The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-12-10
THE WRONG TICKET.

ILL w 19SlSN A4SNAAi
One of the many men who came and
went as patients in wards OF our hospi-
tai at Washington, was Bernard Heine,
a handsome, stalwart German, fresh,
blonde, brave and merry. He was there
fellow and favorite of mine, told me
sll history, in general terms, at hrst,
but gradually growing more confidential
as he knew me better and became as
sured of my sympathy. knew what
wild, adventurous youth he had been in
the dear fatherland; by what hair
Drained scrapes he had angered his
friends; how, at 10 years of age, he had
run away and come to this country;how
his parents had died during the two
years in which he had heard nothing
from home, and they nothing froIa him;
and how sore his heart was when he
thought of them, and knew what grief
he must have caused them. / knew
about the Van Dorms, with whom he
had boarded two years before he entered
the army, and how the young people
were like brothers and sisters to him,
and the old people like father and
mother, and how Liza Van Dorm wrote
to him every week. And here guessed
somewhat more than l knew. i guessed
from the slight embarrassment, the
mingled GOODNESS and Kindness with
which he spoke of her, the unsatisfac
tory way in which he accounted for hav-
ing entered the army, the faint shade
of annoy ance which sometimes crossed
his face when he read her letters, and
his slowness in answering them, that
Miss Liza was fonder of him
than he of her, and, that, may
rid of her. / had known cases
where nice young men had been cordi-
ally received and loudly cherished in
families where there were marriageable
daughters, and where in spite of them
selves, the force of circumstances had
obliged them 10 aSSumetieS which they
took reluctantly.
| like to see men do their own wooing,
and always respect man who flies from
wooiug woman. So my guesses make
me like this young soldier all the better
He had made his will before entering
the army. he told me, and had left every
thing he had, among the rest life in
surance of five thousand, to the Van
Dorms. He exaggerated his causes of
gratitude to them. He had no one else
in the world who cared for him; and,
besides their general friendliness, they
had nursed him through a severe sick
ness, and refused to take any extra pay
for it.
"They are the only ones in the world
who would mourn if should happen to
get bullet through me-" he said, with
touch of bitterness in his voice, which
showed that there was something yet
untold in his story.
Later, one evening, wi ben l was sit
ting by him to soOthe and quiet him,
after the tormenting pain of having his
wounded foot dressed. got the rest of
the story. lie was feeling unusually
depressed that night, and seemed to
wish for a cOnfdant. 1t was then that
l first heard Helen Ayre's name. She
was a little yellow haired schoolmistress
who had boarded at Mrs. Van Dorm's;
had, indeed, known them longer than
he had. could see how he had loved
her from the tone of unwilling, y learning,
angry tenderness with which he spoke
her name. could see more than that,
what he, like fool, as men always are
In such circumstances, could not see, the
angry jealousy of the Van Dorms, their
lnslnuations, the seeds of distrust which
they slyly sowed; how, while he had
not dared to speak of love to the girl,
they had made him believe that she
boasted of her power over him, how he
had been made TO think her coquette
and mercenary, careful not TO give him
too much encouragement till she should
know how much money he had. When
he spoke of her capricious treatment
and growing GOODNESS toward him. I
could see that they were but reflections
feet of their mischief making. limited
this to him, bnt he would not hear it.
Oh, the Van Dorms were the salt of the
earth, and his best friends, and they
were incapable of deceit
"But maybe they wanted you for Miss
Liza" l yentured.
He dropped his eyes.
"If they did" he said, "they would
not use dishonest means to bring il
about. ought to consider that new
proof of their friendship for and conf
dence in me, oven though should be
nwlAing to gartify their wishes"
liked hisreserve and his trust. They
were honorable.
AT last she left the house and went
somewhere else to board" he said. 81
think they had been q little cool with
her for treating me Sc, and she didn't
want to stay. Besides, l suppose she
hated the sight of me. When she went
out of the door the last time. / came
from the parlor to bid her good by, and
she turned her head away"
"Did you ever have any talk, or at.
tempt any explanation with herr
mo. We never had anything on the
subject, either understanding or misun
derstanding."
Master Heine," I said emphatically
1T is my private opinion that you hay,
been made dupe Of"
head.
"oh, if yen knew them you wouldn't
say So" " "A
Have you ever heard from her sine,
you came here 7" asked.
Not word"
L, was silent moment, wondering i
tne poor little yellow-haired school
mistress might not have been breakin,
her heart slowly during the last year