Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-09-07

IL was May again now. But IL brought
no cherished bridal flowers to Humphrey
Carbonel and his wife, no clasping Of
hands, no fulfillment OF loves glorious
prophecy. Enlargement had but deep
ened. and they were parting in pride and
anger. Tired with the state Of affairs
at home-the unbending GOODNESS, the
resentful tones. the cruel chickering's in
which both INDUCED Captain Carbonel
had got placed on full service again.
He was going out 10 be shot at. if fate
so willed; for we were ut war now.
The day Of departure dawned, and
they parted with bitter words. Heaven
and their own hearts knew how much
or how little they suffered: there was
no outward sign of il. People. who
had ceased 20 wonder at the suspected
enlargement between Captain and
Mrs. Carboncl. said To one another that
il was brave of him TO 90 out volun-
tarily to the wars. Marlbrouck
s'en-va-t-en-guerrel" So he went of
with an indifferent countenance and n
Iaunty air; and she stayed behind
equally jaunty, equally indifferent.
One year passed on. Emma Car
bonel began TO feel lonely. 10 sickeu Of
her unsatisfactory life. Bit by bit she
had grown 10 see that she and
Humphrey had been but foolish. both
of them, the one n much a. the other.
Did he feel the same? IL might be.
Yet their letters continued to be of the
scantiest and coolest.
Another year dragged Itself on, and
then she made no pretense If keeping
up the farce of resentment TO
her own heart Time, generally
speaking. shows up our past
mistakes in their true colors.
Emma Carbonel longed for her husband
To come home, she grew fcverishly i'm
patient 90 be reconcilcd. Mariana in
the Moated Grange was n flvorite read
ing of hers just now
She said: \ am n weary. weary,
lie cometh not she said: -
lie comcih not, and all Is dreary-
would thar Werc dead"
Humphrey Carboncl came not.
Nothing came hut the details of the
lighting; wars. and rumors Of wars.
May was in again; another May.
Mrs. Carbonel sat at her window in the
twilight Of n chilly, drilling day. The
gloom without harmonizcd with the
gloom within. And yet, hardly so. Tie
rain might be cold, drcary, dispiriting.
but il was nothing as compared with
the dcsOlation of her heart Childlcss.
and worse than widowed She had
hoped. an! for year or two now. that
Humphreys old love for her might
override his pride aud bitterness. and
prompt him to write to her word of
tender regret for their conduct to- one
another. But he did not. She was
feeling il to herhe core this miscr-
able evening; unavailing remorse Law
heavily upon her; she wished she could
die and end it. No sign of reconcilia-
ton hal passed since they parted in
pride and anger; not n word of repent
ance on either side had crossed the
dreary gulf that flowed between them.
Words of another poet. dead and zone.
iloated through her mind as she sat.
Night and day lately they had seemed
10 haunt T..
Alasl they had been friends In youth
But whispering tongues can poison truth,
And consistency lives in realms above.
And life IL thorny. and youth IL vain:
And to Dc wrath with one we love
Doth work like madness in the brain"
Should she 60 mad? There came mo-
ments when she feared she should if
this state of things continued. A week
ago there had been some talk in the pa
pers that the war would, in all proba-
bility, soon be over. Then Humphrey
would come home again.
Her thoughts turned TO this phase:
she began 10 dwell upon il. and what it
would involve to him and TO her. Pres
emily she lost herself i'm fond anticipa-
/ tions, realizing II all rs in picture.
/ Somehow she felt n strange nearncss to
/ him, Is if he were coming then. were
/ almost there. She heard the rain beat
! ing against the windows. and she glanced
/ 70 see that the fire in the crate was
/ bright when he came in. She gazed be-
/ You'd the house gates down the road in
| the gathering gloom, almost. almost ex-
/ pccting TO see him approach, rs she
used TO see him in the DAYS rome bv.
/ She had been wretchedly lonely so lone
now: and she wanted TO hear his foot
step in the hall, TO feel his carcssino
! hand on her sunny hair, and TO hear his
/ bright words, Good evening. Emma.
my dear,' It did not seem strange 10
her that this should happen, or that she
was expecting il, though she had never
once had this feeling through all these
separated years. 1t did not seem mar
/ Vicious that he should come thus from
/ beyond seas without notice. Had he
/ opened the door and stood there by her
side She would not have felt startled OF
surprised, or at all wondered at il. The
bcwilderment wrought by long-contin-
ucd sorrow has stolen over her senses.
But Humphrey did not come. ONLY.
instead. the pOStman came i'm at the
frFNI Il mo. .Ia...N al.
chanically she wondered WHY ne was so
late this evening. She heard the SER
want who answered the knock say the
same to the man.
Yes, its late he answered. "a
mail from the war is in, You see; and il
brought a good many letters"
Thewoman came in with thick let.
ter and the lights. Her mistress took
IL with nervous haste. A hick letter.
and from her husbandi until now hi.
| letters had been of the thinnest and
slightest. The writing-Eds II Hum.
phrcy's? Why, yes, IL was his: bu
what could make IL look so shaky? Sh,
opened IL carefully. and some Enclosure.
fell out. A fond letter or two of hers
written 10 him aftert their marriage. dur
| ing a temporary separations: n curl o.
her sunny hair plain gold ring which
he had worn ever since his wedding.
day; and little folded note with few
trembling lines init
Il am dying, Emma. Fell to-day il
battle. God forgive us orY folly, IN,
precious wifel 1 believe We loved on,
another all the while. There is another
Life. my dear one. shall ke waiting
for you therc.-Humphrey.
Emma Carbonel did not cry. did no
faint. She lay back in a low. larg,
chair. her meek hands clasped i'm sup
Plication, praying to be pardoned fol
all her hard wickedness to her deas
husband, feebly beseeching God. in Hi.
mercy. to take her to that better life.
The next day the papers publishe,
list of the fallen. Fifteen soldier
and two officers, one Of the latter bein,
Captain Humphrey Carbonel.
30 It was all over. Death had parte,
them, They had taken their marriage