Morris tribune., 1880-06-10


diers marching bravely to the front, to
tall, maybe in the battle, with face turn
ed unflinchingly toward the foe, or die
misera5ly in some prison, like Gagged
beast, his heart broken, and death well
come release from pain, and grief, and
hopeless wretchedness.
The setting sun was rapidly sinking to
his crimson-curtained couch In the west,
when Grace walked up the grassy path
to the little white gate, where she and
Will had often stood in the old, happy
days of their counting, and watched the
fading light steal duskily and slowly
among the softly. whispering leaves of the
naples.
ga letter for you, Mrs. Thornley," said
Mr.. Parkhurst, a near neighbor. II hap
pened to be passing this way, and thought
you might like to have It,"
ooh, yes, thank you'll" she replied,
in trembling voice. "You are very
kind"
Mr.. Parkhurst gave her the letter, and
went on.
Grace recognized the handwriting in a
moment, and with glad sob, it's from
Will, and he has forgiven mew she tore
open the envelope and hastily ran her
eyes over its contents. The smile faded;
the glad look left her eyes, and with
low piteous cry, she tell on her knees
aye to the very earth, and sobbed out
the bitter, remorseful anguish of her
stricken soul:
"Gone-Wlll gone! Oh, no, no! 1t
cannot be! And yet this cruel, cruel
letter only tour little lines!'
"YOu have chosen your way and / have
chosen mine. All desire in this world
is speedy and brave death, and 1 go
to meet it as joyously as ever BRIDE
groom went to meet his bride.'
That was all. No name, ne date, but
she knew only too well its meaning. She
pressed it to her lips, her heart. She COW
cred it with tears, all the while uttering
the poor, pititul cry:
'Oh, Will, Win, forgive me! You
must forgive me-you must come back
to me or let me go to your
But alas ner repentance came too late!
Will was hundreds OF miles away, and
between him and Grace's peaceful home
cannon were laundering their dread
alarm, and wars heroic victims were
falling by the tens of thousands.
| They found her lying unconscious and
apparently lifeless under the naples,
with her still white face all wet with the
night dews, and the little cold hands
clasping close to her heart Willis short,
last letter.
Private Thornley, soon won for himself
the reputation of being the most desper-
ately daring man in the army. If any
thing particularly dangerous was to be
attempted, Thornley, was always sure to
offer his services.
He never seemed to sleep, and was for
ever putting himself in the most danger
Gus places; but do what he would, and
tempt fate as he might, nothing harmed
him.
Three years of bloodshed, turmoil, anx-
iety and alternate hope and tear passed
away-years that had been to Grace one
long agony of sorrowful regrets and slow
wearisome waiting; for she did wait, and
Heaven only knows how patiently and
rayerfully-walted for some sign from
WilI-waited to know that he still cared
tor her, or at least remembered that she
| naO once Deen his WIFE.
She knew that Colonel Thornley, was
somewhere in Tennessee, but for the rest,
she knew no more than the merest stran-
ger who read his name and an account of
his brilliant deeds in the daily papers.
The tabled Lethe is stream never
found this side of the grave, search long
and far as one may, and those three stir
ling years, active as was his life and haz-
ardous his march to fame, had by nc
means brought forgettulness to Will
Thornley's troubled heart.
Grace was so young and impulsivel He
should have been more patient! more
forebearing, more forgivlng. He felt re-
morseful and self-condemmed; but how
| make the matter up now?
: Some thoughts as these were passing
gloomily through his mind, one evening
{ as he sat alone in his tent, bordering
over the subject. What q sad, sad ruiz
= the madness of an hour had made of hi
life!
9 True he had no small share of fame
and it was not altogether egotism, per
haps, to say it was fairly earned; bu
| happiness he had lost, and wife an(
| home, though the old love still remain
f ed, and tonight, somehow, seemed yer.
: near.
"a lady to see you, colonel" said thu
f tall IRISH orderly, entering the tent, ant
saluting.
II can't see anybody tonight, sergeant
4 Some begging refugee, I suppose, Refe
her to Major Clinton testify replied tn
I colonel.
| "But she's not refugee, or anythin,
/ of that sort, and says she must see you
. She's kinder weakly looking. and as pal
t as ghost, wild the travelin' and troubl
she's had: and begging your pardon, col
Q onel, I'd rather go to the guard hous
e for week than take your message t
t her, stoutly urged the honest orderly.
r An impatient trown darkened the col
d onel's brow, for he had grown stern an
It irritable during the past three years, ant
8 was no more the Will Thornley, he ha
e formerly been than the merry-hearte
n school-boy is like grim, iron hande
old field-marshal
i, "Show the lady in, then, and be quicl
: about it, he said shortly.
e The orderly promptly obeyed. an
soon reappeared, conducting lady, VIII
IS trembled visibly, and seemed half afrai
II to enter, though she had but momen
a before begged the orderly to procure th
e, interview for her.
1t The sergeant instantly retired; an
with sharp interrogative, "Well, mao
!, amp Colonel Thornley, turned to kno'
y the pleasure of his strange visitor.
IS The light from the single tallow Cal
l, die, burning on the table, was SO dim 9
g to barely admit of readily dlstinguishin
le the feature of one in the corner wheI
the small, shrinking figure stood, Q
e, white and nerveless as statute.
d "Well, madam" and this time Colon,
Or Thornleys tones were not quite SO sharl
e; "What is your business with me9'
vi The woman took step forward, an
ie in second down at his feet tell th,
or slight, shivering form sob, an implo
ing out-reaching of two thin, trenholm
TO little hands, and then from the pale liz
Is came the wild, agonized cry:
IT. sob, Will, Will pity me-fOrgive m