New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-03-18

tirst to enlist. For two years he served
his country well. and in regi-
ment known for its bravery he stood
among the first Solar he had escaped
with slight wounds; but he was not al
ways thus to escape-he was wounded
and taken prisoner. Then after long,
dreary months, ali! such months to the
prisoners at Andersonville and Libby
such months of anguish to the loving
hearts at home, he was reported "dead.:
Dead, and then the wall of an unbroken
silence. Ida mourned with a bitterness
of anguish that found no relief save in
hard work and caring for other stricken
hearts. Alas! there were plenty to care
for in those sad days. Mrs. Brown
mourned loudly and wore the deepest
mourning six months. Then she
was married again-widowhood was so
lonely" But her last choice was very
bad one. Whether she had married
him for fancied love, or what had inhu-
enced her, no one could tell; but he, the
new husband, was q drunkard, and, after
some years of misery. the woman who
was Jack Browns wife was laid to rest
and few mourned for her.
That was all of the past that Miss
Olney received to-day, as she sat in her
lonely room; but oh, how it filed her
heart till her eyes overfowed in tears.
The day that had been so bright in the
morning grew overcast as the afternoon
wore on, and ere night snow and sleet
filed the air. Miss Olney lighted her
lamp, but she did not close the shutters.
Better let her light shine out. she
thought; it might cheer some lonely
passer-by, and guide them on their way.
So she set out her supper with
Snowy damask," and dainty china, and
the silver that had bee IN the family
for more than a generation. It was he1
choicest treasure, her only inherited
wealth, and as she laid the solid knife
and fork beside her plate and placed
the other pieces to her satisfaction, she
stood back to note the effect, as she
often did, and then she sighed to think
no one was with her to sympathize with
her in any of her feelings.
just then she was rather startled by
heavy rap at the door. "Only some
neighbour" she thought as she stepped
to admit the applicant.
The wind blew in with it's attendant
sleet and snow, and the stranger at the
threshold stepped in with it, neither
waiting for an invitation. A gentleman
by his dress, but Miss Olney, though
not given to fear, felt sudden chill as
she saw that he was stranger. He
might be robber despite his gen.
tlemanly guise-and her silver, her
preci Gus silver. How imprudent to set
it out before her unshuttered windows.
The stranger did not wait for her to
speak; he was shaking as if with an
ague chill.
Excuse me, madam" he said, in a
voice tremulous and hoarse, II believe
am chilled through. If you'll allow
me-"
But before the words were fairly
spoken Miss Olney had drawn her own
easy chair to the fire, and the stranger
had dropped into it, evidently exhaust
ed. Ida forgot her fears in compass
sion for the stranger, and when his
trembling fingers tried in vain to I'M
loosen his mufaer, she offered her assist
ance in tones she found trembled, too.
The next moment she fairly blushed
at her act, as the face, clear of It's wrap
pings, looked up at her. The pale face
with the mustache and hair tinged with
gray, and the eyes! He looked but said
no word his lips worked as if he fain
would speak, but no sound came. Only
the tears welled up and fell over the
pallid cheek. Lida stood mute, trans
fixed by that look. "What does it
meant" she said at last, in an awe struck
whisper.
Then the stranger stretched forth
his hand. He had no strength for fur
ther GESTURE, his agitation was SO ex-
treme.
''Lida," he whispered, "Lida, don't
you know me? Don't you know Jack %
Was the world receding from her?
Had the grave given up its dead? She
Spirit or mortal, it was Jack. But for
a few moments her senses seemed to
fail her, and then with whisper "Jack"
she clasped him close-only for a
moment though, for she must look at
him.
'Is it really you, Jack ?" she said at
last. care you sure it's you?"
Yes, quite sure, he answered with
laugh that if he had been a woman,
would have been hysterical.
But 1 thought you were dead Jack. +"
And were you sorry?"
Such look as she gave him. ''How
can you ask? But tell me how it was.
And then he told her of the long OBJ
livion. from which he woke to find
himself reported as dead. The terrible
prison life had driven him mad. He
was taken and cared for by good Sauna
ritans for three long years, and then
when he was himself again, he found
that every one supposed him dead.
And, he said, knowing my wife had
remarked and my other friends given
me up, I thought it best not to break
the silence. But hearing, long ago,
that she was dead, I could no longer
resist the longing to find out if I was en-
tirely forgotten. I arrived here but a
little while ago, and found on inquiry
that your were still Miss Olney, and
lived a1nno or a. 1ooet he n on ,.4o b1:sL