The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-05-12


to me, or let me 60 to you'll"
But alas, her repentance came too
latel Will was hundreds of miles
away, and between him and Grsce's
peaceful home cannon were laundering
their dread alarm. and wars heroic
victims were falling by the tens of thou
sands.
They found her lying unconscious
and apparently lifeless under the NAPLES,
with her still, white face all wet with
the night-dews, and her poor cold hands
clasping close to her heart Willis short,
last letter.
Private Thornley, soon won for him
self the reputation of being the most
desperately daring man in the army.
If anything particularly dangerous was
to be attempted, Thornley, was always
sure to offer his services.
He never seemed to sleep, and was
forever putting himself in the most
perilous places; but do what he would,
ands tempt fate as he might, nothing
harmed him.
Three years of bloodshed, turmoil,
anxiety and alternate hope and fear
passed away-years that had been to
Grace one agony of sorrowful regrets
and wearisome waiting; for she did
wait, and heaven only knows how pa
| tiently and prayerfully, some sig gn from
| Will that he still cared for her, or at
| least remembered that she had once
| been his wife.
She knew that Colonel Thornley, was
somewhere in Tennessee, but for the
rest knew no more than the mere t
stranger who read his name and an ac-
count of his brilliant deeds in the daily
papers.
The tabled Lethe is a stream never
found this side of the grave, search long
and far as one may, and those three
stirring years, active as was his life
and hazardous his march to fame, had
by no means brought torgetfulness to
! Will Thornley's troubled heart.
Grace was so young and impulsivel
He should have been more patient.
more forbearine, more forgiving. He
| felt remorseful and self-condemned {;
but how make the matter up nowp
Some such thoughts as these were
| passing gloomily through his mind,
one evening, as he sat alone in his tent,
| pondering over the subject. What a
! sad, sad ruin the madness of an hour
| had made of his life!
True, he had now no small share of
| fame, and it was not altogether egotism,
| perhaps, to say it was fairly earned /;
! but happiness he had lost, and wife and
home. though the old love still re-
mained, and tonight, somehow, seemed
very near.
"a lady to see you, colonel" said a
tall Irish orderly, entering the tent, and
| saluting.
"I can't see anybody tonight, SER
geant. Some begging refugee, J sup
! pose. Refer her to Major Clinton" /"
| testify replied the colonel.
| " but she's not refugee, or anything
/ of.that sort, and says she must see you.
! SHE'S kinder weakly-looking, and as
pale as a ghost, wild the travelin' and
trouble she's had; and, beggin' your
pardon, colonel, I'd rather go to the
| guard house for week than take your
message to her." stoutly urged the hon.
| est orderly.
An impatient frown darkened the
colonels brow, for he had grown stern
and irritable during the past three
years, and was no more the Will Thorn
ley he had formerly been than the
merry-hearted schoolboy is like grim
iron-handed old field-marshal.
"Show the lady in, then, and be
| quick about it," he said, shortly.
The orderly promptly obeyed, and
who trembled visibly, and seemed hall
afraid to enter, though she had but 9
moment before begged the orderly or
her knees to procure the interview foI
her.
The sergeant instantly retired; and
with a sharp interrogative, "Well
madam" Colonel Thornley, turned tc
know the pleasure of his strange visitor
The light from the single tallow can.
die, burning ON the table, was so dim as
to barely admit of readily distinguish.
ing the features of oae in the corner
where the small, shrinking figure stood,
as white and nerveless as a statue.
"Well, madam" and this time
Colonel Thornley's tones were not quite
so sharp, what is your business with
mep"
The woman took step forward, and
in a second down at his feet fell the
slight, shivering form-a sob, an i'm
ploring out-reaching of two thin, tremb-
ling hands, and then from the pale lips
came the wild, agonized cry:
"Oh, Will, Will! pity me, forgive
me, and let me die here at your feet
1t is all, all / askl"
"Grace! my wife, my darling! my
poor, sad, lonely child, is it indeed
youP" He caught her to his heart, and
covered her cold, death-white face with
kisses. Forgive you, GraceP Alas. it
is l who should crave your forgive
ness! Look up, my own dear one. Do
not tremble so. You are safe with me,
and the past shall be both forgiven and
forgotten. 1t was hasty aet- -hasty on
your part and on mine; but we are
wiser now, and shall know better in the
future how to guard against anger and
jealousy-the two besetting sins of poor,
weak. human nature"
"Mine was the greater fault" she
sobbed; "and the love that is without
jealousy, let them say what hey will,
is the only true, believing, lasting love.
/ know it now; but, oh, Will! The learn
ing of the lesson was bitter, bitter, in
deed And / must see you must tell
you"
. Not that you have suffered, for can
see that plainly enough-much too
MAINLY. And Miss Woodward is"