Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-12-28
And you are going soon?'


l hope so.' ....E ....... a.. !
Kate left the room. ] wished she
was back again thousandtimes. How
kind and shy she looked. Ii there was
a gleam Of hopc-that tall fellow In uni
form-no, she might stay away forever.
And yet my heart gave great leap as
she appeared again. .... ..-..o u
Il want to show you q photograph,
Mr.. Armstrong she said, blushing and
smiling. Itook it. 1t was the officer
in uniform, with the tremendous mus
tache aud flashing eyes. tits my broth
er Frank. Docs he look like me?'
l started as IL had beon shot.
Miss Kate, l want to take walk
now, and l should like some company.
Will you go with me?' y
Hadn't we botter have tea first p she
said smiling. The bell has just rung,'
l do not know how the tea passed off,
whether We had jumbles or mullins,
whether l drank tea or cold water; bat
! knew that opposite me snt Kate, radi-
ant In pink muslin, and when theinter-
minable tea was over. we were going to.
gethcr. was thinking what l should
say. am generally sociablo and gen
ial man, and it seems to me that on this
particular evening was assaulted with
n storm of questions and remarks.
Don't you think so, Mr.. Armstrong?
asked the lady on my right. the lady on
my left, and the gentleman in black at
the end of the table. aimed monosyl-
lablcs at them promiscuously,a and have
at present no means of knowing whsth-
erthcy fitted the questions and remarks
or not. s.# ... ...s
In the midst Of a ptaI speech, was
vigorously assaulted by Mary, the table
girl, aud, looking about me In surprise,
Icaughta glimpse Of the eboarding house
cat just disappearing through the door !:
And sure Mr.. Armstrong, yer must
be blind. The blow was intended for
the cnt, and she had her paw in yer
plate -...
Perhaps you do not know how pleas
ant it is to take a walk with n little
gloved hand resting OH your arm, little
feet keeping step with yours, and a soft
voice Ginning in with everything you
say. l was happy OH that particular
night. We walked on the common
The stars shone, and the long branches
of the old elms swayed to and fro I'm the
moonlight, rs we passed under them
1t was just the time and place that l
liked.
Miss Knte,' began, in a few days
! shall be fnr away from home and
friends, amid danger and death, fight
ing the battles Of my country. l have
known you but n short time; but that
time has been long enough to show me
that ! love you with my whole SOUL
l offer my hand and heart to you. May
Inot hope that you willsometime think
Of the soldier--that l may carry your
hsert with me?'
think, you may hope she replied,
gstiy; but this 10 very sudden. TO
morrow morning l will give you final
answer
When We got home, we went into the
dining room. and Ihclpsd her to glass
of ice- water, and hoped she would lin
ger there a moment; but she was shy
and bade me a kind good night. didn't
know till the next morning what she
was about the rest of tho evening; when
she met me OH the stairs, she placed a
small parcel in my hands, saying:
My answer, Mr.. Armstrong and
was offlike a fawn. / opened 1t, and
saw the stockings, blue and warm, and
soft. A note was stitched In them:
NY DEAR FRIEND: said was
knitting the stockings for n soldier
Began them with II patriotic impulse,
for no one In particular. ! finished
them last night, and knit loving thO'ts
of you In every stitch. | have always
liked you, but do think should have
given you my hand, If you had not en-
try more. give you the Stockings
think OF her who fashioned
them, and who gives herselfto you with
them.
Yours, KATE.
Irevcrently folded the tiny note, after
having committed it to memory, and
its contents to myself all the
way to my office, beginning with Mr..
and ending with Yours,
Kate was in state of extreme beat
ificalion. Kate was mine, noble girl
She loved me, and yet was willing to
give me up for her country's cause.
And began to repeat the note to N.Y.
self again, when, on crossing, was
accosted by IL biped, commonly known
as small boy:
Mister, yer stocking is sticking out of
yer pocket
/ turned calmly around, aud address,
ed him: ...s
Boy, I glory in those stockings. -
l am willing that tho universe should
see them. My destiny is interviewer
with them. Every stitch is instinct
with life and love-
Don't see It, mister! Glory, hallelu-
jahn = and lie ended his speech by max
ing an exclamation point OF himself by
standing on his head-a very bad prac-
tice for small boys. Iadvise all preco-
cious youngsters, who may read this ar
ticle, to avoid such positions.
We broke camp, and started off In
high spirits. l paraded through the
streets with u boquet of rosebuds on my
bayonet. ! found note among them
more fragrant than they.
When our regiment left Boston, it
went from Battery Wharf l went on
board the Merrimac. Kate could not
pass the lines, and stationed herself in
a vessel opposite. where we could look
at each other. aimed rosebud ut her;
1t fell into the green water, and foated
away. The second and third were
more successful. She pressed one to
her lips and threw it back again; the
other she kept, Afterward. with the