Daily Republican., 1889-05-16
nARLErs ROMANCE.
BY MANDA L. oRooKER

All night he had walked back and forth |
in the misty weather, the white tents |
showing in long rows like 80 many ghosts |
in line. But the ghost-llke tents hadn't |
intruded their dripping outlines between
him and picture; the old, familiar hills
OF far away Connecticut driited into the
interim. Somehow the murky welkin
receded, war grew 60 very vague and dis
tant, and his native village nearer.
1t was well that he didh't mind, as he
paced slowly 10 and fro, that his feet were
aching IN spite OF the exercise. He was
glad now, that he hadn't complained, for
the Soldiers box" which came late last
night was now being opened, and already
a nice comfortable pair OF socks had fallen
to him. lie would go inside the tent and
put them on; the luxury of whole stock.
ing was something simply sublime.
Away with the jags OF yarn he had been
wearing into a distant corner, and on
with bright blue sock with white toe;
aud now for the other one.
AS Harley's toes settled down to the
enjoyment OF home-knit hose, something
seemed to get between them. OF came
the sock IN q twinkling, Tor he was curl
Gus to know what sort oil New England
butterfly had gotten inside and come all
the way to Georgia unframed. II might
be spider. No, 1t Was scrap OF paper
containing few lines In tiny penciling
"Well," said he, a sweet, bright light
klndling In his blue eyes, this is what |
call romantic. A soldier yanks oil lot
OF rags and installs his pedal extremltIes
into a luxurious pair OF hose, only to
| draw forth the sweetest little love letter
he ever saw.
"Ruthie!" ! wonder what she is like.
A refugee, fleeing from Atlanta, leaves Il
beautiful home to the rayages OF war and
| finds a haven among his own native hills.
The family, being UniOnisis, is scattered
In fear of the Johnnies; her brother In THE
Union army and her father, an Invalid, IL
with her.
And this, touching the soft, aeecy artl-
olcs, is her first pair OF socks she having
learned TO knit since going North-and
she sends with them her love to tie "sOl-
der boy" who gets them, hoping he will
| be able TO march to a glorious victory IL
their comfort.
| A pleasant thought comes TO Harley
| He was of duty aud 1t was raining; ht
would write to "Ruthie," thank hsr fol-
the nice letter and the luxurious foot
gear, aud he would tell her as muct
about himself IS she had revealed; Il
would only be civil.
30 he wrote, telling her he was IN or
phan without sisters to write him CHEEKY
letters, and ended by asking her to write
him occasionally as friend, adding thai
she had no idea of how much real HEAVIER
her letter OF the stocking toe brough
into his soldiers lot.
the taking of Atlanta is In progress
Among the first to be seriously woundet
is Harley. The ambulance rattlUs owe
the uneven road and jolts him into un
consciousness from the Jain and iLtens
suffering. When he opens his eyes agaii
he ia icing carried into an imIrompt,
hospital, impTovised from lovely subur
ban home, whose battle SCARED doors ar
thrown open to receive the brave boys /
blue falling on that terrible day. hi
wound, ali ugly liberation Of the thig
by q piece OF shell, has been dressed, an
be lies looking from the op1n window
measuring his suflerings with trul
heroic iortitude, aud listening to the roa
of battle as it sweeps in, hushiug III
means OF tie wounded.
There is tomething else occupying hi
thoughts es well. kuthie has written I
bin often since his FIRST letter; she write
to "cheer him up" she says. She
=. doing murs than that, however. She
wiruing his first true, passionate Low
Does the comprehend
Harley believes she does; her name
on his lips. WHAT'S dat you be L o. IL
mas az black face full OF s,mpath
looks into his, and the old colore nun
: .mooths back his hair and continue
80 ye knowed the young m!ssus d
lived hyar afore she went nrrf, did yrl
| A # EsyppIiy
! confidence flashed across his mind a b
thinks of her.
"Mlss Ruth? Yes, she's very kind
us Union solders."
40, wee, sab. She's awful good, an
as lubly as she Is good. Ia in kegr o
her ole fAder now in de nari; pretty tn
low for gal o. II, s'h, but she
pow'iul res'lute, Ruth isl Hows lmebei
my ole hpait aches to see this iliigar
house ruined, uu' | 'spose it's coin
L.rd's business now, m .ssa."
Z Harley's recovery WAS slow an
tedious. The fact that 1t would he week
before he could go about oil clutches WA
| not what kept him so very pale ar
quiet, however. No, 1t was sOmethin
heavier stu; he would be a cripple 70
lie. Not that he dr. aled the sacriiic
= for his country; no, he gloried In thai
BE was proud of being one Of those sue
@, ssfuly withstanding Hoods triple en-
deayor 10 keep them from the city. Blu
he was a hopeless, helpless, pennies
cripple, barring a possible pension, an
beloved Ruttle.
He bad written TO her of the convert
ing OF her old home into hospital To
the Union soldiers, and that lie wa past
Ing DAYS and weeks of pain under il
AMPLE rooltree. Then after he coul
stand 1t no longer he wrote more abor
b, h is manned condition; FOR lie he ha
said In a bitterly expressed sentence.
would soon be time now to receive he
I reply. lie had hoped TO soon to her
his love; but, Of course, 1t was all Owe
with him; he would not ask her to lin
, her sweet young life with mat OF poe
, cripple. Summer had merged into fal
September had come. Atlanta was no
occupied by the u ion army aud Harie
was now able to use crutches. He ha
received Ruthie's letter, and what la
! ter Il was; he could only read it and thin
: wolfe his heart beat as never before an
his blood ran "warmly on and on.
a seemed to him that she loved hun NOR
for his atlliction.
j One day the surgeon said to BIN, &c
+. home; you re & ing to get tho lever I'll
less 20 do"
/. Harley wanted to 90 bad enough, br
after all when It came to the point b
. dreaded that she lhoud see him cripple
snd emaeiated as he was. Other COZ
yalescents were going home home
I. wife, mother, sister and sweetheart. II
, had no one to tie joyous At his comm
unless-weli, he would go.
0 1t was Octo5er now; in merry Me-
0 England autumn had made good pre-
press with her artistic work; the crims