The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-11-28

/ ilIk N#AAlNANN NAA'h NAN'
dreadful thing ~ think Of ones broth
err having killed II man,
The major tried Ia turn ms oead
toward the speakers who seemed QNlte
near when a hand WAS laid upon his
forehead and another voice said, Don't
try to move, sir
Am l shot?"
Yes, sir"
"Who brought ne hcre?"
"A couple of men found You in the
road"
Where's the captain ?"
Him as was with you"
Yes"
Dead, sir"
Days of lethargy, nights Of delirium.
At last n morning, when a voice beside
his pillow said:
He is much better, Rachel, and he
looked up into q kind sweet face, which
he seemed family to remember having
seen somewhere before.
Afigure came and stood il the long
open window and looked at him:
"Ah? l know, " he said with a weak
smile, "The Queen of the Pixies"
Come in, Puss," said the lady at
his bedside, and the girl drew shyly
nearer,
"Puss!" he repeated; "snd where is
the white kitten? ?"
How did YOU know I had a white
kitten ?" she, answered. laughing.
Yes, "he SAID, looking at her reminis-
Gently, that is the way you looked,
II 1.... -. Al. L,I1 -
He is delirous again" exclaimed the
matron, but Puss laughed and ran out
of the room.
Days OF enchantment succeeded, each
more divine than its predecessor. The
bullet, fortunately, had taken itself out,
and, though it had torn an ugly open
ing in dangerous proximity TO vital
parts, the. simple domestic surgery of
Mrs. Sterling proved equal to every
emergency, and the ~convalescence met
no serious Interruptions.
Gradually the patient progressed
from an armchair near the window to
a hammock on the southern gallery,
then to a slow promenade under the
trees.
The tide of wal seemed to have rolled
away and left him there in paradise.
Puss-it was the only name he ever
heard her addressed by-sometimes
walked beside him a few moments In
the avenue; sometimes read to him for
a brief half hour on the gallery but she
was an errati5 puss, and seldom staid
long III one spot.
"Do you still hate me-" he asked one
day, as she paused for a moment near
! where he sat on the gallery.
"Not so much, no." she answered
candidly; then with an air of reflection,
shut | suppose 1 shall when you are
gone"
"Whati then / shall not go. Why
should my going renew your hatred ?"
"Ohl / shall only think of you then
as a Yankee"
".And you are bound to hate all
Yankeesl" he said with a PANIED look.
"Of course, they are our foes"
II am not your foe."
Mine or my country's, what does it
matter. You will go from here to fight
against IS. You may kill my own
brother"
Believe me, / would save his life at
the sacrifice of my own"
He nearly killed You, and you don't
hate him?"
II regard him as my greatest bene-
factor" "She looked at him incredu-
lousy.
"You are a funny Yankee" she said,
with her charming, joyous laugh.
But with fuller strength once more
awoka the suspended senses of duty.
The semi-occasional newspapers sup
plemented by information gathered
1 from rowing negroes who fuctuated be-
tween the Federal camps and their old
homes had enabled him to follow,
though not very definitely, the course
Of his regiment up to the investment OF
Port Hudson, and when he had positive
assurance that it was among the be-
siegers he felt that, cost what it might,
he must make an effort to join it. II
was the last mesningg-the last break
fast had been eaten. Even Mrs. Starl-
ing, who had felt that she was perform
ing an act of exalted m~agnanimity in
sheHering and healing a wounded enemy
and who had carefully guarded herself
against q deeper interest than was nat
ural on the part Of a physician TOWARD
a patient, felt q little sense OF propheti'
loss when they rose from the table ant
moved together into the hall. As the.
stood looking at each other, with TIN
awkward irresolution that precede
adiens Rachel called Mrs. Sterl
ling to some domestic consultation
and the Major found himself alone will
Puss.
She wore, as usual, her homespul
gown, and the white kitten curved it
self purringly about her feet. The Ma
! jor stopped and liftedit to her shoulder
1T was that way ! first saw you," b
said.
"You will never forget that, she r.