The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-07-24

s no reason WHY we should be enemies
And 80 affairs we're when the war
broke cut. don't know exactly how
i, was. but IL seemed Ga me that /
ought to shoulder a masket and
fight Cor NY. government, so | en-
listed
After | got 10 Virginia, received
letters regularly from Agnes; and if
ever a woman's letters were comfort
10 a man. then her letters were q
comfort 10 ne. They seemed to come
write from her heart. Then, all Of a
sudden. and without any reason, her
letters stopped. wrote three tines.
!. bat 10 answer came Then we sd-
lvanced. and in a skirInish | was
wounded and confined 20 the hospital
for about six weeks and after | recoy-
cred and came out. ! met a friend
from York. and learned from him that
nv Agnes had married BAl Raplye.
Major. when / heard that news | sat
down and cried Ike a child | didn't
want 10 live-I wanted to die The
next fight I went into, | fought Ike
a devil: but II wasn't any use; the
bullet wasn't east that was to kill ne
SO things went on till 'e5 | had
re-enlisted and was a veteran. Ia
the struggle st Petersburg, after we
had made that attack IN the night
and been repalsed-just as We were
falling back. with the Confeds right
on top Of us, | stumbled across a
wounded man. | picked him up and
7 to nv aStouishmenti II was Bill Raplve
just as / recognized him, squad q
the enemy charged upon Us; saw
sabre uplifted TO cut Raplye down. /
threw up ny arm, received the ssb-e
cut on nv wrist-saved the life Of
Bill Raplye-the man who had mar
ried the girl | had loved-at the cost
Of nv right arm Ia the skirTnish
that foHowed-fer 4 party Of our
bows rallied to nv rescae-I lost sight
Of Raplye, and have never seen him
from that tine TIL nv ewes fell upon
him tonight =
".Ames. many man has been call
ed hero for doing less than YOU haze
done. History has written the deeds
Of our great men, but the unwritten
deeds Of our privates shame many on
whose shoulders blaz0n the Generals
stars. But YOU have no idea why
This gi-i BETRAYED Won p
None in the least,r answered the
Red cap slowly. '-Oh major. | feel
that love her now, though years
have passed, as well a. | ever did"
4 moan from the sick man attract
ed the attention Of the two They
FASTENED 10 his side
The glazed eyes of the diving man
stared fxedlv at the face Of the SUI
der messenger
Bob Ames.- lABrmuFed the sick
man in husky broken voice, I'm
glad vou are here. want vGu to
forgive ne before | die | stole the
letters YOU wrote 10 Agnes-forgea
one in your hand, saving that YOU
were tired Of her, and that she had
better look for another lover. Her
pride hurt. She accepted me. I stole
your wife and voa saved my life. Ny
life since that time, has been he'll.
Say you forgive me-Pray for nc
I'm a miserable drunken beast. Oh
mercy. mercy =
And with this hast deSpairing cry
the soul Of Raplye fed to answer 10
its Judge.
Agnes returning found that her
husband was far beyond earthly aid
She could not weep. for his death
was freedom TO her. She had been
the patient, uneomplaining slave Of a
drunken husband. Bet now the fet-
tiers were broken-shc was free once
more.
The Major drew ATaes 10 one side
Here are two fifty dollaE bills, he
said, putting the greenbacks into the
soldier messengers hand See 10 the
burial Of this man, and that this poor
girl has decent home. Ames | an
going 70 lend you FIVE hundred dollars
70 start vou II business When yOu
get rich. you can repay NE: but don't
be il hurry-take your tine about
it. For six years I've been looking
for tee man that saved M life, and
now that I've found him. In going
70 show M gratitude if / can
The oPen-hearted major would not
take no" for an answer, and 81 last
Ames accepted the kind offer
Within six months Agnes became !
the wife Of the one-armed soldier;
the old love was still strong within
her heart
II q snug little shop on Fifth ave-
nue. Ames does thriving b1siness,
and few would recognize in the hap
py looking couple the woman who
was dragged beneath the horses hoof.
or Red cap the soldier messen@er-.
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