Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-12-03
THE WRONG TICKET

blonde, brave and merry. He was there
three months in all; and being social
fellow, and favorite of mine, told me all
his history, in general terms az first, but
gradually growing more confidential as he
knew me better and became more assured
of my sympathy knew what a wild, ad,
venturous youth he had been in the dear
fatheriand by what hair:brained scrapes
he mad angered his friends; how, at nine
teen 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 moth
Ing from him and how sore his heart was
when he thought of them, and knew what
grief lIe must have caused them. i 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
knew. l guessed from the slight en-
barrassmerit, the mingled coldness and
Kindness with which he spoke of her, the
unsatisfactory way in which he accounted
for his having entered the army, the faint
shade of annoyance which sometimes
crossed his face when he read her letters,
and hissslowness in answering them, that
her, and that, may be, he had entered the
army to get rid of her. 1 had known
cases where nice young men had been
cordially received and fondly cherished in
families where there were marriageable
daughters, and where, in spite of them
selves, the force of circumstances had
obliged them to assume ties which they
took reluctantly.
l like to see men do their own wooing,
and always respect man who flies from
wooing moman. So my guesses made me
like this young soldier all the better He
had made his will before entering the
army he told me, and left everything he
had, among the rest life insurance of
five thousand, to the Van Dorms He ex-
aggerated his causes of gratitude to them
He had no one else in the world who cared
for him; and beside their general friendli-
ness, they had nursed him through severe
sickness, and refused to take any extra
pay for it,
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 un-
told in his history.
Later, one evening, when l was sitting
by him to soothe and quiet him, after the
tormenting pain of having his wounded
foot dressed, l got the rest of the story.
He was feeling unusually depressed that
night, and seemed to wish for confidant.
1t was then that 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,
yearning angry tenderness with which
hn snnkn hpr I nn11lH
than that, what he, like fool, as men al
ways are, in such circumstances, could
not see, the angry jealousy of the Van
Dorms, their insinuations, 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 had boasted Of her power over
him; how he had been made TO think her
a 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 treat
ment and growing GOODNESS toward him, 1
could see that they were but reflections of
his own distrust of her, and the effect of
their misunderstanding. / limited this to
him, but he would not hear to it. oh, the
Van Dorms were the salt of the earth, and
his best friends, and they were incapable
of deceit
'fBut maybe they wanted you for Miss
Liza, yentured..., w a
He dropped his eyes.
d" If they did," he said, "they would
not use dishonest means to bring it about
l ought to consider that new proof of
their friendship for and confidence in me,
even though should be unwilling to graf
ify their wishes"
liked his reserve and his trust. They
were honorable.
"At last, she left the house and went
somewhere else to board" he said. "I
think they had been little cool with her
for treating me so, and she didn't want to
stay. Besides, | suppose she hated the
sight of me- When she went out of the
door the last time, l came from the parlor
to bid her ,good-by, and she turned her
head away" .e''r.
I" Did you ever have any talk, or attempt
any explanation with her ?" asked.
"No. We never had anything on the
subject, either understanding or misun-
derstanding."
master Heine," / said, emphatically,
I" 1t is my private opinion that you have
been made dupe Of"
He smiled family as he shook his head.
"Oh, if you knew them, you wouldn't
say So"
yOu Ahtuc nCICs dohCus
" Not a word"
l was silent moment, wondering If the
poor little yellow haired schOolmistress
might not have been breaking her heart
slowly during the last year, and if she
could know just where was at the mo-
ment, if she would not consider me the
most enViable woman in the world.
" l wonder none of the Van Dorns came
out to see you," said presently.
@' Oh, they wanted to Gomez was his
quick reply; "5ut Mrs. Van Dorm has
been sick, and there was no one else who
could leave. Liza had 70 take care of her
mother. The boys and their father are
driven with business. Besides / wrote
them that | was only slightly hurt and
you know am going 10 have a furlough
in few weeks"
Our conversation was interrupted here,
for more sick and wounded were brought
in, and had to attend 20 them. The
ward already seemed nearly full; but
many were cOnvalescent, and those we
wished banished to the convalescent's
room, and crowded all the beds we could
get into the ward. The next morning,
:, the man in the bed next to Heins's died.
AS the custom was, as soon as he died, the
card containing his name, age, place Of
birth, regiment, company, rank and dis
ease, was taken down from the wall at
the head of his bed, and carried TO the
office to be recorded, aud reported. The
weather was cool, and his funeral was put
off till the next afternoon
The next day, just after funeral time, as
sat in the ward taking few minutes
rest, after giving the three o'clock medi-
cines, glanced toward the door, and saw
two spectrss there. To be sure, they were
men, stout and tanned, but their faces
MeFej in spite aOf tan, hof sickly white,
and their eyes were open and fixed glar-
ingly. lPhey both'wepe stating at Heine,
who Sat up in bed reading the Washing
ton Star newspaper. fs- y ~, .---.T
approached them, though half afraid.
If they were mAdmen, il would be weilto
have them stopped on the threshold II
sthey Were clairVOyants who beheld some