Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-16
THE STORY OF A RING.
A Romance of Our Late Civil War-A
Singular BetrOthaI about to be Con-
Summated.

singular BetrOthaI about to be Con-
summated.
From the Kansas City (Mo.) Times.
In the year 1861, a young man, then
living few miles from this city, went into
the Missouri State Guards as a soldier. In
Springfield, and on the reorganization OF
this branch of the army, he took service as
a Confederate. Afterwards he joined a
company in Col. Up. Hays's regiment, and
participated in the battle of Lone Jack.
Before leaving home, however, his mother
gave him an old-fashioned gold ring, which
had heart upon it and the letters " K. 8"
engraved upon this heart. She placed it on
her sons hand with wish, or, rather a
PRAYER, that he might go through the war
safely, and get safely back to his home
again.
1t is not known that either the ring or
the prayer acted as a charm, but the young
man went unframed through many bloody
fights, being hit in but one of them, the
wound then proving to be only scratch.
In 1864 the young man was very sick Of
a fever at GAINESVILLE, Texas. During the
delirium attendant upon it, and while he
was tossing to and fro, the ring slipped from
his finger and was lost. The closest search
failed 10 find it, and it was given up for
good. There waited upon the young man,
however, a very pretty and amiable girl,
who seemed to be sorry when he got well
enough to reioin his command. When he
left he laughingly told her that if she would
find his ring, and he lived, he would come
back and marry her. If the promise was
made at first with any degree of sincerity, 1t
was soon forgotten in the excitement and
care of a soldiers life, and only at rare in
tervals, perhaps, did he recall the sick room
and the ministering angel.
When the war was over, the young man
returned to his fathers farm in jackson
county and went to work in good earnest.
Two wears ago his mother died, and once
more the loss of the ring came back to him
with redoubled sorrow. He determined TO
write to the lady who had nursed him, and
to inquire of her whether she had ever seen
or heard anything of the present his mother
had made him.
The letter was written in August, 1869,
and in March, 1870, what was his surprise
TO receive an answer from the identical
girl he had left in 1864, and to whom he
had made light promise Of mar
rage. She was still single, she said, and
still. only five days before she wrote she
had found the lost ring. The manner of
finding it was as follows: The father Of
the young lady had determined to make
some repairs in his house, which repairs
necessitated the taking up Of the floor OF
the room in which the soldier had been
sick. After doing this, and while digging
away some rubbish beneath, the workmen
came upon the ring. 1t had slipped through
a crack in the floor, and had been lying
there safe and sound for nearly five years.
The lady took possession of it at once, and
wrote Immediately to its owner, as we
have stated above. Perhaps she looked
upon its recovery as an omen, and perhaps
it was. At any rate it was little roman
tic, with all its attending circumstances.
The correspondence thus commenced, or
rather renewed, was continued with an ever
increasing ardor on the part OF the gentle
man, until in the end he made new and an
impetuous offer of marriage. Without that
the story would be incomplete. LAST week,
with money in his pocket, good home IN
jackson county, and a great happiness in
his heart. this Young soldier-now somewhat
older and more settled and sedate-started
for GAINESVILLE. Texas, the home of his be-
trothed. Who can doubt Of the result ?
He will remain there probably month, and
return again to Missouri with his bride.
When he does, we promise to give his name.
Until then it is impossible, for the condi-
ton of secrecy was attached to the lnfor-
nation before we could obtain it. The cir
cumstances, however, are just as we have
narrated them in every particular, and FUR
nisb another to the long list ofromantic In
cidents that have grown out OF the war.