Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-08-02
THE EMPTY SLEEVE.

THE EMPTY SLEEVE.
The first thing Captain Harry Ash
saw in Newport, when, for the sake
of the new life and strength the sea
breezes would give him, he had been
ordered there with his left sleeve pin
ned empty to his breast, and his whole
frame feeble as that of any child, was
Edna Ackland driving. She sat in
one OF those pretty basket work
affairs IN vogue in Uppertendom, be
hind a handsome pair of ponies,
handling the reins skillfully, with
her sister nestled at her side, and
black Cato, in his silver hat band.
bolt upright behind her
The new feminine accomplishment
has taken nightly at Newport, as
well as on the gorgeous New York
avenue of palatial residences and the
drives of Central Park. And she was
but one of fifty girlish drivers. But
a battery ofeyes rained upon her, and
glances and whispers of admiration
were profuse. Harry Ash heard
some Ofthem.
FitzfOodle's shipper, '.Veywy fine
gal, and knows how to drive"
And the ..By George, what beau
ty." of young Tiptop.
ltwas pretty picture. Never did
face look so bonnily beneath the
shade of hat and plume. Never did
white fingers handle the reins so
deity.
The only face that frowned was
that poor, war-worn face of Captain
Harry Ash. He looked after her.
flushing and paling by turns. The
sight was an unlovely one to him,
Heaven knew.
He had. young rs he was. old
fashioned preiudiees- He liked
manly women. The girls of society in
their pronounce toilets, with their loud
laughter and bold eyes. and ambition
to be ''fast," often shocked him. =
And this new freak of driving had
seemed the worst of all. She knew
he thought So She whom he had
often driven over that Newport beach
fab, he should never so drive any
one again.) and whom he had loved
because she seemed so womanly and
gentle-a dainty thing to be watched
over and guarded from harm-driv
ing with the daring eyes of fops and
roues turnedupon her, eager for their
praise and admiration, forgetful of
him and his opinion. @
Az, that was it, after all-not the
mere fact of her driving on Newport
beach, but that she should be there
on the day of his return merry and
forgetful.
He hoped to find her watching for
him-to meet her somewhere quite
alone He had no mere vanity than
falls fairly to the lot of handsome
men, but he thought she loved him.
In his saddest hour that belief had
given him little CLEAN of comfort.
and he had dreamed of fireside with
Edna for its angel. 1t was over now.
Had she loved him she would not
have been here And the poor fellow
groaned involuntarily, and hid his
fine, worn face in his one transparent
hand.
While he languished on the hospi-
tai cot, famed by the black wing of
the Death Angel lowering over him,
and in every lucid interval thinking
of her, she had been learning to drive
for the sake of Fitzfoodle's praise
and young Tiptop's compliments.
The dancing hall and the billiard
room-flled as they were with brain
less tops and fortune hmters-had
been her world, and he was quite for
gotten. 49,
Well, she owed him no duty
They were not betrothed. What
was be-a helpeless, one-armed. fel-
low, shut off from manly sports foI
life Mt twenty six-an invalid to he
nursed and tended, who needed SO
much and could give so little, that
he should fancy mere Irritation
bound that bright young beauty,
with every advantage wealth and
position could give handsome girl
to him. .~5I5tsk
Yet even while he spoke he fell
that he had thought her all his OWL
and called to mind a parting hOur in
which, though not a word was spo-
ken, kiss had been stolen and not
returned.
A moment when two little hands
lay in his-twO tear-filled eyes met
his own. A moment never to be for
gotten by the young soldier while
life should last. Other girls had
been constant to their war worn low
ers-other MANNED men returned to
find tender bosoms ready to pillow
their weary heads-fond hearts more
fond for any i'll that might have
fallen ON them.
So had he hoped and dreamed to
find Edna; and he met her driving on
the crowded beach, so eager to
mark the applause OF idle lomgers
that she had driven past him without
knowing it. Past him who would
have known the very rustic of hel
robe in any throng. For. a few mo-
ments the soldier battled with hot
tears and swallowed choking sobs
Then he was calm.
$50 be it," he said. 81 have borne
n 49,, have