The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-08-05

Damn him." muttered Clay, in
his beard, with an emphasis which
caused the doctor to glance at his
vengeful face.
Don't be a brute, if you can help
it. But for him, you'd have Jared ILL.,"
began the doctor.
But for him, | never should have
been here muttered the man in
French, with a furtive glance about the
room.
You owe this to him?" asked the
doctor, touching the wound, and
speaking in the same u
Yes; but he paid for tat least L
thought he had"
by the Lord if you are the sneak
ing rcseal that shot him as he lay
wounded In the ambulance, l shall pc
tempted to leave you to your fate!
| cried the doctor with a wrathful flash
in his keen eyes.
DO It. then, for it was l." answer
ed the man, defantly adding, as if
anxious to explain: We had a
! tussle, and each got hurt in the thick
of the skirmish. He was put in the
ambulance afterWard, and [ was lief
to live or die, as luck would have it..
I was hurt the worst; they should
have taken me, too; it made me mad
to see him chosen, and / fired my last
shot as he drove away. / didn't know
whether it hit him or not; but when
they told me / must lose my leg, /
hoped / had, and now lam satisfied.
IF / didn't believe hurry was
mending I'd turn you over to Roberts.
whom the patients dread as they do
49, I.-.I# TT ----A1L ~xa1,& ~~1
you may thank MurEy for il" asa
Does he know you are the man
who shot him?" asked Mercy, still in
French.
mo; I shouldn't stay here long if
he did," answered Clay with a short
laugh.
Don't tell him, theg-at least, till
after you are moved, she said, in a
tone Of command.
Where am I going?" demanded
the man.
Anywhere out of my ward" was
the brief answer, with a look that
made the black eyes waver and fall.
In silence nurse and doctor did
their work and passed on. In silence
Murray lay hour after hour, and ST.
iently did Clay watch and wait, till,
utterly exhausted by the suffering he
was too proud too confess, he sank
into a stupor, oblivious alike of
hatred, defeat and pain. Finding
him in this pitable condition, Mercy
relented, and, woman-like, forgot her
contempt in pity. He was not moved,
| but tended carefully all that day and
night; and when he woke from a
heavy sleep, the morning sun shone
again on two pale faces In the beds,
and flashed on the buttons of two
army-coats, hanging side by side on
the recess wall, on. loyalist and rebel,
on the blue and the gray.
DIR. Fitz Hugh stood beside MUIR
RVS cot. saying cheerily:
You are doing well, my lad-bet-
ter than / had hoped. Keep calm
and cool, and, if it all goes right, we'll
have little Mary here to pet you in a
week. ra
who is Mary?v whispered the
rebel to the attendant who was wash
ing his face. y
His sweetheart; be left her for
the war, aud she's Waitin' for him
baek-poOr soull answered the man,
with a somewhat vicious scrub across
the sallew cheek he was wipiug.
so he'll get well, and 90 home
and marry the girl he left behind
him, will he?N sneered Clay, lingering
a little case hat hung about his neck,
and was now visible as his rough
valet unbuttoned his collar.
What's that-your sweetheart's
picture?" asked Ben, the attendant,
cycling the gold chain ~anxiously.
have got none, was the gruff
answer.
so much the wus for you, then.
Small chance of gettin' one here; our
girls won't look at you, and you amt
likely to see any of your own sort for
a long spell, l reckon" added Ben,
rasping away at the rebels long neg
leeted hair.
Clay lay looking at Mercy Carol
as she went to and fro among the men,
leaving a smile behind her, and carry,
ing comfort wherever she turned
Always ready, fresh and fair, Mercy
Carol was regarded as the good angeI
of the hospital, and not a man In it
sick or well, but was a loyal friend tx
|, her. None dared to be a lover, fol
! her little romance was known; aud
though still a maid, she was a widow
in their eyes, for she had sem hel
, lover to his. death, and over the bravi
Ben watched Clsy as his eyes fol
e lowed the one female figure there, ant
observing that he elutched the. cas-
still tighter, asked again,
WHATS that-a charm?"e
: "Yes-against pain, captivity an,
/. Strikes me it amt KEEP you fror
any one of EN-" said Ben, with
s laugh.
v II haven't tried it yet"
q How does 1t work?" Ben aske
y more respectfully, being impressed b
something in the rebels manner
You will see when | use it. No
let me alone;" and Clay turned i'm
patiently away.
b You've got poison, or some devil
o try, In that thing. IF you don't liz
me. look, I swear I'll have it too
,e away from you;" aud Ben put b.
J. big hand on the slender chin with
se resoiute air.
Clay smiled a ~scornful smile, an
se offered the trinket, saying coolly:
d / only fooled you. Look as mUc
as you like; you'll find nothing daI
70 gerOus."
Of Ben opened the locket, saw a Gu
ee of gray hair, nothing more.
Re " is that your mother's?"
is Yes; my dead mothers"
Is 1t was strange to see the ipstautanC
5 Gus change that passed over the tw
10 men as each uttered that deare
F" word In all tongues. Rough Ben gen
/ ly reclosed and returned the cas-
It saying, kindly
if Keep it; I wouldn't rob you on
is for no money"
k Clay thrust it jealousy into h