The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1884-10-16

utterly black-habited in soldiers 9
garb, appeared neat and clean, and Of
pleasant, honest countenance.
Something in his Hook appealed to
her woman's sympathy, and captured
her at once.
She led him into the room where
they had been sitting. and motioned
him to h seat. His head was of goodly
shape, though covered by a thick mat
of close-curling wool, while his face.
wise ornamented.
She had never seen voolly beard so
thick and so heavy.
"Ah," he said, slowly shaking his
head, ''dey tole me Z 1 could find mas'r
colonel's widder I'd find friends, suah.
Yaas'm l wer' de coloners cook.
Didn't he ebber write to Yer bout ole
Pompey? Oh. we lost good man
when he fellr'
Rachel wiped her eyes and presently
asked the poor man if he was hungry.
He answered her that he could not tell
how hungry he really was; whereupon
she got up and went out into the kit
chen; and as she opened the door lead
ing to the hall, the old dog, Prince. a
beautiful English spaniel which Ed
ward Dorrance had purchased as pup
when his son was born, eight years be-
fore, came bounding into the room.
He saw the negro soldier, gave sharp
swapping yelp, and Eddie called to him
to s'lie down"
But the dog did not obey. He drew
nearer to the stranger, and presently
with cry that was almost human-a
cry of joy and jubilation-a cry not to be
mistaken-he leaped upon the man,
fairly clasping his forelegs or arms
round his neck, tapping, and kissing,
and painting and struggling to get
nearer and nearer, like one possessed.
Eddie stamped his foot and shouted
with vigor of authority that ought to
have quieted the brute at once; little
Ella cried with terrible fear that old
Prince would eat the poor black man
up; while Rachel, having heard the
frightful racket, had come in from the
kitchen to see what in the world the
matter could be. She knew that old
Prince was fastidious dog, and per-
haps he was trying to eject the dark
skinned invader.
AS Rachel stepped across the thresh-
old into the parlor wonderful thing
happened. The dog, in his frantic ef-
forts to get at the face of the strange
guest, had got his paws entangled in
the matted wool, and presently-lo and
behold!-the whole woolly mass-from
head, cheeks, and lips-came away,
leaving exposed to view wealth of
golden-brown, curling, glossy locks;
cheeks white and smooth, with only a
neatly-trimmed, handsome moustache
upon the upper lip; and the first thing
she heard was startling cry from Ed
die:
'Oh, papa, papa, papa! You are my
papa!- You are! you arer'
And then Rachel saw apair of strong
arms fly swiftly around her boy; saw
him drawn close upon the soldier
bosom, and heard smothered sounds OF
kissing and blessing.
The next few minutes we will leave
to the readers imagination. 1t was
Edward Dorrance, in his own proper
person, alive and we'll.
Pardon me, darling" he said, after
re had washed his face-a face as fair
l-i as handsome as ever-Rachel
thought it thousand time handsomer
--''pardon me. l did not assume this
disguise in sport-far from it. / shrank
from the wild turmoil and uncomfort-
able Interruptions that would newt
ably result from my sudden and I'M
heralded appearance among old friends,
after having been thought dead so long.
Furthermore, had misty idea of
allowing the truth to break upon you
gradually; but the keen perceptions of
old Prince dished that part of it And
yet. my precious, do believe if l had
appeared at your door as am at this
moment, the shock would have been
severe. The comical manner of my
revealment took away the shock, and
brought it to you pleasantly"
And Rachel agreed with him.
In telling the story of that terrible
day, when it was believed that he had
been killed. he said that some other
man. battered out of all shape or rec
ognition by the bursting of shell, had
been mistaken for him.
He had on that occasion advanced q
considerable distance beyond the spot
where the shell had exploded, suppos-
ing that his men were behind him. He
had sprung forward for the purpose of
capturing battery that had been deal
ing death upon their ranks with fright
full effect. and so eager and determined
was he that he never thought of look
ing round until he was directly under
the muzzles of the enemy's guns; then
he turned, and found not man of his
regiment in sight.
He was captured and sent to the en-
emy's rear, and on the next morning,
with many others. he was sent away
to dismal prison, where he had been
kept through the long and weary
months and years that had since passed
away. He had written several letters,
but it was plainly to be seen they had
been intercepted and destroyed In
fact, he had been SO informed on being
set free, for jailer had said to him:
Colonel, you'll surprise your people
when you get home, for not one of your
letters has been suffered to 60 through"
What need to tell of the Joy of that
household? Truly the occasion was to
them golden dawn-the dawning of
a better day than they had ever known.