the hillside With such fran.
tica,t5 swift feet tSat the fellow, after
the first rush, gave up the chase. -.
Puss never paused i'll! she Stood at
the top Of the, hill which commanded
the far.awsy battle field, whose din by
this time was shaking the very Garth:
In fascination that Swallowed every
other feeling she stood watching the
lnrid fash and rolling smoke clouds,
nor tdrhed away till she saw by the fly
ing squadrons that Northern bayouets
bad won the day.. Then she crept
fearful and stealthily back to the house
But no one was there, nor seehied to
have been all day. Her sewing lay
just as she had dropped it, and the door
was wide: No one came near the house
all night, though she sat and watched :;
not even her old father and in the
morning she went out, white and scar
cd, to look for him.
Not stopping, as on similar occasions
before, to look fot him, a.l.ep perhaps
ameng the businesses of the hills, she
went straight on running Sometimes; to
yesterdays battlefield.
A little way out upon the plain psst
sights that left her lips bloodless,
though here had not been the heat of
the fight, some one called her name.
1t was young officer Who lay near,
half crushed under the body of his
horse.
With a strangely throbbing heart the
girl approached him.
He had recognized her, and not much
wonder, she had changed so little but
it was somewhat singular that she knew
HIM through the blood and dust, and
after the years since she had seen him.
Some women hold some faces in their
hearts forever though, and defy time
or aught to put the memory past recog-
milton.
"Oh Vally'' she said, clasping her
hands. 1t was what she used to call
him. .''
He sntiiel family. ':I'm not thuth
hurt, if only some one would lift this
carcass off mc. I've got something in
my shoulder that won't let me help my:
SELF" ..-
Tears binding her, Puss tried with
her own little hands, but of course in
vain.
An ambulahce cahe up Soon, how:
ever, and released St. Cloud from that
inc:bus. AS they lifted him in he
held his we'll hand toward her. ''Cotie
and see the, Puss, won't you?"
With gasbihg sob the girl turned
toward the officer in charge.
"Where are you going to take them p
she asked. "Is it fat p ..
"About three miles," g..
Puss glanced at the ambulance, con.
tanning now as many Of the poor wound:
ed fellows as it could accotimodate;
and the thought Of the long way before
they could be at rest almost stitled her
utterance. q. ..5::@ ~s.: -..~.. ..at#.a: :
- III live up there" she said, eagerly,
"hot heat i mile. I'll take care of them
all, if you'll let me, and as many more
Us suu choose to Bring T.. ........ .<<
The officer hesitated, glancins at the
young pale face; perhaps some red
tape sctuplo ve4ed him; but if so, he
!risked it, ordering the ambulance 10
the direction indicated. s7s't}#% rs I.
an, az, going over the atld lia,ve you